AN: So I look at my story stats regularly and this is by far my most popular story on this site. It has almost five thousand views and counting…WHERE ARE YOU ALL COMING FROM?!
There are quite a lot of you that clicked follow for this story and I thank you for that. Unlike Crowning Curse this story has a more thoroughly planned outline so it'll be easier to update if I can keep up the inspiration and work ethic on it. Support via reviews, etc. will be very much appreciated.
I love you all, darlings!
Chapter 9: In Rain or Shine
With his arms stretched upwards, Goten let out a yawn as he laid on his futon. He had finished all of his chores inside the shrine for the day. The others would have to wait until the rain cleared up. Until then it was looking to be a lazy Sunday afternoon. He had taken a powernap for a couple of hours and was no longer tired but the overwhelming boredom was not helping him try to stay awake.
"Hey Rei," he sat up and turned to the curtain beside him, knowing she was in her room. "Mind if I peel back the curtain for a bit?"
"Sure," She mumbled absentmindedly.
He smiled and pulled the sheet to the side to allow the two to see each other. "Hey," he greeted.
"What is it?" She asked, looking up from her book.
"It's nothing, just wondering if you wanted some company. You were just so quiet."
"Oh don't worry; I've had your obnoxiously loud snoring keep me company for the last four hours." She said and waved dismissively.
"Sorry about that," he apologized with a nervous chuckle.
"Whatever, I'm used to it." She rolled her eyes only to put them back on the book.
"So what's that case you're bringing home from school with you?" Goten pointed at the open long cylindrical object next to her school bag.
"It's for my arrows. I rejoined the archery club this year." She nonchalantly turned the page.
"Wow that sounds cool. You any good..?"
She merely pointed out of her room to the patio where a target practice stand was, a couple of arrows on the bull's-eye and several surrounding it not too far off. She must've shot from indoors while he was sleeping, a remarkable distance from where the stand was outside. It appeared she avoided stepping out so she wouldn't get rained on.
"Hey, that's real impressive!"
"If you think so," she shrugged. "Personally, I think I've gotten rusty. I haven't practiced since last fall." Her instructor was rather harsh with her; both knew she could do better. So she pushed on the extra practice by taking her bow home with her and shooting after morning meditation.
"It's still amazing if you ask me. You're really talented."
Rei looked up from her book then to catch his smile. "Thank you," she said calmly and raised her book once more to cover her face. She hid behind it to cover the slight coloring of her cheeks from his praise. She was so used to her shooting receiving compliments from her classmates, yet it never fazed her as much as it did when Goten spoke to her with such sincere admiration. Why in the hell was she starting to care about what he thinks? She was always caught off guard by his words and couldn't come up with a snide retort.
The rain suddenly died down and Goten stuck his hand out. "So glad that's over, it sure was pouring earlier."
"Uh huh," Rei mumbled, paying him no mind or at least pretending not to. This was probably the third time she reread the passages her teacher assigned for homework. The period of his power nap left her bored to bits so she decided on school work to take advantage of the silence. Now that he was up, she held on to the book nevertheless. If he were to give her another glance with that dopey grin of his, her cheeks would heat up even more. Damn him, she was starting to get mad over it.
"Man, it's just so boring today. No one's going to buy charms in this weather." Goten whined. "I wish Grandpa was here, I'd be up for getting my butt handed to me in a game of Shogi right now."
"Please, whenever you two get together I'm amazed we don't receive noise complaints." The shrine maiden rubbed her temples remembering how her grandfather and Goten would burst into hysterical laughter over the dumbest things. "Thank god he's been going out a lot with Nana."
"Yeah, those two lovebirds probably smooch every chance they get."
Rei audibly gagged. "Please, change of topic."
Goten chuckled, knowing she was half-joking. He was starting to see flickers of that sense of humor coming out of her around him. "So what's that book you got there?"
"Required reading for my literature class."
"Isn't that the book you finished the other night?"
'Crap,' she thought. "Yeah, well I was rereading to keep the material fresh in my head."
"You like studying?" He asked. Rei seemed diligent with about everything she did. He had to wonder if she was passionate about academics like Gohan was.
Rei shrugged. "It's something to do when I've got time to kill."
Goten tilted his head and lifted a brow. "Are you saying you're studying because you're bored?"
"I guess if you put it that way, yes."
"Get out," Goten spoke in disbelief.
"You got a problem with a studious young maiden?" She narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
"No, but I got a problem with a stick in the mud." He said boldly while staring her back down.
"Excuse me?" She put down the book and stood on her feet.
"You heard me. Your grandpa's a fun guy and I think you should take a page from his book." He quipped smoothly, rising to meet her. "It's kind of a surprise, with how uptight you are. I guess you didn't inherit it from him. The fun gene must've skipped a generation with you."
'Oh, no he didn't.' Rei's mouth hung agape at the sass he dealt. She fell to her instinctual reaction and felt her temper flare up. "Listen here, blockhead!" She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, jerked him forward to meet her eye level, and bared her teeth at him. "I know how to have fun just fine! In fact I know all my friends consider me VERY fun to be around!"
Goten blushed when he realized their noses brushed against each other. They haven't been this physically close since when he gave her CPR up at the mountains. He couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat. She was so hot when she was mad! Maybe Trunks was right about him being in deep L word.
