Tangled Up in Blue
Disclaimers: I do not own DBZ/GT; credit to Majin_Angel_Chan for the concept of Planet Souljin (though I'm taking liberties with quite a bit) and some future characters. Just a head's up, I'll be going based off ages from the guidebooks before DBS retconned a few things.
Author's Note: I genuinely never expected to write fresh material in this fandom again, let alone fanfiction in general. It's been over two decades since I first dove into the wonderful world of Dragon Ball Z and my ultimate OTP, Bra/Goten. Being a wide-eyed and bushy-tailed B/G shipper in the height of flame wars, tribute sites, and AIM was an experience to say the least.
For me, they were just a couple that made sense; nothing was more compelling than a Saiyan Princess crushing on her older brother's best friend. Before I knew about DBGT's plot or everything they were up against (age differences, the canon's disappointing turn of events for the next gen, the wrath of Vegeta, etc.) I still found myself rooting for these two half-Saiyans. "Just a Feeling" by Haruko solidified my love for them, propelling a lifelong ship that's never sailed away.
Regardless of where you stand on the logistics of this pairing, one cannot deny they have a certain appeal. What can I say, the daughter of Vegeta and the son of Kakarot make for great tension! Depending on the story, they could be equally innocent and provocative in all the best ways. And so, this is a little bit of a love letter to a fictional couple that's responsible for providing many nights of inspired writing – and hopefully many more to come.
I dedicate this piece to the Bra/Goten shippers of yore (Ren-Ai-Jiken message board days, what up!) and of new (Broten Squad!) for always being so encouraging.
I also dedicate this to Bikini-Chan/Majin_Angel_Chan of Dragon Ball Ultra fame. More so than anyone, her ideas helped shape my own DBZ "canon" and her willingness to include a young, awkward preteen in her stories means more to me than I can ever express. Majin, it's been years, but if by some chance you still read these things, know you changed my life.
So, if you've made it this far, congratulations! It's a lot to take in so thank you for bearing with me. From here on out, I'll be referring to Bra as Bulla (as much as it pains me) but you all know who I'm talking about.
Now sit back, relax, and welcome to "Tangled Up in Blue"!
Synopsis: Goten and Bulla have been entangled in each other's lives for years, but after a recent kiss, they are both thrown for a loop. This is only intensified when the Z Gang gets an invitation to visit Planet Souljin, distant cousins to the Saiyans, for a grand celebration to commemorate the two races finding each other again. As they travel together, Goten and Bulla are plunged into situations where they realize just how much they mean to each other.
Prologue: Promises, Promises
5 years earlier
Blue, just a glance of that color and instantly he knew who it belonged to.
While she shared her stark features with her mother, Bulla's shading was unique to her, a distinction that Goten always took notice of.
Her aqua tresses flew freely in the makeshift wind of her hurriedness, long before he even heard her painful cries. Bulla's desperate footwork came running past Goten and Trunks in the living area, who were both caught up in an intense video game campaign, as she dashed towards her bedroom. The royal came and went without even an acknowledgement on her part.
The slamming noise that followed indicated the Saiyan Princess had no desire to congregate with anyone at the moment.
Goten looked up from the video game he and Trunks were playing, while his counterpart never took his eyes off the screen. Bulla was only thirteen and in the thralls of peak social pressure. Though it had been over a decade since Goten was her age, he still remembered how awkward and lonely of a time it was. As her sobs increased in volume, even from her closed door, Goten's heart stalled.
There was nothing he hated more than when she was sad.
"Goten, on your six!"
The command from Trunks brought him back to reality, but not quickly enough to avoid getting blown up in their game. His lavender-haired friend shrugged. "Tried to warn you, man."
His loss in the match didn't faze him as much as the ever-increasing cries emanating from the next room.
"Trunks, your sister seems really upset…" the sweet Son lamented.
"It's Bulla," Trunks answered unsympathetically, eyes still focused on the game. "She's always upset."
Living with Bulla for the past thirteen years, Trunks saw all too well that she inherited their parents' flair for the dramatic. It only got worse as she entered her teens. He was wise to his sister's petulant mood swings for attention, and he wasn't having any of it. This was the first hangout in weeks Trunks was able to have with Goten and he didn't need his kid sister to ruin it.
Goten looked down at his controller, not wanting to resume with Bulla so sad.
"I don't know, Trunks," Goten continued, "this seems more serious than that."
Trunks finally paused the game to look at his friend. "Look, man—I know you have a soft spot for Bulla. She's good about using that to her advantage whether it's you, my mom, dad—whoever. It's that Saiyan Princess juju magic."
