I do not own Dragonball Z.

Listen to: Temptation by Tea Party

Chapter V: Party

Capsule Corporation's annual shareholder's gala took place at the end of every year to celebrate their record breaking profits. Since Trunks had taken over as president five years ago, not a single year had been skipped. While the corporation had always been profitable, the fresh blood invigorated sales and took the company to a whole new level.

Bra took in the grandeur of the opulent ballroom, the curved walls and domed ceiling made entirely from glass, giving breathtaking views of the city and nighttime sky. The glass ballroom was located at the top of one of the newest and tallest buildings in West City. The Corporate Tower also hosted a posh hotel, penthouse suites, and the company's main offices and research labs; plenty of work was still conducted in the old labs at her home, but it was mostly used for personal projects by her family.

She had just finished making rounds of polite conversation with all the right people, as was expected of her: The fat cat shareholders with their pockets bulging with Capsule Corp. profits; she flirted with their young, unmarried sons and with the older eccentric gentlemen and now she was ready to leave the stuffy gala for where the real party was taking place in a conference room a few floors below.

Winking at the older man she had just finished talking to, she nabbed one last glass of champagne and headed for the elevators. On the way she passed her brother, still deep in conversation with one of their grandfather's old friends and briefly wondered if he would make it to the party this evening. These events for Trunks were all about making appearances and schmoozing the right people. Though she had no doubt that by midnight he would make his way downstairs with a new "friend" on his arm.

In the mirrored walls of the elevator Bra fixed her hair, pulling the overgrown bangs out of her eyes and pinning them back with a diamond clip before tousling the big curls in her long, blue hair and making sure they cascaded over her bare back in a perfectly alluring way. Then she touched up her lipstick and smoothed the curve-hugging red silk of her dress over her hips just as the doors opened onto the next floor. The substantial difference in atmosphere hit her immediately as she stepped out of the elevator. The music was in sharp contrast from the live orchestra playing softly in the ballroom.

There were three conference rooms on this floor, all of which had been cleared out for the Capsule Corporation employees. One entire room was filled with a buffet and bar, while the one across the hall had been set up like a mini casino with card tables and a few slot machines. It was in this room where Bra finally found Pan and Marron playing darts in the back with a couple of guys she didn't recognize. Marron spotted her first and waved her over.

On her way across the room, she passed a table of guys playing poker and immediately spotted Goten. He looked up as she passed and she watched as he gave her a slow once over before he caught her eye, smirking as he dealt the next hand. Bra tried her best not to blush and was instantly annoyed with herself for so easily becoming flustered. With a toss of her blue hair, she kept walking. He had once again done a disappearing act and she hadn't seen him since they'd fooled around in her car.

I just don't want you to get the wrong impression…

His stupid words kept coming back to her. She wasn't sure what kind of impression he was trying to give her. If it was one where he was a jerk then mission accomplished! Even still, she could feel the heat spreading through her body at the sheer memory of steamed windows and panting breaths.

"Thank god you're here," Marron hissed into Bra's ear when she was close enough. Bra gave Marron a puzzled frown and the blonde tilted her head in Pan's direction. "Pan is drunk and she's about to lose this game for me and I am not giving these guys their money back."

Bra gave Marron another look as she folded her arms over her chest in irritation. Pan never drank. "What's going on?"

Marron shrugged one slender, strapless shoulder. "I don't know. You know she doesn't talk to me about these things, but she hasn't stopped drinking since I ran into her. Look, we've only got two more games and I can finish those on my own. Just... take her to dance or something," Marron huffed.

Bra eyed the older woman for a moment, her own irritation rising at her attitude. She often forgot how single minded her friend could be when the subject was money. She was very much like her mother in that way. It was a problem. One that, Bra mused, had been a point of contention in her relationship with Trunks.

That or the fact that Trunks was a sleaze and slept with anything that moved.

Bra relented, more concerned with Pan than with Marron's shortcomings. She moved over to the other girl who was talking with the two guys she'd noticed earlier, getting her attention.

"Bra! You're here," Pan exclaimed, giving her the wide grin Bra associated with the Son family.

"I am," Bra smiled back, "and it looks like I have some catching up to do." Pan laughed and introduced the two men she had been talking to as Hiro and Alan.