Apparently Rei caught on that they were too close and pushed him to a more acceptable distance to reprimand. "I don't need a man telling me what I am or not! So watch that big mouth of yours!"
"Prove it," he muttered. The little hamster wheel in his mind suddenly sped like no tomorrow as he was blessed with a brilliant idea.
"What?"
"Prove to me that you're really a fun girl to hang out with. We'll leave, just get up and go from here, and you show me a good time. It'll be just the two of us. No help from the other girls." He smirked.
Her eyes widened, clearly not expecting him to challenge her in response. Her fists tightly clenched at her sides as she inwardly debated what her next move would be. The ball was in her court now.
'Take the bait. Take the bait. Take the bait. Take the bait. Please, take the bait!' He chanted in his mind. In his little experience living with this fiery young woman, he knew for a fact that she never backed down from a challenge. And now he hoped she wasn't going to start now.
She met his eyes with unyielding determination, oblivious to how much of a turn on it was. "All right, you're on."
Goten did everything within his power to keep his composure. The inside of his mind sighed in relief and simultaneously broke out in a victory dance at the development. She couldn't see that this really excited him. "I'll grab my jacket then." He said with a confident smirk before turning around.
The soldier of fire grabbed his arm when it donned on her. "Wait just a second," she hissed so he'd face her. "This is by no means a date, Goten!" She added harshly, blushing over the idea.
"What, a date? Pfft! That's ridiculous, we're just friends. Just a simple outing between us two, as friends, that's all." He chuckled nervously.
"Good, at least we know that's clear." She released him.
Once they were dressed, they slowly made their way down the shrine stairs. Well, she went slowly. Goten bounced like an energetic young hare while splashing about in the puddles on each step. "I'm already having fun." He grinned.
"All's fun before you slip and hurt yourself," Rei rolled her eyes. She mentally groaned about how little effort this challenge would take. Goten was like a puppy, usually entertained himself. She tried not to smile at the mental image of him chasing his own tail around if he had one.
"Hey, I thought the point of this outing was for you to let loose. We're not even off the stairs and you're already nagging." Goten teased as he jumped another step carelessly. This time he did slip and lost his balance.
"Goten..!" Rei hurried down the steps he tumbled down.
He landed on his bottom and held the back of his head. "Ouchy," he winced with watery eyes.
"Are you all right?" Rei knelt next to him and looked him over for scrapes.
He closed his eyes and a quick flash of images came to his mind: wildflowers, a tree with a broken branch, and a scraped knee.
"Goten," Rei's voice snapped him out of it, violet eyes looking down at him with concern.
"I'm all right," he mumbled as Rei felt his head and found a bump. "Not the first time I fell down and hit my head."
"That doesn't surprise me one bit." Rei snorted in response. "Sorry," she whispered gently when she lightly pressed his bump only to have him cringe in response.
"Kiss it better, Rei." He gave her the puppy dog pout.
With a roll of her eyes and a huff she stood yet offered him her hand. "Suck it up, you big baby."
"I'm not a baby." He grumbled and took her hand so she could yank him back on his feet.
"Then stop acting like one." She said and stuck out her tongue.
"Meany," he squinted his eyes in mock annoyance.
"But in all seriousness, you think I've lived here for 11 years and not know that jumping on the wet shrine steps is dangerous?" Her sleeve was pulled back to expose her elbow. "I got this scar from slipping off the 17th step."
"Talk about brutal," he said and looked at it up close. "Did you have to get stitches for that?"
"Yup, I was 8 years old at the time." Rei nodded and righted her sleeve.
"Wow, did you cry?" He cringed. Knowing him he would have definitely been bawling and screaming, not just from the gash but the needle trying to sew him up. He hated needles, something he inherited from his father. Just thinking about them sent shivers down his spine.
"Nope, I never cry." Rei flipped her hair in a bout of confidence.
"Liar, everybody cries." He said in a matter of fact tone. She was starting to remind him of Trunks. He used to always say that warriors did not cry.
"I'm not everybody." She countered as they crossed the street into the shopping district.
"So what fun plans you got for us today, dinner and a movie?"
"Hell no," Rei snorted. "I don't like watching television, why would I sit for 2 hours to watch a movie?"
"Oh come on, I'm sure there are movies even you like," Goten smiled.
"I guess I like period dramas with some action thrown in." She stated after taking a moment to think. She enjoyed samurai films. "I'm okay with horror as long as it isn't sci-fi horror." She said and crinkled her nose in distaste.
"You don't like sci-fi? So that means you don't like movies about aliens and space?"
"Not at all," she shook her head. "I think a lot of those alien movies are ridiculous." She said with her arms crossed. Of course she found those films preposterous because she knew aliens exist. She just didn't like the subject being turned into a worldwide phenomenon for cheap thrills and a quick buck. And little green men from Mars? She found that personally offensive.
"Yeah real ridiculous," Goten tugged at his collar. 'Oh boy, if she only knew she was living with a half human and half space monkey. She'd probably call me nuts until I start flying.' He then recalled the time he first transformed into a super saiyan in front of his mother. 'Would she think I'm some sort of freak?'
"Goten," Rei snapped her fingers in front of his face to keep him from spacing out on her. "I swear you're so easily distracted."
"Sorry," he mumbled and followed after her.
"Hey, you like video games don't you, Goten?"
"Yeah, I used to play them with Trunks all the time. He always had the best." He beamed.
