This is it! A birthday present from me to you! Warning: very short, but good!

Chapter 14: You Drive Me Crazy

OR

Welcome to Obliteration

It'd be two weeks tomorrow.

Two weeks since first walking into the Pit.

A week since entering the Abyss.

Five days since the party.

Three since the kiss.

But that would be tomorrow. Today it was only two days ago and her lips still felt singed. Not that she admitted it – no, she threw herself into her outing with Tenshi. And it couldn't be cheating. She hadn't asked for the kiss and she hadn't participated.

Her lips still burned.

"So have you found a job?"

It took a moment for Bra to register the question, suddenly piercing into her frenzy of no-thought and all-action. She looked up from where she was cleaning their dinner plates by hand at the sink, ignoring the idle cleaning bot in the corner.

"I'm guessing not," he went on, nodding towards her activity from his perch at the kitchen table, head set on locked hands. "from your sudden complete inability to keep still."

It was true: as soon as he'd come over, they'd gone in-line skating immediately. He'd proposed a movie afterward and she'd agreed, but ended up getting up every five minutes for popcorn or to rearrange something or do something else. Half way through, she decided to start on dinner, but then only picked her food. He knew Saiyans well enough to know that was a sure sign of something wrong.

She stared at him. A job?

Distantly she remembered how that had consumed her waking thoughts before… Before Goten. B.G. She shuddered internally. It sounded way too eerily like some kind of era.

She shook her head. "No," she murmured subdued, staring into the soapy water.

"What happened to all the ads you were looking through?"

Her temples began a slow throb and she raised a hand to them. "I forgot about them. There was the party…" She bit her lip, inwardly cringing as she immediately regretted bringing it up. Not only did that leave almost a week unaccounted for since then, but Tenshi was still sore over her back-up escort. And the last person she wanted to talk about was Goten.

Tenshi's green eyes immediately clouded over. "Of course that took your mind off job hunting," he murmured, trying to keep his tone even. He still smarted from the onslaught of pain and jealousy that had assailed upon entering the balcony and seeing his girlfriend reaching for the older man. Something inside of him had quailed at the sight, gnashing its teeth helplessly at the man who was somehow getting to Bra in ways Tenshi couldn't even fathom. Still, he tried not to overreact, hoping desperately if he acted like it was nothing that was exactly what it would be.

Instead, he gave a sigh of exaggeration, choosing to ignore the white elephant in the room. "B, you're making this too much of an ordeal."

Her head snapped up, her agitation starting to sharpen her temper, however illogically. She wiped her hands absently on her blood red skirt, turning away from the sink. "What do you mean?"

"You're coming at this at the completely wrong angle. Your first priority is not to find a dream job, just any job." He spread his hands emphatically.

"Tenshi, I don't want to find 'just any job'," she parroted, frowning. "I want to find a good job, one with, with," she searched for a word, "potential."

"Potential," he repeated. "What kind of potential?" The question was tinged with curiosity as it was the first time she was voicing such thoughts.

"Something I could do and just fit." She frowned harder, realizing she couldn't put it in words. Why had they come so easily with Him?

I just want to do my own thing and be able to be the best at it.

But how?

Individuality.

Excellence.

They seemed so complimentary and yet equally impossible… All the excellent things had been done and all individuality shunted by the image given by birth.

And only Goten knew…

"You're asking too much." Her blue eyes jerked up to meet the determined visage of her boyfriend. "It's only a starting job B, not a life career. In fact, I doubt you would even like to settle into a career yet," he pointed out. "You're way too restless."

"I am not!" Her temper snapped.

Her mother was restless.

Bra was not.

He raised an eyebrow. "Says the girl who's rearranging her kitchen," he retorted wryly. She stiffened, catching herself mid-motion of moving the salt and pepper shakes to the other side of the table. Nervous energy had once again gotten the best of her.

"I want to be settled," she argued back. "I want to find my niche and put down roots, get the job I'll have for the rest of my life."

She was sick of the feeling of uncertainty that swamped her, the uneasy feeling that she didn't know where she was going. Being around Goten had simply intensified the sentiment, as he always unbalanced her, revealing some new facet just when she thought she'd figured out how to deal with him. He was far too unpredictable and she hated feeling so out of control.

Tenshi frowned. "Stop thinking so ahead Bra," he said exasperated. "We don't have to decide everything this moment. Everything right now is just temporary. We're only 18, still kids."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

And sure enough, Bra recoiled violently, her hand rising as if to slap him. But the look in her eyes was enough to sting far more effectively, full of hurt and rage.

"So we're just kids!" she hissed. "Well forgive me if I thought some things might be more permanent," her tone was filled with mocking "say like our three years together!"