"Marron and I were beating these guys at darts," Pan explained sipping on her drink.

"Barely," Alan said with an easy grin and a lovely accent. "Before we get back to that, why don't I get everyone a fresh drink?" As he made his way out to the bar, Marron joined them.

Bra could see what had Marron's concern. Pan was giggly and overly flirty with men she had just met. Combined with the sight of her putting away her drink instead of nursing it like she typically did, made Bra pause. It was pretty out of character for her friend. The four made polite conversation as they waited for their drinks, however, Bra was distracted. She could see Goten on the other side of the room, no longer playing poker. His jacket was off, tossed carelessly over a chair and he was leaning close to a pretty redhead in a short black dress, talking in hushed tones.

Bra tried not to think too much about it as she watched the other girl giggle at something he said. It wasn't as if she had any claim on the man. Just because they had made out a couple of times over the last few months didn't make him her boyfriend. He had made that painfully clear. He wasn't boyfriend material anyway. As a matter of fact, she could only recall one relationship he'd ever been in. That had been years ago and she had no idea why it had ended.

It didn't stop the jealous feeling budding in her chest.

Alan made it back to them with a tray of drinks and Bra watched as Pan downed the one in her hand to take the new one. There was a bit more talking and good natured ribbing as the guys took their place to play another round. Bra hung back, ignoring the eyes Marron was making at her as Pan stumbled in her heels, laughing loudly as one of the men caught her. She was tracking Goten and the redhead out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't until Goten's hand slid up the other woman's back with a suggestive look in his dark eyes that Bra decided dancing might not be such a bad idea afterall.

Looping her arm through Pan's, she gave the guys an apologetic pout. "I really want to go dancing and Pan has to come with me."

"But we've just started," Alan said, but Bra was already moving away with Pan in tow.

"I'm sure Marron can cover her," she called over her shoulder in a light flirty voice, giving them all a small wave. She made sure to sway her hips as she sauntered out and extra sure not to notice if Goten noticed.

As soon as the two girls were out in the hall with the door shut behind them Bra stopped, turning to Pan. "Ok, what's going on?" She asked.

"What?" Pan replied defensively crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bra's hands found their way to her hips as she shifted to one side. "It's not that big of a deal, but this isn't like you." She assessed the pretty girl in a short green dress for flaws in her armor.

Pan's mood darkened instantly. "Maybe I'm just trying to have some fun. You know, finales were only a few weeks ago and not all of us can just ace them in our sleep."

Bra narrowed her eyes at the tipsy girl, her ire perked. It was just like Pan to try and deflect by attacking her with something so ridiculous. It wasn't her fault that standard education was a joke to her and that she couldn't attend a regular school. She furrowed her brows at the other girl. What wasn't she telling her?

"Why didn't Lee come tonight?" She asked and was rewarded when Pan's face fell just a little.

"We got into a fight, it was stupid," Pan replied bitterly. She frowned, looking at the floor for a minute, before looking up and continuing. "I'm just..." a heavy sigh, "I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

Bra felt some of her anger leave at Pan's contrite words. "Did you guys break up?"

"It's fine," Pan said quickly. "Maybe we'll work it out. I just didn't want him here tonight and I kinda want to forget the whole thing, so, you know, the drinking..."

Bra wanted a few more details, but decided against it at the sight of the stubborn set of Pan's chin. The fight must've been recent enough because this was the first she'd heard of it. Pan had called her a few days after her date with Lee to tell her that everything had gone well and that was the last she had heard from the other girl.

Besides, she hadn't said a word to her about Goten.

"Fine, I'll get the full story out of you another time." Bra grinned, grabbing Pan's hand and practically dragging her down the hall. "For now, it looks like I have some catching up to do."

The conference room at the end of the hall was the largest on the floor and had been set up with a dance floor, bar and DJ. There were flashing lights and a smoke machine going off somewhere and about a dozen speakers set up around the room. As the night wore on and people drank more, the room became more crowded until she could hardly move without bumping into someone.

Bra made good on her promise to catch up with Pan, going as far as taking shots in every color of the rainbow. Neither girl let their drinks run dry and eventually, the only thing she was aware of was the music.