"The arcade's nearby. You up to play some games?"
"Am I?!" Goten all but squealed.
"Guess I didn't have to ask." She rolled her eyes.
"Welcome," the blonde man greeted at the entrance before grinning. "Rei-chan, nice to see you again and it looks like you brought a friend." He turned to Goten. "Looks like you found your way to the shrine all right."
"Yeah, thank you…Moto-" He paused trying to remember his name.
"Motoki," he said and held out his hand for the teen to shake.
"That's it. I swear it was on the tip of my tongue! I'm Son Goten," He chuckled and shook his hand while they both exchanged a bow. "It's nice to see you again, Motoki."
"Likewise, you must really be something. Rei can really work someone like a dog." He laughed.
Rei huffed. "Oh come on, that was only one New Year's." Rei looked up at Goten. "I was understaffed one year and he volunteered to help set up the shrine for New Year's, complaining the whole time."
"I think I still have bruises from hanging those decorations." The blonde smiled.
"Don't worry, now that she has me, you won't have to lift a finger. I can take anything she can throw at me." Goten announced cockily, rubbing his nose.
"Says the man who can't properly fold a shirt," Rei cracked a smirk.
"I told you. I never did laundry before, okay?!" He whined while flailing his arms.
"Wow, this is scary," Motoki muttered in amusement.
"Huh," they both turned their attention to him.
"You're like a male Usagi-chan." He laughed. "You bicker just like she and Rei would, like a married couple."
The two went wide-eyed and blushed. "We do not!" Rei argued after quickly recovering from the light shock.
Goten remained quiet. Motoki had a valid point. His parents bickered, Bulma and Vegeta bickered, and even Gohan and Videl argued over what's best for Pan.
Rei turned to notice Goten not saying anything to argue with and she let out a frustrated sigh. "Let's just go play a game already." She grumbled and grabbed him by the wrist, leaving Motoki snickering.
Stopping at the token machine, they put in their bills and pocketed their change. "Wow, they have the old Sailor V game here." Goten's face lit up.
"Yeah, the girls and I would all play it in middle school and compare high scores. Ami-chan always came out on top, that little overachiever." Rei sighed with a smile, recalling Minako's unsatisfied screeching.
"Same thing happened to me with Trunks. Then again, he probably got a lot more practice in since it was his game." Goten said as he looked around for a game they could play together. He blinked at a game machine with bar railings and a ground pad. "What's that?"
"Dance Dance," Rei answered. "You never played it before?"
Goten shook his head.
"Come on, it's tricky your first time but it gets fun as you go along." Rei said as she led him to the machine. "The pads have arrows that correspond to the ones on screen. The point of the game is to hit them with your feet when the arrows on screen hit that area. It's all about timing."
"Looks simple enough," He nodded in understanding.
"I'll show you how simple it really is." She scoffed.
They popped in their tokens and Rei decided to put them on Standard difficulty to make it easy on him. Once the music started and the arrows began to fly across screen they began to tap away. Goten found himself scrambling his feet around. He wasn't really much of a dancer, got his two left feet from his father. He glanced at the side and saw Rei move with poise. Her flow was perfect she looked calm despite the quick movement of her feet. It was the spark in her eyes that gave her away. Inside she was anything but calm, she was driven!
The stage ended and the game tallied up their score. Goten's was pitifully low. "What was that?" Rei turned to Goten in mock frustration. "I've seen you move a lot faster doing chores."
"Sorry, I got a little distracted…again." His hand went behind his head.
"Well get on the ball! I know you can do a lot better than that." She said and popped in her change.
The second round however went much better for him than what he had expected and matched Rei with a perfect score. 'Guess thinking of it like a kata helps,' he thought while smiling proudly.
"All right, tiebreaker!" Rei exclaimed and set it on Expert Difficulty.
"Go big or go home." Goten muttered with a half smile and shrug before the music picked up.
In a thunder of thumping dance steps the two stomped on the pads and the game echoed with dings indicating they were flowing perfectly. Rei made the mistake of glancing over at Goten this time. His feet definitely moved at a speed she witnessed before in short bursts when he'd clean around the house. Just how was he doing that? She never quite met someone that would pick up on Dance Dance so well on their first time playing. He may have been an idiot, but she couldn't doubt that he was an idiot with great hidden talent.
Lost in her thoughts, her body slipped up quite literally. Forgetting to account that she wore heeled boots today, the aforementioned heel on her left foot slid sideways and threw her off balance. Rei let out a small gasp as she tipped towards him, her arms stretched out on instinct to prevent falling face first. In a flash, Goten's arms caught her and his waist was encircled by hers.
"Rei, you okay?" His voice asked gently.
Rei's breath caught as she lifted her face, inches away from his shirt, to look into his eyes. Those soft kind eyes were getting to her, striking something deep inside of her. Why was her heart thumping against her chest again? How could this blundering blockhead get her face heated up with just a look?
"Winner," The machine rang, making the two of them glance up at the monitor. Apparently they didn't finish the last stage but Goten still won by a couple of points.
Ironically that score wasn't exciting him nearly as much as getting to hold Rei again, feeling her arms around him this time. 'Now this is what winning feels like.' He smiled and righted Rei up on her feet.
Angrily twitching she pulled away. "You don't have to look so smug about it." She blushed, clearly misreading his smile in her own embarrassment. "I'm done playing this game." She crossed her arms.