Tenshi swallowed, rising from his seat. "Bra, I wasn't talking about-"

But she turned away from his pleas, clenching her hands in frustration with no outlet for relief. And something became crystal clear in that moment. She had to get out of there. In a single sinuous movement, she headed for the door. He reached a hand out to her, but she pushed violently away.

"Just forget it, Tenshi! After all," her words dripped sarcasm "this is only temporary anyway!" she threw back at him and was gone, the door cracked from the force of her wrenching it up and shut.

He stood there in shock. Had they just fought? Really, truly, yelling, a beat-your-head-against-a-verbal-wall-until-your-eyes-start-to-bleed-tears fight?

It seemed incredible.

And a stone stunk in his stomach.

How literally would she take her words?

She was still sobbing in her car when the call came. She'd gotten in and driven mindlessly for only a few blocks, before the force of her tears had convinced her driving was not the wisest thing to be doing.

They came blindingly. Furiously, like a tempest rending her apart.

She and Tenshi barely ever fought, never with such vehemence. It was a fundamental pillar of their relationship: they always got along. She could be moody, but he was so laid back she often teased him, calling him The Easy Chair. He calmed, even when she was atoss in internal turmoil.

But not this time.

Bra couldn't believe it. She'd never been so upset with Tenshi, so enraged.

But had he had to say what she knew everyone thought? That she was just a CHILD! So easily swayed and told what to do! And that she could make no choice on her own…

How could he believe it?

It took her a minute to find her cell, the cheerful chirping muffled in the folds of the coat she'd left in the car.

"Hello?" she asked shortly, slightly hiccupping from her tears.

"Princess?" The nickname had never sounded sweeter. She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling waterlogged – exhausted, wet, and cold.

"Goten? Were we supposed to meet or something?" she asked confused, her mind coming up blank for why he'd call. Had they arranged something? She couldn't remember, in fact the rest of the night after the kiss was all a blur. She closed her eyes. Was she ready yet to face it? "I'm sorry," she blurted out, making up her mind in an instant. "if I forgot," she added hastily. "I'll come over now."

Maybe Goten would be just the ticket to vent herself.

After all the listening she'd done for him, it was the least he could do.

And shutting the phone with a snap, she set off for his apartment, wiping away the stray tears that still made their way down her face on the way there.

Across town, a certain half-Saiyan stared at his phone, the dial tone droning on. He frowned, slowly setting it down. They hadn't had plans, though he had had ideas, and…had she sniffled?

A curious expression settled on his face and he silently began to prepare for his unexpected guest.

Bra's entrance into Akuma's lair was a far cry from her last visit. Instead of cringing at the dingy walls and questionable stains, she barged right in, throwing herself into the apartment with as much force as she'd thrown herself into Goten's life.

She was all set to continue into the living room, when she registered the nearby presence. Turning, she beheld Goten leaning against his bedroom door, his black-clad body nearly hidden in the shadows of the ill-lit corridor.

She shivered, but turned to him, becoming very self-conscious of her blotchy eyes and wrinkled clothing as his gaze slide over her whole body. An odd trill ran down her spine.

He cocked his head. "What are you doing here?" The question was languid, almost an out-loud musing rather than a real inquiry, yet piercing her through. She opened her mouth to justify, but the words caught in her throat as he raised himself and stalked toward her.

"You've been crying." It was neutral observation and she nodded, closing her eyes as he began to circle her. "Why are you here?" Suddenly his presence was behind her, a furnace, and she couldn't help the shivers that ran down her back as his breath brushed her shoulder. "Did you expect comfort?" Her jaw clenched. "We are not friends."

She wanted to protest, but could not.

They weren't. Not really.

So close and yet…

"And my way of comforting is not technically friendly."

She whirled around, indignation filling her and leaving her even as she met his smoldering eyes.

Why are you here?

She trembled anew, but did not break the stare. Waiting, waiting…

The silence lengthened and with sudden, fleeting clarity Bra saw what was going on plainly.

He would speak no more words. No captivating verbal ensnarement.

He would make no more moves. No gentle or rough blatant bodily seduction.

It was up to her.

Her choice. Her move.

Daring her to join him, urging her to fly without promising to catch her if she fell.

No excuse though, if she chose the danger that she faced.

No force, only choice.

"Say the word-"

She could never be sure later if he'd actually said it or if she'd simply imagined it completely.

But it was enough to induce her to action. And once again, she upped his challenge.

She kissed him hard.

Welcome to obliteration.

I know, really short, but hey! It finally happened. More –gory– details next chapter, though not terribly explicit. Not to mention- the fall out.

Next time, When You Let the Devil In…It's Hard to Kick Him Out.

Toodles!