Bra loved dancing. She loved everything about it. She loved the music; the way it seemed to reach down into her soul and make her body move to the beat. She loved the flashing lights and the press of bodies just as lost to the rhythm as she. It was her favorite form of exercise, though her father called it a frivolous waste. The rest of her family may love to do katas until they flailed around in their sleep, but Bra just wanted to dance.

At some point Marron joined them and she thought she caught a glimpse of Goten, though she decided to ignore that. She moved from song to song, dancing with anyone who came near enough to her. There was something liberating about grinding to the beat of the music against some anonymous guy. So lost was she, that it was with some surprise that she finally found her drink empty.

Pushing her way through the crowd of drunk people, Bra finally spotted someone she recognized. She had long ago lost Pan. Sliding up next to Marron, the blonde's back was pressed tight against a guy Bra didn't recognize, her black dress pushed up her thighs and her eyes closed.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Bra yelled in the other girl's ear to get her attention. Marron opened one blue eye and gave her a thumb's up. Bra rolled her eyes. So much for the girl code.

Fighting her way out of the hot room and into the relative coolness of the hall, Bra made her way slowly to the ladies restroom, one hand steadying her against the wall. In the bathroom, she saw that her face was flushed bright red, her perfectly lacquered hair a mess and the beautiful red dress was most likely ruined from sweat. She made a face as she fixed her makeup and tried to smooth her hair back into the diamond clip, all the curl having fallen out. Satisfied that she'd done all she could, Bra made her way back to the hall.

Just outside the door, she heard a commotion and followed it to its origin outside the room with the DJ where Goten was struggling with a very drunk Pan.

"Panny, please," Goten pleaded with his thrashing niece, gently holding her upper arms to keep her upright.

"I'm fine!" Pan said angrily trying to push him off of her.

"What's going on?" Bra asked.

"Will'ou tell im I'm fine?" Pan's words slurred together. "I jus wanna dance!"

Bra snickered at Pan's slurred words and Goten shot her a baleful glare. "She passed out," he said flatly.

"No, I tripped and fell." Pan was becoming belligerent. She struggled against him more, but Goten held her easily.

"You're wasted and you're father is going to kill me." Goten said looking very worried as this thought occurred to him.

Bra blinked at him owlishly, willing the room to stop tilting. She wasn't exactly sober and did not like the thought of parental involvement. Her mother didn't exactly approve of Bra drinking and Gohan was downright scary when he wanted to be. But neither were half as terrifying as Videl. She did not want to deal with that tonight. It looked like this party was over.

Bending down to look Pan in the face, Bra told her as much. "Let's just go back to my house; this party is winding down anyway." It wasn't. It was barely midnight.

Pan looked at her, her eyes bleary and face flush and finally agreed to leave. She stood to her full height quickly, which was a mistake and the next thing they knew, Pan was falling over, out cold. Goten swore as he caught her, lifting her up to carry her out.

"I'm going to take her outside before she throws up," he said with a frown.

"Hold on," thinking quickly, Bra grabbed the clutch hanging off Pan's wrist and fished her phone out. Quickly she tapped out a message to Gohan:

Bra is having some melodrama so I'm going to crash over there tonight.

And sent it off before getting on the elevator with Goten and Pan. She thought that sounded like something Pan would say. She knew Pan had called her melodramatic before, which was rude, but whatever, as long as it did the trick. Gohan's reply came as they reached the street with an okay.

"All clear!" Bra grinned and they began to make their way down the street to the Briefs manor.

Goten shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "I've never seen her like this before. I didn't even realize she was drunk until she passed out. I was just pulling some guy off her and the next thing I know, she's on the floor. Is something going on?" He wisely questioned.

Bra was not about to break her friend's confidence, but figured a little bit of truth wouldn't hurt. "She had fight with her boyfriend."

"What about?" Goten asked using his I'm About to Get Angry voice, but Bra just shrugged. "Of course you're not going to tell me." She shot him a sly grin and he narrowed his eyes. "Are you drunk?"

"I'm fine." That was a lie. She certainly felt better out in the cool air, but she was most certainly still drunk. "I didn't have as much as Pan." That was the truth, strictly speaking because it's hard to catch up to someone when they're taking all those shots with you.

The night was crisp and clear and while it felt like heaven after that hot dancehall, Bra shivered. "Here," Goten said as he stopped and maneuvered Pan to take off his jacket and hand it to her.