"Okay, what do you want to play next?" He grinned earnestly. His inner child was bouncing gleefully over getting Rei all to himself and playtime in one afternoon. For an unofficial date, this was off to a great start.
"All those other machines are taken," Rei stated while looking at the two player arcade game section, her eyes were on the shooter game.
"I don't think I'd stand much of a chance in a shooter against you." He shrugged sheepishly. He wasn't lying at all. Rei could easily win at that. He had pretty good aim with his throwing arm but the technology lagged when it came to following his quick reflexes. He recalled how he and Trunks used to make games short circuit if they weren't careful with their speed.
"The air hockey table's free." She pointed over the table against the far wall.
"All right, just please promise me you won't aim the puck at my face?" He scratched his cheek.
"No," Rei stuck her chin up in defiance.
"Oh come on, don't be a spoilsport." He mock whined as they took their sides at the table.
He initially decided to take it as slow as what would be a snail's pace to him. No surprise to him, Rei aggressively smacked the puck on her first turn. How silly something as trivial as an arcade game could turn into something so intense. His reflexes were extraordinary compared to a human's but he was still working up a sweat at how hard Rei would hit the puck enough to shoot from side to side in attempts to confuse him. She hadn't scored yet but she just might if he let down his guard just once.
The miko was in the zone as their mallets clacked against the puck uninterrupted in a rapid fire pace. She ground her teeth when the puck began to blur from her sharp sight. It suddenly vanished from the table and she froze in surprise when she heard it ding and the score was suddenly 0-1. She noticed his tiny smirk, eyes flickering with mirth as they lowered for her gaze to follow. She found the puck in her goal pocket. Withholding the urge to scream, the look he was giving her hinted that was what he wanted out of her, she merely exhaled sharply through her nostrils and picked the puck up and set it to play.
'Okay,' refusing to lose, she decided to cheat and channeled a bit of her power. 'Let's see how you handle this!' It had been a while since she had done so but her morning meditation kept her senses sharp despite going so long without being used. Her years as a senshi even helped polished them a bit.
Now he was suddenly anxious. Something about Rei's ki was different, changed somehow. Was this what those women at the shrine meant by power? Her game was better. Almost as if she knew exactly where the puck was going to—
Ding.
He slowly glanced up at the score 1-1. A sharp exhale in escaped his lips in awe. She cleared her throat to get his attention. Goten looked back at her and slowly cracked invigorated smile. The way their eyes met, each holding a spark to them, it was the most electrifying thing. It was almost like the same rush he'd get when he was about to spar with Trunks, the boisterous feeling that washes over a saiyan when they meet a worthy match.
'Damn,' she thought. 'Just now, he looked kind of hot when he gave me that look.' With a shake of her head and roll of her eyes she pointed at his side of the table as if to signal his turn to serve. 'What am I thinking? This is Goten, my resident blockhead!'
Rei intercepted the puck at each time and scored 5 points.
Now Goten was sweating. He didn't want to lose but he didn't want to use too much power. Plus if he let Rei win, she'd probably get mad over him holding back. Not his fault he didn't want to lose control of the situation. 'Wait, control that's it,' his mind lit up at the idea.
He cracked a smile as shifted an inkling of his ki into the puck, practically invisible to any bystander's eye. This would even the odds. After all, if she was going to use her power, then there's no reason he couldn't use some of his.
'That dirty cheater,' she inwardly cursed as she saw a tiny aura in the puck as it began to move on its own accord. It would swerve around her puck every time she tried to intercept it from the goal.
She let out a growl as the score was 7-5, her favor but he was catching up.
More intense clacking and it had come down to 9-8, Rei's favor once more. Both of them glaring heatedly at the table as the puck zipped back and forth in a straight trajectory.
"Looks like that couple has anger issues to work through," a guy and his friends commented as they passed by them to exit.
Rei made the mistake of whirling her head to glare in their direction, "We're not a couple!"
That instant Goten lost control of the puck as it leapt to the air, heading for her face. He reached his hand up to try and stop it but was surprised to see Rei turn back with a blazing glare; a strange yet familiar symbol briefly appeared on her forehead. She smacked the puck midair with her mallet, and Goten could feel her ki spike up that instant. The puck ricocheted off her mallet and suddenly ignited, flying through the air aflame now. Goten sidestepped out of its path and looked blue in the face over what had just happened, trying to process. Apparently once Motoki threw down a towel to stomp out the flaming puck, Rei's face also turned blue over the spectacle. The symbol on her forehead now gone.
"Okay, I'll call this your win. I'm all gamed out for today." Goten nervously chuckled. If they continued, he knew it would have only escalated into some serious property damage.
"Yeah, me too…" Rei muttered, surprisingly meek. Why did she let it get so out of hand like that? She almost could have totally blown her secret!
The two walked away from the table and were on their way out when Goten tugged her sleeve eagerly. "Hey," he got her attention and pointed at the photo booth machine. "I haven't been in one of those in a while. Want to take a picture?"
"Why?" Rei blinked.
"Well, we still have tokens left. Why not get a souvenir?" He grinned.
Rei pouted and rummaged through her clutch in her jacket to check herself in her compact mirror. "I don't know. My hair's probably a mess." She said and toyed with her bangs.
"You look perfect," he stated.
She could see her cheeks tint pinker in her reflection and snapped the mirror closed. "Fine, but if I don't like them, we throw them out."