His friend didn't dare to argue about his penchant for the princess, but still, Goten could tell something was off. "I doubt she's this distraught to just get attention, dude."
"You'd be surprised."
"Trunks—"
"What? She's done this before. Yeah, she may cry about whatever boy drama she's got going on, but she'll get over it. The sooner you learn to ignore it, the easier it gets."
Another gut-wrenching sob echoed in the halls as Trunks clicked un-pause on his controller to continue his campaign. The comment didn't sit well with Goten.
Boy drama? At her age?
That phrase stirred an uncomfortable sensation inside of him. The thought of a stupid, human kid trying some funny business with Bulla brought out Goten's protective side. More than that, her unrelentless whimpering was like a dagger to the heart.
It was clear Bulma wasn't home, otherwise she would have intercepted by now and no doubt that Vegeta was busy training in the gravity room.
He couldn't just leave her alone in this state.
Goten stood up to stretch while Trunks was entrenched in a fierce shootout. "I'll be right back," he started off saying, "gotta use the restroom."
Trunks muttered something Goten couldn't make out, still focused on only the television screen.
The younger hybrid passed the bathroom and stood outside Bulla's door. For a second, he reconsidered bothering her, but as another pitiful wail emitted from her room, Goten's resolve was solidified. He inhaled a harsh gulp of air.
Why was he so nervous to talk to her?
A knock on the door interrupted Bulla's heavy crying into her pillow. She was not in the mood to deal with her mother's solution-focused advice or her father's lack of sympathy.
"Go away, mom!"
"Hey, B-Chan it's Goten—can I come in?"
As soon as she heard Goten's voice instead of her mother's, Bulla panicked. While it wasn't unusual for the second Son to be over at her house often, it had been some time since she'd seen him last. With both Goten and Trunks newly adapting to the workforce, the former was virtually never there, at least not like he used to be.
In any other situation, seeing him would be a welcome sight. She did miss seeing his gorgeous body and his oh so sweet signature grin that knew how to melt her where she stood.
Bulla felt herself getting flushed; mortified in fact. The thought of her childhood infatuation in her bedroom was almost too much, let alone having him see her in this condition.
She promptly jumped off her bed, littered with various stuffed animals, shoving all of them towards the side near her balcony to hide the evidence of her age. The Saiyan Princess smoothed out her sheets and cleaned up crumbled tissues, pensive over what to do with them. In sheer panic, she decided to stuff her modest training bra. The last thing she wanted to look like was a stupid kid.
"You can come in," Bulla shouted to the entrance, now resuming a more composed position.
Goten gently opened the door as Bulla attempted to look aloof on her bed, gazing at her cherry red freshly manicured nails. He shared a small smile at her effort to act as if everything was okay. As he approached, the demi-Saiyan took note of the well-worn teddy bear that had fallen off near her nightstand. It was a formerly white bear, now faded with time and love.
Bending over to grab it, a memory flashed before him. Goten recognized it as a present he gifted to the younger girl on her 3rd birthday over a decade earlier. It was instantly Bulla's most prized possession. Not only for how cute the gift was, but that it came from her favorite person in the world. The little princess could barely say his name at the time, so she dubbed the bear a cherished nickname she used to call him.
"Whoa! Tenten – you still have him?" Goten remarked, stunned to see a familiar sight. Part of him was moved that she kept it after all this time.
Bulla shifted, a look of horror as she mentally cursed the fact that she somehow missed one. She hastily grabbed the little bear from him and clutched it tight, embarrassed.
"What did you want, Goten?" she asked, her finger rubbing on the softness of the teddy's fur. Bulla didn't dare look at the man, still wanting to maintain the older image of aplomb. Goten touched her arm, an electric current passing through Bulla's core as he did so.
"I want to know what's wrong," he said gently, "I hate seeing you cry."
"I wasn't crying," Bulla tried to play off nonchalantly. Goten merely pointed to her cheeks, now stained with mascara that clearly wasn't waterproof. The girl griped as she was caught in her lie.
"Here," Goten sweetly handed her a box of tissues, nearly empty from her previous use. She wiped away what she could, turning back to face the older man who was smiling.
"Much better," he murmured, a strong thumb stroking her cheek. The contact was brief but caught the heiress by surprise. The second his touch faded, Bulla nearly whimpered. Goten cleared his throat to resume his questioning.
"Now that we've established something upset you," the older halfling stated with a wry grin, "will you tell me what it is?"