"How chivalrous," Bra said with a delighted laugh, slipping the large jacket on.

"Yeah, well, I do what I can," he said, smiling down at her, his dark eyes looking her over. Bra felt decidedly small and oddly demure in Goten's oversized jacket. The inside lining was soft and the sleeves slide well past her fingertips. As she waited for Goten to move Pan into a more comfortable position on his back, she dipped her nose into the collar, reveling in the scent that was purely him.

They continued their walk in comfortable silence. The Capsule Corporation Complex took up several city blocks in the heart of West City. What had started out in the domed building, with labs and offices sharing space with their home, had expanded into the sprawling complex, with the skyscraper serving as the current headquarters.

Focusing on the sound of her shoes hitting the pavement, Bra hugged the jacket closer to her body, concentrating on not falling in her heels. She was just beginning to feel like her head was clearing, that fast Saiyan metabolism making quick work of the alcohol, when she felt something inside the pocket of Goten's jacket.

Curiosity getting the better of her and not feeling even the tiniest bit of shame at going through Goten's things, she pulled out a black, leather wrapped flask.

"What's this?" She crowed in delight, pulling the top off.

Goten looked over at the sound of her voice. "Hey, give that back," he said as he reached to snatch it from her hand.

Bra easily danced out of his reach, mischief gleaming in her bright blue eyes. Against Goten's protests, she took a hard pull from the flask then a sputtering cough as it burned its way down her throat. "What is this?" She croaked when she could talk again.

Goten laughed at her, shaking his head. "I tried to warn you," he said as he leaned over and easily pulled it from Bra's grasp. He took a drink for himself and grimaced. "Good stuff, yeah?"

"Yeah," was Bra's dry response. "Seriously, what did I just drink?" It was at both times sweet and spicy in a way she'd never experienced before. And it had texture. Drinks shouldn't have texture unless it was orange juice. She was kind of worried about that.

Goten shrugged, jostling Pan on his back and causing the poor girl to moan in her sleep. "Not sure really. Vegeta sometimes brings it back from his trips." He handed the flask back to her and, against her better judgment, she took it.

"Ah, so that's what he's doing. Here I thought he was visiting his other family and its just an intergalactic booze run." Bra eyed the drink dubiously before taking a small sip. It wasn't as bad the second time, now that she knew what to expect.

Goten chuckled as he watched her take another tentative sip. "Nah, not Vegeta. The booze is just a bonus."

"Yeah, I know," she said, handing the flask back. Whatever that alien wine was, its effects were immediate. She could already feel it tingling down her arms and into her fingertips. "Daddy is out there making the universe a better place. Or something."

Recently, Vegeta had begun frequent trips off the planet. Two or three times a year he would head out and be gone for a month or two at a time. The intent was to keep down any rising threats in the power vacuum the demise of the Cold Empire had left. And with Son Goku gone, he was worried eyes turn toward earth since it had become the epicenter for activity over the last few years.

"Yeah, well, as long as he's stopped looking for my dad because that ain't going to happen." There was a hard and somewhat bitter edge to his voice.

Bra studied his profile for a moment after that comment, noticing the troubled look in his dark eyes and decided to quickly change the subject. Goku was still a touchy topic.

"Trunks wants to take Capsule Corp intergalactic," she said hoping to draw Goten from his dark musing.

Bra wanted to sigh in relief when he turned to her, eyebrows raised in curiosity. "Really," he said, "Trunks hasn't mentioned that."

Bra nodded. "He and daddy have been talking about it for a while now. I guess there's a republic forming out there and Trunks wants to get in on the ground floor. So, I'm leaving with Daddy in a couple months to go check it out."

"You're going?" Bra frowned at the incredulity in his voice.

"Why not me?"

Goten held a hand up in surrender. "Just surprised is all. I mean, you've never been off the planet before. I just figured it was something Trunks would do."

Bra crossed her arms over her chest, "Trunks doesn't get to do everything." She shook her head, dropping the pout she could feel coming on. "There's a school. Daddy said it used to be one of Freeza's training facilities back in the day, but now its become more of a place where people can gather and exchange information. I'm going there for a few months, taking Dinocap technology with me."