"Sure," he laughed and let her slide in the booth first.
"It says we got 4 shots." She said as she programmed the machine once they put in their coins. She pressed against the touch screen for the options of 2 print copies.
"You want a souvenir too?"
"Shut up," she grumbled. "It's just in case you lose yours."
Goten bit the inside in his cheek and decided against commenting about Rei covering up her sentimentality. 'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you have feelings.'
"Pick a theme." Rei stated as the screen came up.
"That one," he pointed at the Sailor V one with childlike enthusiasm.
"Sailor V, big surprise." Rei rolled her eyes. She could just see Minako's reaction right now; finding out Goten was a big fan of hers. Like she really needed the ego boost to begin with.
"Hey, this'll be fun!" He exclaimed. The timer went on for the first slot. "Okay, justice poses, back to back!" He directed as he turned slightly, bringing up his hands to fold them and make a gun shape.
Rei cracked a smile and followed his lead. Good thing she had years of experience when it came to posing heroically.
Click. "Okay, next one..! Pretend to punch me like a crook."
Rei giggled as he lifted her fist to press his cheek upwards and he made a silly face. Click.
"Glamour shot?" He looked to her and asked.
Rei nodded, the delightful smile now a full one from ear to ear. Goten scooted closer and used his hands to make a frame around their faces. Rei copied a pose she had seen on a cover of a magazine with her hands folded under her chin and her eyes giving off a look of allure. Goten tried to mimic her but exaggerated it with over the top sexy lip pouting. Click.
Rei burst out laughing at that one once it was on screen.
"Love it," he chuckled and put an arm around her. "Now for the big finish, victory poses..!" They both smiled while making the V signs. Click.
"Awesome," he righted himself up and took his arm off. "See, that wasn't so bad."
"It was surprisingly entertaining." She nodded and grabbed the strips when they were printed. "Guess I was right to get a copy." She handed him his and watched him looking them over in glee.
"You're pretty photogenic. I never would have suspected that." Rei added.
"Thanks, I like taking pictures." He blushed and sheepishly put his hand behind his head.
They waved Motoki goodbye and left the arcade. Rei decided to take him through the scenic route and nudged him towards the park.
"Say, back there in the air hockey match—" Rei began but was interrupted.
"Yeah, that was intense. You really had me nervous." He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I saw you do something to the puck." She said, getting to the point.
He froze, staring back at her wide eyed.
"Is that what you meant when you talked about training with your brother and father?" She inquired with a raised brow.
"Um, well you see it's a little more advanced like—Race you!" He called out in panic when he couldn't think up a good enough explanation.
"Hey, I wasn't done talking to you!" She cried out and took off after him through the grass. Okay, so maybe she wasn't in a position to ask. After all, she couldn't exactly tell him the puck was lit on fire because she's a reincarnated Martian warrior princess of flame.
Goten found the shrine maiden surprisingly agile in heeled boots, and fast. He jumped chained railings and she followed after him in the green grass. It occurred to him just how long it's been since he really pushed himself into doing some physical activity. His blood was pumping over having her right on his trail. The hill was awfully steep on the way down and he suddenly tripped over something, tumbling the rest of the way.
Rei jumped the unidentified speed bump as if she knew its location all along and slid after him on her heels with flawless balance.
He somersaulted to recover on his feet once on flat land but didn't expect Rei to be quick to tackle him from behind. 'She's a…really fast woman!' He thought as the air was knocked out of them and they rolled in the grass until they came to a stop.
She had him pinned by the shoulders and straddled his waist. "Caught you," she panted for breath with a pleased look on her face. "So, do I get a prize or something, is that how this works?" She tilted her head with an expression mixed of puzzlement and amusement.
Goten helplessly broke out in a fit of laughter. "You're really fast! No one's ever caught me like that before." He panted and rested his head on the ground. When his eyelids shut he saw a familiar silhouette of a little girl in his mind. 'Pinned you, I win..!' They snapped back open to see the gorgeous young woman on top of him. He then looked at her in a new light and his heart fluttered in an all too familiar pattern. It couldn't be…
Rei laughed back. "Well, there's a first time for everything." She said and climbed off of him, dusting the blades of grass off of her clothes. She then stretched out her hand to help him up.
"Ouch, crap, I think I got a leg cramp!" He said as he held his leg, tugging her back from his weight.
She squeaked but kept from toppling on top of him. "You're pathetic. Walk it off, you big baby!" When she saw him wince, she rolled her eyes and helped him up once more. His arm was wrapped over her shoulders and she stood supporting his weight to help him limp along.
"So what was it that I tripped over?" He asked while cursing his muscles. It was probably that Dance Dance game. Was he really so out of shape? Maybe he should go back to doing kata in the morning or at least some basic exercise like jogging.
"The sprinkler," she answered. Just as she said that they all decided to come on. "Oh f—Are you kidding me right now?!" She exclaimed as the jets of water started squirting them from all directions.
"Go on without me!" He dramatically jested.
"No, I'm not leaving without you!" She played along. "Move it, soldier!"
They both hurried through the barrage of sprinklers until they were back on the pavement. "We made it, dry land!" He cheered.
"How may I ever repay your heroic efforts?" He chuckled and stretched his leg, still stinging but not unbearable.
"Buy me dinner," Rei answered without a pause.
