A/N: OHHHH SHEEEIT. I'm working a lot again. So... yup. Keep forgetting I made Marron fifteen, but I guess it's nbd. This isn't even a darkfic compared to what I normally right so enjoy it while it lasts, because whatever I write next won't be pretty! Jk. But seriously.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything affiliated with it.
-MalRev
Spectre
11
Guilt and shame were my first feelings when I started getting ready for school the next day. I couldn't even feel nervous because I was too overwhelmed by my revulsion with my stupid behavior. What was I thinking? I'd acted dumb and immature instead of thinking things through. I'd considered things that never should've entered my head and I'd put myself in more than one bad situation.
My babysitter was gone. I made myself a bagel for breakfast and waited for Bulla and Pan to come pick me up, praying he wouldn't tell my parents. Poor Goku. He didn't understand stuff like that. I'd probably thrown him for a loop with my actions. He'd go home and tell Chi-Chi and she'd be on the warpath.
How humiliating. My urges faded fast and I was left with an empty, cold feeling in my stomach that wasn't satisfied with food. Guilt hurt in more ways than one. If he ever decided to see me again I'd have to apologize for acting so weird. I didn't want to come between him and daddy.
I waited dejectedly at the table, texting Goten back and forth about getting together again tonight. He apologized for his behavior and mentioned that his dad would probably leave us alone if we announced to everyone that we were dating. It was a bit too much for me. I could already see the look on my mother's face when I told her I was dating a 25 year old. It wasn't right.
Bulla and Pan picked me up a while later. I was quiet on the drive to school, thinking about seeing my parents after two long days and wondering about Goten and Goku. Times were tough for dad and I knew he wanted to be with his friends but I would've preferred staying home where we used to live.
Orange Star High was much bigger than my old school. My friends stuck close to me as we walked through the halls, occasionally stopping to introduce me to other people. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be—they were pretty friendly and the teachers were welcoming. I was too concerned with my personal life to worry about what a bunch of strangers thought of me, anyway.
"See? It isn't too bad," Bulla said as we walked to English class. "I've heard a few guys whispering about you, Marron. Don't worry, I'll let them know you're taken."
I laughed nervously, clutching my notebooks tightly. "That's okay. I'm not dating Goten. I mean, I'm not saying I want to date anyone here but we definitely aren't together."
The half-Saiyan raised a blue eyebrow. She was smirking slightly. "Really? Because he was texting me all night talking about you. He wants to tell his parents and yours. Maybe you should check that out before he does something you won't like. I've known Goten my whole life and he can be… how do you say it… pushy? I'd be careful if I were you."
"Pushy?" I echoed. "What's the supposed to mean?"
She neatly avoided a pack of upperclassmen and shrugged. "Oh, nothing. I'm just saying you were lucky Goku showed up when he did. Pan, what the hell are you doing?! Get your nose out of your phone while we're walking or I'll throw you in a locker!"
Pan seemed to snap out of a reverie and apologized repeatedly, blushing as she slipped her phone in her pocket. She had been oddly quiet ever since I saw her in the morning. But she didn't look upset. It was more of a nervous tension, like she was afraid of letting a secret out. I wondered…
The girls escorted me to the huge dining room for lunch. It was decorated with a myriad of red tables and it felt like every pair of eyes was watching as we made our way to a table. Bulla was extremely well known in the school, as was Pan, so it was typical for them to stare when someone was let into the 'group.' We sat down with a few other girls whose names I didn't care to remember and I eagerly took out my sandwich to start eating.
"Pan, are you texting Trunks?!" Bulla squealed.
"N-no!"
"Oh, so that's why you two disappeared the night of the party. I'm gonna have to tell your parents, Panny, and Gohan isn't gonna be happy he's precious baby is—"
The loudspeaker crackled to life and interrupted Bulla's taunting. I opened my mouth, prepared for the first delicious bite.
"Marron Chestnut to the office, please," announced the voice.
Every pair of eyes turned to me.
I blinked awkwardly and sighed as I wrapped my sandwich up again. It would have to wait. Bulla led the other girls in gasping as though they were shocked as I left the lunch room. Weird. What could I have done wrong? Maybe they needed me to fill out some paperwork.
I hurried up the stairs to the office and shoved a handful of almonds in my mouth. I was starving. Were they really allowed to interrupt my lunch like that? I turned a corner and pushed open the door to the office, quickly tucking my bag of almonds away and nearly bumping into someone.
Goku was standing by the counter, talking with the receptionist. He smiled tightly as I profusely apologized for barreling into him but I stopped when I noticed it wasn't a stranger. He was wearing normal street clothes instead of the weird orange getup he was so fond of. His muscles were practically begging to be set free from the short sleeves.
"Uh… hi," I said stupidly.
His smile turned even more gruesome. "Hey. Ready to go?"
The receptionist's eyes flickered between us and she handed him a sheet of paper to sign me out of class. I thought he'd be picking me up after school, not pulling me out during lunch.
"Are we going to see my parents?" I asked, watching him sign the sheet. "And thanks for leaving this morning. I loved getting ready all by myself and not having anyone to talk to."
"Sorry, I needed to go home and check on my wife." He slapped the pen down and politely nodded to the receptionist.
