The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret

--Kiss Me--

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!!! FIGHTING YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?!!" Bra heard Bulma's voice echo through her brain. She wondered how she was able to hear their conversation so well when all the rooms were nearly soundproof. Her bedroom door must have been opened a little.

She hadn't even opened her eyes yet. She dared not move just yet because every part of her body ached.

"I wouldn't expect YOU to understand!" Vegeta commented rather loudly.

"I understand perfectly! You're an insane father who won't let his daughter be with someone she loves. My father didn't want me to be with you, but he never punched me in the face over it!" Bulma shouted.

Ah, waking up to an argument between your parents was always a sure sign that you weren't dreaming.

"You have no idea what happened out there today!" Vegeta said.

"Just because I fainted doesn't mean I don't know what went on! And seeing the result made it pretty clear what happened!" Bulma spoke up. "You--could--have--KILLED--her!!!"

Bra slowly sat up on what she found out was her bed. Her head was spinning and the aching in her body got worse. The room was completely dark.

"You're awake," a familiar voice whispered. This voice was not coming from another room. The person who spoke to her was in the same room. And the strangest thing about that voice was that she could swear it was Goten's.

"Goten?" she struggled to ask, looking around the room as if she could see in the dark.

The small lamp beside her bed came on and cast a dim light in the room. It was indeed Goten. He was sitting in a chair beside her bed with a look of concern on his face. "How are you feeling?"

Before answering his question, Bra stared at him for a moment. What was he doing here? Surely, if her father knew about this, nothing would stop him from annihilating Goten on the spot this time. He'd held back with her because she's his daughter, but he really hated this man.

"I hurt," was Bra's only answer. It seemed that right now, talking was making the pain even worse. But she mustered a slight smile. His presence could be her motivation.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS, VEGETA! Let her live her life! She's 16! She's all grown up! She's not our little girl anymore!" Bulma argued from the other room.

"That's not the point!" Vegeta bellowed. "You're so clueless! I can't believe you don't see what's happening! And YOU'RE supposed to be the genius here?! Hardly." Then came the sound of a door opening and then slamming shut. Bra knew that sound all too well. It was the sound of her father taking time out to think. He was leaving and probably wouldn't be back for at least a couple of days.

Goten looked toward the bedroom door. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, referring to the comment Bra made earlier. He looked back at her. "That was a great fight, by the way. I don't think I would have been able to hang in there as long as you did."

Bra hmphed and looked away from him. "It doesn't matter. I lost. Which means we can't see each other anymore." Then she looked back at him. "Why are you here anyway?"

"Your mom wanted me to watch over you. I guess she knew I was worried," Goten told her.

"And my dad let you stay here?" Bra asked. Maybe her father had had a change of heart. Maybe he would allow them to be together after all.

"Ummmm..., he kinda doesn't know I'm still here," Goten said.

Well, so much for false hope. She should have known that her father wouldn't go back on his decision. If Vegeta found out that he was still here, Goten would be a big red smudge on the carpet.

Bra groaned. "I can't believe this. My dad's such a jerk sometimes." She picked up one of her many screwdrivers that was just lying around and hurled it at the half-opened bedroom door. It made a loud thump and slammed the door shut. The screwdriver was stuck in the door. "Oops." She laughed a little.

Goten looked at the door and laughed a little too. "Hey, don't worry about your dad." He put his hand on her cheek. "I'm just glad YOU'RE okay."

There were those irresistible eyes of his. The situation was absolutely perfect. They were in her dimly lit bedroom alone. And suddenly there came an overwhelming urge to kiss him. She slowly leaned toward Goten and closed her eyes. Ah, the magic that this night could bring.

A faint sound caught her attention. It was the sound of a door opening. A nearby door. Her bedroom door. Both she and Goten turned toward the door as Bulma stuck her head in. The two sprang back from each other.

"Oops! Sorry. I heard a sound come from this direction and I thought I'd check it out," Bulma said. She smiled a goofy little schoolgirl type smile. "Good to see that you came around so quickly, Bra. I'll just run off now. Let you two get back to...." She giggled.

Bra rolled her eyes. Her mother could be such a teeny-bopping miscreant at times. All Bra wanted right now was to be alone with Goten.

"Actually, I think I should be the one to leave, Mrs. B.," Goten interrupted.

Bra's expression was one of utter confusion. HE was leaving? But why? Didn't he want to be there with her?

"You don't have to leave. You know you're always welcome here no matter what Vegeta says," Bulma said.

"Thanks. You've already allowed me to stay when I should have been kicked out," Goten said.

"Oh, Goten. You're really the best man I could ever ask for my daughter to be with. Her father just doesn't see it that way," Bulma told him.

Goten smiled that Son smile of his. "It's okay. I'm not gonna give up that easily."

What a guy! Bra should have known that Goten was a bit more defiant than that. He'd stared death in the face, watched as he defeated his own daughter and still he had no fear of what may happen if he were to get caught with her. It now gave Bra all the right in the world to be just as defiant.

Bulma smiled and winked at Goten. "You'll fight until you win. Just like your father." She looked at Bra. "Well, you'd better get some rest. I know that fight took a lot out of you."

Bra nodded. "A little."

"Come on, Goten. I'll show you out," Bulma said.

"Okay." Goten looked at Bra. "Goodnight, Bra. I'll see you at school in the morning."

"See you then," Bra said.

The two looked at each other for a while and silence filled the room.

"Oh, come on. Are you gonna kiss her or what?" Bulma asked.

Bra looked surprised. "MOM!"

Goten scratched the back of his head. "I...guess I should."

Bra furrowed her brow. "You guess?"

"Kidding," Goten reassured her, standing in front of Bra as she sat on the bed. He leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

Bra blushed a little and smiled up at him.

Bulma became teary-eyed. "Where's a camera when you need one?"

--End Kiss Me--

--Really short chapter. I know. I just ended it here because the next episode is at the beginning of the day. And I hate putting the end of one day and the beginning of another in the same chapter. Sometimes I do it, but I start feeling lost when I do.

--Thanks for all the reviews. I'm still a fledgling writer, so it really helps to hear from you. Maybe if I ever start another type of story I'll consider myself a beginner.

--Please review. Let me know what you think. Let me know what you liked. Let me know what you didn't like.

--Thanks for reading this installment of The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret. This is your host SludgeMetal666 saying "If you keep reading, I'll keep writing."