"Can do," he said and shook his wet hair, getting droplets on her like a dog, earning a laugh out of her.
The two didn't have to walk far before stopping at a small Chinese restaurant. They were seated and ordered one of everything on the menu before the rain started pouring down again.
"Now that was a lot more fun than an afternoon of playing Shogi with Grandpa." He sighed cheerfully ad relaxed into his seat.
"I still can't believe you know how to play that game." Rei stated honestly. A strategy game seemed like the farthest thing from Goten's interests. The guy couldn't even plan to write a grocery list. He just saw what he liked and grabbed it like a little kid. She found it amazing he could even remember the rules and everything.
"My brother Gohan taught me how to play. Though I never really won against him," he pouted. "I think the only time I did win was against my dad. Then he beat me after he practiced with mom. Our whole family liked playing it when we were stuck indoors from bad weather, like this. It looks like a boring game but it got my family pumped for some reason. Once you get us playing we're all jumping around and shouting from the sidelines at each other. I guess we're all just real competitive."
"You sound like you're all very close." Rei said, looking very interested in the subject. Goten's family sounded rather amusing from all that she's heard from him.
"You'd think," he mumbled but then he looked back at her with wide eyes. "I mean, we are! Don't get me wrong, it's just that things didn't start out that way."
When her eyes never left him, he ran his hand through his hair to push back his fringe. "My dad usually liked to be away from home, he's kind of a free spirit like that. One day he…he was needed somewhere very important. So he was gone for seven years, before I was born. So I didn't get to meet him until I was a kid."
The usually intense looking amethyst eyes softened at that as she kept quiet, allowing him to continue while listening intently.
"Before that moment, I've only heard about him from my mom and Gohan so I was really nervous meeting him the first time. I remember I actually hid behind my mom's skirt. First thing he did after we were introduced was give me a hug, just like that. And I finally knew what it was like to have a dad that moment." His lips twitched upwards over the thought of his first memory with his father.
He glanced up and saw her give him a small supportive smile. He felt his cheeks heat up in response and he put his hand behind his head. 'Boy, this outing was supposed to be about me getting to learn more about her. Now I feel kind of silly talking about myself. I never told anyone about this before…'
"Don't stop," she interrupted his train of thought. "Keep going," she insisted.
The young man's face grew redder at that. "Well up until that point I only had my mom and brother. Gohan really stepped up to take care of me whenever mom wasn't around and he taught me everything I know. How to read, how to tie my shoes, how to fish, how to camp, how to fly," he went on.
"Fly..?" Rei blinked curiously.
"Kites," he answered, wasn't exactly a lie. Gohan taught him how to fly one before it was claimed by a bird's nest up in a tree. It provided them shade and protection from the rain so they never moved it.
"Mom was the one that taught me how to fight before my dad actually. I guess when I couldn't hit the books like my brother did she decided I take up martial arts instead. It was a win/win since Gohan could get some exercise sparring with me while I get in the extra practice." He scratched his cheek. "She's pretty overbearing but she always means well. Her cooking's always the best. Dad even said—after all the places he's been—nothing ever beat her home cooking."
"It sounds like your family is really supportive." Rei commented. She also thought that by the description, Goten's mom sounded a lot like Makoto when it came to the culinary and martial arts.
"Yeah, they really are." He smiled bashfully.
"So why'd you leave?" Rei asked.
Goten frowned in response. "There uh, just wasn't any work out there for me so I decided I needed to move for better opportunities. Besides, I'm 18 years old. You got to leave the nest some time, right?"
Rei knew that wasn't the real reason. He was hiding something, but she could tell he was new to this. She'd allow him to dance around the subject for now. "Yeah," she replied.
"So what's your family story?"
Rei looked up at him like she had hoped he wasn't going to ask. But she couldn't really blame him. He's been living with her for a while now, couldn't fault him for being curious. It was best he heard it from her now than have him ask the girls about it, or worse Grandpa. She inhaled sharply and looked out the window, watching the droplets of rain stream down the glass. "I'm going to be brief. It's not something I enjoy talking about, ever."
Goten flinched in response, knowing he hit a nerve that was best left alone. All that aside, he leaned in and listened attentively.
"My mother had health issues ever since she was young. I don't," she took a deep breath; already looking emotionally exhausted just thinking about it. "I don't remember much but when I picture her in my mind she was always indoors, at least when she wasn't resting in a hospital bed. We were really close. She taught me how to play piano, on her good days. Whenever she wasn't feeling well I'd just go outside and pick her flowers. I was 6 and I brought flowers to mom's hospital room. Then a nurse had to sit down and tell me why she wasn't waking up."
Words could not express the level of heartbreak he felt just looking at the wave of sorrow that came over her face, the way she closed her eyes trying to hold it all in. He remembered how he bawled like a newborn when his father told him Gohan was dead as a kid, then the devastation when his mother was taken from him by the evil Majin Buu. He was never really the same after that. But now the thought finally struck him, what would have become of him if they were gone for good?
A life without his mother and Gohan would have been so empty and bleak. He would have had to harden himself as his father told him to when preparing to fight. Sure he would have had Trunks, but he would have still felt so alone. To think, Rei had to go through that loss so young.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered, almost choking. He felt the overwhelming urge to pull her into a hug.
"Don't be, it was a long time ago." Rei crossed her arms, sounding a bit more like her usually self. "Since then I lived in the shrine with Grandpa. My father and I haven't really spoken since."