She watched Goten out of the corner of her eye, catching the way he smirked down at her. "Well, that sounds like fun." He said and Bra could hear the sarcasm in every word. "Didn't you just get out of school?"

"It is!" She giggled, bumping her shoulder against him playfully. The move caused her to stumble in her heels, throwing her off balance. Goten reached out to steady her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she got her feet back under her. She looked up at him blue eyes wide as he pulled her tight against his body. She could feel his warmth bleeding through the jacket and for a moment she forgot where she was as the world around her narrowed to the dark brooding of his eyes.

The sound of a gurgling moan shattered the moment and Bra awkwardly pulled away as Goten shifted to readjust an unhappy Pan. The night suddenly felt much colder after having been so close to him, the cold wind biting into her cheeks as the rest of world came back in sharp focus.

She cleared her throat as they began walking again. "I, uh, did finish school a few months ago, but, you know… once in a lifetime opportunity and all." She wanted to cringe at how lame and forced she sounded.

Goten made a noncommittal sound, his face turned away so that all she could see was the sharp curve of his jaw. Bra focused on the gentle swish of the flask clutched in her hand as they made their way silently down the block to her home.

It didn't take long for them to reach the dark, empty house. She let them in quickly and the sudden blast of heated air made her head spin.

"You can just take her up to your room," she said to Goten softly before leading him up the stairs.

In the small room Goten gently laid Pan down on the bed while Bra dug in the dresser for an old t-shirt for her friend to sleep in. She didn't usually have a problem with loaning out pajamas, but she didn't like the idea of Pan throwing up on it, so a shirt from Trunks would have to do. Goten left the room as Bra tugged on Pan to help her out of the dress. One bleary brown eye cracked open.

"Sorry, Bra."

"S'ok," she replied, unzipping her bodice before pulling the t-shirt down over her head. Pan managed to shimmy the rest of the way out of the dress before all her energy seemed to disappear at once and she flopped back onto the bed.

"Trunks here?" Pan's question came out a bit garbled as she struggled to stay conscious, but her eyes were already closed and her breathing slowing.

"No," Bra answered, wondering if she should be worried about alcohol poisoning. The younger girl mumbled something unintelligible in response before passing out completely. Bra waited a beat to see if she might wake up again then left the room, closing the door behind her.

In the dark hall, Bra saw Goten emerge from Trunks' room sliding a dress shirt over broad shoulders. He gave her a half grin upon noticing her.

"Pan drooled all over me," he said by way of explanation, his voice soft in the still silence of the house. She watched him fumble with the buttons for a moment before crossing the hall to help him.

Stepping in close, she brushed his hands away, taking the small buttons and fastening them. She kept her head down, focused on her task and trying not to think about how close he was or the way her fingers brushed the thin undershirt he wore.

She took her time, though, because despite everything she loved being near him. He smelled good, his body wearing cologne and musk from the night in a way that made her want to swoon. She rocked gently into him, breathing deep when large, warm hands came to rest firmly on her hips.

Bra's hands stilled as she neared the end of the shirt and she looked up at him through dark lashes. Even in heels he was much taller than her. The top of her head barely reached his nose. Those dark, pensive eyes looked back at her and Bra felt her skin flush at the heat in his gaze. She bit her lip watching as his eyes followed as she scraped across it.

His grip tightened ever so slightly, fingers digging into her back as he pulled her closer, his lips meeting hers. The kiss was soft and gentle, not like the others they'd shared before. A barely there slide of lips over hers. She let him kiss her while she waited for the voice at the back of her head to tell her this was a bad idea; to stop him because this always ended with her being hurt and confused. Instead there was only a distant grumbling, an echo of those thoughts that were banished completely by a deep, frustrated growl from the man holding her.

He pulled closer still their bodies now pressed tightly together and her hands fisted in the shirt in an attempt to keep them from running up his chest. Goten pressed her mouth more insistently, gently sucking on her lower lip. She made a small hum of approval, whatever resistances dissolving with the flexing of his fingers at her waist. This time when he pulled away she followed him, arms wrapping around his neck to keep him in place while she returned his kiss.

It was that same fire as before; so quick to ignite and burn bright. Her tongue swirled with his and she forgot what it was like to kiss anyone before him. There was only him. There had only ever beenhim. He was under her skin and in her blood. He kissed her like she was the answer to the question he'd been searching for.