"Oh… duh. Sorry, guess I'm just getting cranky. I'm so hungry."
He herded me out of the office, oblivious to the stares of the office staff. "D'you want something to eat? I can bring you home and…" He stopped and swallowed hard. "Well we can go back to your house and make lunch if you want. Your parents aren't expecting us for a bit longer."
My stomach growled at the mention of food and I took out my bag of almonds again to munch on a few more. Goku kept a hand on the small of my back, leading me out of the school with a hard expression. He seemed really angry. I hoped he wasn't mad at me for how I acted the night before. I wasn't thinking straight and he hadn't exactly discouraged me so no one was at fault when you thought about it.
We turned a corner to hide us from prying us and Goku used instant transmission to teleport us away from the school. It was fine with me. Sure I was hungry but getting out of school early as sweet. We could go see mom and daddy now that I was feeling better about everything. I could forget about the disgusting emotions raging inside me and it would be normal again.
When we phased back into existence, I excitedly skipped into the house to get some food. My sandwich was probably bad from sitting in my lunchbox all day. As I rummaged through cabinets trying to find the perfect meal, the door slowly closed in the foyer, groaning shut until the lock snapped into place. Goku was moving awfully slow. He was typically right behind me with a big grin on his face.
"Yes, noodles!" I said, snatching a box of elbow macaroni from the cabinet. "Can you bring some water to a flash boil for me? You guys can use energy so it'll take a lot less… time."
I turned to see Goku leaning against the entranceway to the kitchen with his arms folded. His black eyes were intense and sort of angry. His expression shifted in an instant and he was smiling, snapping his fingers to make golden light flicker between them. I warily grabbed a pot from beneath the stove and put it over a burner. He wanted me to apologize. That had to be it.
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," I blurted as he approached. "I was still a bit drunk and I promise nothing will happen again like that."
He cocked his head, standing beside me to ignite the burner. "Huh? Whatdya mean? I'm not mad at you, Marron. I just have a lot on my mind right now, that's all."
The bright orange flame suddenly skyrocketed, nearly singeing the ceiling and exuding a stifling heat wave that made the air ripple. I shrieked in surprise and cowered back but Goku didn't budge. He was gripping the edge of the stove; his knuckles were white. He shook a bit as he adjusted the knobs to turn the heat down and I struggled to calm down. What the hell was his problem?!
"But I guess I shouldn't be angry," he continued, "because nothing happened. Yamcha just came over to help Chi-Chi paint our bedroom. Her clothes were covered in paint so she had to change. We've been married for a long time so why should I start doubting her now? I can tolerate seeing my wife around other men. I abandoned her for seven years to train so I have no room to complain."
"Can you um, watch it with the—"
The oven screeched as Goku dug his fingers into the metal, warping it beyond repair. He wasn't looking at me. His eyes were on the pot of boiling water.
"I married her when we were eighteen," he said. His voice was rising in pitch. "I was trying to be nice. I didn't know what she wanted. I didn't know I'd have my own kids and responsibilities and that after all we've been through, I would come home to find her half naked in my bedroom with my friend. But what am I talking about? 'We're painting, Goku.' 'Don't worry about it.' 'Go train or something.'"
Uh oh. Maybe I should've mentioned what I saw in the mall.
Goku's hair flickered gold. "My best friend is in the hospital and she's too busy painting with Yamcha to go see him. She doesn't care. She only cares about who Goten's sleeping with or… or… what Gohan's grades are! Or when Videl is gonna have another baby. It's always someone else."
Actually, I'd keep my mouth shut about the mall. I didn't want to wind up like the oven.
I hesitantly tapped his shoulder. "Um… you're um… destroying our stove."
Suddenly he whirled around and pinned me up against the countertop. He slammed his hands down on either side of me, black eyes glowing with rage. I gripped the edge of the counter until it cut into my palms and tore my eyes away from his, terrified beyond belief. Oh god, I shouldn't have mentioned the stupid oven. We could just buy a new one for Christ's sake!
I could barely hear the bubbling water over the sound of Goku's heavy pants.
The Saiyan pushed closer to me until our bodies were touching in a way that wasn't meant to be innocent. He reached a big hand up to hold the back of my head and I began to feel dizzy. What was going on? What was I doing? Wasn't I supposed to be making pasta for lunch?
"But like I said," he murmured, "I guess I have no room to complain."
We stared at one another. Blood dripped down my palms onto our new floor.
My eyes flickered to the pot. "I'm gonna just put the pasta in real quick."
Goku's big fingers threaded through my hair idly. He twisted a lock around his index finger, admiring the way my lighter blonde highlights caught the sun. "I like blonde hair. It looks… I don't know." He smiled and leaned close to whisper into my ear. "Heavenly, like there's an angel in my bed with a halo that never disappears."
In his WHAT?!
A knock on the door roused Goku and he stepped away from me to tend to the stove. I was visibly trembling as I gathered myself and hurried into the foyer to greet the visitor. Goku's black eyes followed me all the way out until I vanished around the corner to pull open the door.
Bulla, Pan, Goten, and Trunks were all standing outside. I let them in without a second thought. My mind was swimming as Goten leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.
Goku was smirking.