There was a silence between them after their food arrived. While he dug in like he normally would, practically inhaled his food, he was mindful to eat a little quieter out of respect. His black eyes observed the way she gracefully ate her meal. She always had the best manners and was one of the most disciplined people he'd ever met. Rei was so grown up in a lot of ways compared to him, and he was the older one out of the two of them! Guess it wasn't surprising since she had to grow up a lot faster. Rei already had his respect but it reached a new level of height that moment. She may not be a super saiyan but she was miles beyond stronger than him inside to come out like she had after something so devastating.
"Rei," he tried gently for her attention.
"What," she looked up from her plate at him. There was no anger in her tone or expression, it was surprising.
"Just wanted to say I had a lot of fun with you today," he affirmed with a warm smile.
The young woman was taken aback by the unexpected comment before nodding and flashed him a small smile in return.
Goten counted his blessings that day.
"You sure bought a lot of Here! Microwave Dinners this month," Goten commented as he carried the groceries like he normally would. "Been carrying fewer bags each week too," he noted with a frown.
"Well, aside from having less time to actually cook from scratch, it's much cheaper than buying all the assorted ingredients. Prices have gone on the rise and it's all starting to add up." Rei walked beside him and pulled out her calculator app on her phone while going over the budget with a frown. 'At this rate we're barely breaking even.'
"Rei, is everything okay?" Goten asked, feeling the stress radiate off of her.
"No," she answered honestly. "Ever since Grandpa started seeing the widow, he's been scarce and that leaves just you and me running the shrine. I'm only available after school and all you can do is play cashier until I get home. Business is so damn slow this time of year too." She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath.
"I think I might have to quit archery club and stick to putting more hours into the shrine." She dragged her hands down her face. "And Sister Kathryn just told me I could be scouted for a scholarship if I got to go to nationals." Her frown grew bigger.
"A scholarship..? Wow, Rei! Does Gramps know?" Goten's eyes widened.
"No, I haven't told him because—I wasn't kidding when I told you he hasn't dated in years." She turned to him with a look of concern and worry. "Grandpa hasn't been this happy in a long time, and I really don't have the heart to tell him seeing his girlfriend is having some negative repercussions."
"I understand," he gave a nod. Rei must have felt so guilty. She must felt like doing whatever possible to shoulder this burden than risk breaking Grandpa's heart.
"Maybe nationals aren't in the cards for me," she lamented.
"Rei, what would you say if I got another job?"
The shrine maiden stopped dead in her tracks as they reached the top of the steps. She whirled around to face him in disbelief. "Goten, you don't have to—"
"I don't see why not. I've been living with you rent free all this time. The least I can do is help put some money into paying the grocery bill. After all, you know how much I eat." He grinned, trying for some levity.
"But that just leaves me alone at the shrine." She pointed out.
He shrugged. "I'll take a job in the hours you're out of school or work nights."
"You're really serious about this," she looked up at him, awestruck.
"I'm a high school graduate doing a whole lot of nothing when I'm not doing chores. You've got so much on your plate with working and school at the same time. Just take it easy and focus on your studies." He suggested while they walked to the house. "And once they see how well you can shoot a bow and arrow, I'm sure that scholarship's as good as yours." He winked.
"Goten," she gazed back at him with a sentimental gleam in her eyes. "Thank you," she breathed gratefully as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She didn't expect him to be so responsible and volunteer as eagerly as he had. The fiery woman couldn't help but appreciate him wanting to contribute without having to be persuaded into it.
A meow had suddenly broken up their moment as they both looked down at the white cat at their feet. It looked up at them with large blue eyes and a crescent moon on its forehead.
"Oh my god, Rei…Look, a kitty!" The dark-haired man gasped.
"Goten, that's-"
He put down his purchases and knelt down to pet it. "Hello, little fella," he greeted him. "Aren't you a handsome cat?" He grinned and stroked under its chin. The cat began to purr in response to the petting. "Rei, I think he likes me."
Rei covered her mouth in an effort to keep her laugh from coming out as the cat looked up at both of them back and forth with a perplexed expression while still purring to the young man's attention.
"I like him! Can we keep him, please? I always wanted a pet." Goten pleaded as he picked the feline up.
Rei shook her head. "Goten, you can't keep that cat-"
"I know a pet's a huge responsibility, but you know how much I love animals!" He interjected. "And don't worry about all we discussed, I'll work just as hard to keep this little guy fed!" He bubbled, giving the cat a pat on the tummy. "He'll sleep in my futon with me every night, I'll brush him whenever he starts to shed, and I can feed him fish or leftover diced chicken until we can get dry cat food. I already got the perfect name for him too. I'll call him Colonel Sanders." He rambled in his excitement.
The cat tilted its head up at him as if even he couldn't believe what he was saying.
Rei lost it and let out a giggle. "Artemis, his name is Artemis!"
"Huh," Goten blinked.
"The cat belongs to Minako. He usually wanders around this area until she gets out of school to take the bus home."
"Oh," he frowned then looked down at the cat in his arms. "Sorry about that, I just got so excited." He wasn't sure if he was addressing Rei or the cat at that moment.
"Why don't you take him to the arcade? It's usually Minako's last stop before the station. So it'd be easier on her to pick him up." Rei picked up a few of the bags to take them inside.