He moved her backwards, guiding her feet until her back was pressed against the wall. Bra hooked a leg around his waist as his hand found the slit in her skirt and slid up her bare thigh and hold her steady. He made his own little noise of approval, bucking his hips gently into her as he kissed wetly down her neck and across her chest.

Her head fell back as she arched into his touch and she knew right then that more than anything she wanted him. All of him. She wanted every last inch of his skin pressed to every last inch of hers. She wanted his every pant and moan. She wanted his eyes squeezed shut in pleasure. She wanted every last bit of the pure, raw energy she could sense buzzing under his skin.

Bra's head was swimming by the time he made it back to kissing her mouth. Slender fingers carded through dark hair, scraping along the back of his neck. A shudder went through him and he pulled away just enough to rest his forehead against hers. Strong hands that had been holding her pressed to the wall stilled her rocking hips. An involuntary whimper escaped her at the loss of friction.

His eyes sought out hers as they struggled to catch their breath, but she couldn't read anything there in the dark. After a moment where the only sound was that of their heavy breathing he whispered her name. It was a soft sound, reverent and awed and it sent a tingle all the way down her legs.

"I can't… we…" His rough voice tripped over the words before he buried his face into the crook of her neck, breathing deeply. "I need to go."

Bra's eyes slid closed in fervent denial at his words. At the truth in them. She couldn't respond. Goten let go of her leg and kept her steady as she regained her balance. He stepped away, just enough to give her space to stand, but he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Bra worried kiss swollen lips between her teeth, her breathing still ragged as he smoothed his hands down over her hips. "I have to leave. I have to go back to the party." The words sound as if they were said more for his benefit than hers; as if he were trying to convince himself.

"I know," Bra whispered, sliding her back against the wall, pulling away from him. She licked her lips, watching him watching her. "Do you ever think about it? About us. Together."

Goten swallowed thickly. "Don't say that," he rasped. He sounded completely wrecked as he braced himself against the wall and traced her footsteps down the dark hall.

Bra smirked, enjoying this affected Goten. She could feel his dark eyes tearing through her. Could practically feel the heat from his gaze. He watched her as if she were a wild thing and that was exactly how she felt. Her body buzzed, hot and throbbing, already missing his touch.

She slipped through her open door into the moonlit room. Stopping in a patch of light from the moon as it spilled across her floor, she watch over her shoulder for Goten to appear in her doorway a moment later. Bra could now clearly see the dark, predatory glint in his eyes, hands fisted at his sides. Every muscle in his body was taut with tension, though he made no move to enter or to leave.

Bra watched him carefully; blue eyes locked with his dark ones, as she slowly reached trembling hands behind her to the low slung dress and pulled the zipper down over the small of her back. At the sharp intake of his breath, she let the straps fall from her shoulders to catch in the crook of her arms. Bra turned ever so slightly, in just the right way to catch the light before she let the dress fall to the floor to pool around her heels.

Clasping her hands behind her back she presented herself to him. Silver light from the full moon caressed her pale flesh and she knew she was striking to behold. Her skin was flushed, her breast pert from his attention, nipples a pretty pink to contrast with the dark bruises he left across her chest. The wood around the doorway groaned in protest as Goten gripped it tightly. He looked as if he were in physical pain, wrestling with wanting to touch her and needed to leave before he did. He drank her in, eyes bottomless pools of longing and Bra finally took pity on him and held out her hand, palm up.

"You don't have to leave," she said in the same throaty whisper she'd used before.

Goten swallowed thickly, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead he closed it with a snap, his jaw tense, and dragged a hand down over his mouth as he considered her naked form. He was visibly wrecked and absolutely torn, a slight tremor stealing through him at the sound of her voice.

A beat passed. And then another and Bra held her breath waiting. She knew he wanted her. It was written plainly in taut lines of his body. And Bra didn't think she could state her feelings any more plainly.

When he did finally move, it was with a dreamlike haze as he stepped into the room taking her proffered hand, threading their fingers together. His dark eyes never left her blue ones and she was completely swept away by the intensity there. The door behind him shut and as he pulled her to his chest there was the sound of the lock clicking home.