"Okay," he grinned and carried the cat on his way back down the steps. "It's a shame. You seem like a good boy. I hope Minako-chan treats you right."
He could have sworn Artemis rolled his eyes at that.
Goten was approaching the corner they'd always turn to reach the Crown Arcade when he heard a woman shriek.
"No, stop!"
He hurried the corner and saw a redheaded girl with a phone in her hand while a fight was breaking out between Motoki and a trio of guys that looked like street thugs.
"Una, call the cops!" Motoki called out as he ducked from one swinging at him and flipping him over with a judo technique.
"Toki, look out!" The redhead cried out as another pulled a knife on him.
"Crap, not these guys again," Goten growled and set the animal down before jumping into the fray.
He leapt in and kneed the knife wielding hoodlum in the sternum to knock him away from the blonde man. The other ruffian tried to kick him but the demisaiyan blocked it before punching him in the face.
"Toki, he's got a gun!" The girl shouted.
Motoki held up his hands and backed off when the crook he just flipped over got up pulled out his firearm.
"I had enough of this shit," the gangster exclaimed and cocked the gun.
"Me too," Goten glared in response before lunging at him.
A gun shot went off and then a cry of agony could be heard coming out of the felon. Goten had grabbed him by the wrist in one hand and steered the weapon into the sky with the other, changing the bullet's trajectory to avoid hurting someone nearby. Apparently he had put enough pressure on the man's wrist to break it. In a nimble display of swiftness, Goten took the gun apart and left his opponent to fall to his knees in shock while holding his wrist.
"You know, you guys really shouldn't play with knives and guns. Somebody could get hurt." Goten scolded.
"What are you?" The Typhoon recruit asked with a frightened look in his eyes.
"The guy that's going to keep teaching you the same lesson over and over again until you stop hurting people. I better not catch any of you around here again."
Just like that the three of them picked themselves up and scurried away like rats.
"Where the heck are the police in this area?" Goten thought out loud in frustration.
"They're a lot scarcer now. Rumor has it a lot of cops are getting bribed to look the other way." Motoki clarified. "Thank you, you saved my life." He said and held out his hand.
"No problem," he took his hand and gave a nod. "So what were they up to this time?"
"Trying to terrorize us into paying us protection," he sighed. "When I told them I couldn't and that they weren't welcome here, they threatened my baby sister. Well, after that I kind of snapped and that's when you showed up."
"Um, hello," the redhead approached him and bowed. "I'm Unazuki, Motoki's sister. Thank you so much for your help. You're the only one that jumped in to help him."
"Hi, Son Goten," he cracked a smile and introduced himself. "Again, it was no problem. I've handled amateurs like that before."
"So, what are you doing around here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with Rei at the shrine?" Motoki blinked.
"Oh, I was here to drop off this little guy." Goten said and picked up Artemis, who had strolled up to his feet.
"Minako's cat," Unazuki smiled and petted his chin. "How about we go to the café upstairs? This little guy can have some warm milk and maybe we can treat you to a free meal as a thank you."
"Really..?! Wow! Thanks!" Goten lit up at the sound of that.
Unazuki expected him to have a hearty appetite but this was on Usagi levels of hunger. Though it made sense he required more since he was larger. She came back after putting away another stack of dirty dishes piled on top of another.
Goten leaned back in his seat and sighed. "That was great," he patted his belly.
"Well, you earned it." Motoki chuckled and scratched his cheek.
Artemis had finished his tea cup of warm milk and plate of diced up chicken and curled up on the cushioned booth seat.
"So Minako just lets him roam around by himself, huh?" Goten asked and he idly stroked his furry head.
"Yeah, it's pretty much his usual routine. Cats are creatures of habit, at least so I've heard. He's a clever little guy though; same goes for Usagi-chan's cat. She likes wandering around here too." Motoki explained.
When Unazuki began gathering the last of the dishes, Goten stretched out his hand. "If you're understaffed, I don't mind helping with the dishes." He had been helping Rei out recently seeing as he always left a huge mess whenever it came to meal time.
"It's all right we have a dishwasher, besides you've already helped enough." Motoki assured their well-fed savior.
"Say if you're shorthanded, I would love to work here or down at the arcade. I'm actually looking for another job."
The blonde man blinked. "Is everything all right in the shrine?"
"Yeah, pretty much. I'm still working there for room and board but I'm going to have to pay other bills eventually. I'd also like to pay for my own food too. You saw how much I eat. I'll probably eat Rei out of her own house at this rate." He blushed lightly and twiddled his thumbs.
Motoki nodded in understanding, looking quite relieved to hear the guy hadn't been fired. Even more relieved that he was doing it to lessen the burdens on Rei and her grandfather. "Well, now that you say that, word has it old man Uokawa could use more hands on his boat. You like fishing?"
"Hell yeah, I do!" Goten beamed, sitting upright.
"Then let me write down the directions to get to the docks. His boat's called the Shinju." Unazuki handed him her notepad and pen and scribbled down the instructions.
"Thanks, you've been a big help from the start. I really appreciate it." The shaggy-haired teen stood up and spoke sincerely.
"We usually look out for people in need." The arcade owner handed him the sheet of paper with a wink. "You take care of yourself, Son. Keep staying on Rei's good side."
Goten glanced downward and rubbed the back of his head with a beet red face. "I will, believe me I will…"
He waved them all goodbye and dashed out back into the world with a determination he never had before.