Bulla stirred as she recounted the day's earlier events. The memory enraged her at how humiliated she had been. Maka, a cute jock in her algebra class, had been passing notes the previous few weeks with her and she thought they were at the next level. He was definitely attractive; with lighter hair and eyes even if Bulla preferred darker features. Well, darker features on certain men.
While Bulla welcomed the interest, she worried her status as one of the wealthiest teenagers in the world was a motivating factor when it came to guys. However, Maka seemed sincere enough when he started showing her affection. What an idiot she was.
"Maka is a baka," she angrily spat.
Goten couldn't help but chuckle at the rhyme. "Sounds like it," he declared, "who is Maka though?"
"Just another loser boy at my school."
The thought of these little teenage boys attempting to get into the good graces of Bulla was amusing to him. Goten knew for all her beauty and intelligence that came from her mother; the princess received an equally formidable temper from her father. She would eat anyone alive that dared to cross her. He wondered how this hotly stubborn teen could be upset at some silly human of all things.
"Why is a loser making my B-Chan so sad then?"
Bulla inhaled sharply, eyes still closed in resentment, grasping Tenten snugly. She didn't want to have to say it aloud.
"B-Chan?"
A groan escaped the heiress' lips. She'd have to get over her embarrassment if he were to leave her alone. Besides, Goten was always someone she could trust to not judge her. His kind eyes reassured her of that. Bulla adored those kind, dark eyes.
Her breath was sharp, but her tone softened.
"I'm sad because…" she began slowly, "…because he was going to be my first."
Those very words propelled Goten's same dark eyes to bug out in horror and he choked on nothing but air. A scream wanted to crawl out of his throat, but he kept it at bay. He almost regretted asking the question, but now they were past a point of no return.
Bulla's strange look at Goten's reaction brought him out of his trance, his face white hot with mortification. "You're…first…?" he couldn't even finish the question.
"First kiss," Bulla continued, clarifying, oblivious to what Goten was thinking. He sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank Kami that's all she meant," Goten mused to himself. She was much too young for what he thought Bulla originally suggested. "Wow, first kiss—" he breathed trying to regain his composure but was interrupted just as quickly.
"It's silly," she insisted, rolling her eyes. Ever attempting to be the "cool" girl.
"It's not silly at all," Goten kindly reassured, "I can imagine it was disappointing when it didn't happen."
"He told me he changed his mind and wanted to kiss Hasami Fusen instead because she has bigger breasts," she uttered, shocking Goten with her candidness.
Part of her watched him to see if he would involuntarily look at her stuffed bra when she said that, but ever the gentleman, Goten kept his gaze on her cerulean orbs only. "Of course he's not looking you idiot—he's twenty-four," she mentally chastised. Bulla took note of Goten's face fading into a frown.
"Sounds like a real jerk," the other half-Saiyan noted in an irritated tone. Had he been there, he would have punched the guy for being so disrespectful, teenager or not. His eyes softened as he looked at Bulla's disheartened appearance. "I'm sorry that happened," Goten whispered.
"Probably for the best," Bulla stated, "but I'm still sad about it."
"And you're allowed to be, B-Chan."
She smiled for the first time in a while. Goten's sweet reassurance had a way of improving her mood, if only slightly. Bulla turned towards her companion. "I feel like everyone else is already experiencing things and I'm left in the dust," she bemoaned, and he nodded along knowingly. Her eyes glanced downwards. "If Maka was the wrong person, at least I would have known what it was like."
Her innocence was touching. Goten understood that Bulla yearned to be free to explore life as a normal teenager, but with an overprotective father like Vegeta and an equally overprotective brother like Trunks, the poor girl hardly stood a chance.
"B-Chan, your first kiss is definitely an important thing," Goten validated, "but you don't want to have it with the wrong person. You deserve better than that."
Bulla considered his remarks, her red-nailed fingers tapping ever so delicately upon her cheek. "How do you know who the right person is?" Bulla asked, those impossibly blue eyes shining with curiosity.
Goten paused to think. It was a question he never really asked himself, even. "I suppose…you know in the bottom of your heart. Like, there aren't any doubts. You just know that person is a good person and that they care about you."
His words surprised even him, but they made Bulla blush on cue.
"That's how I feel about you," Bulla confessed freely, turning redder by the second.
"About me?" he questioned, astonished by the admission.
"Yeah, well I mean, how I feel about you is how I would want to feel about them I guess," Bulla was now beet red as she tried to recover from her declaration. Butterflies multiplied in her stomach. This was a man that she had longed for since she was a little girl, much to his obliviousness.
"I know you're a good person, Goten. You would never hurt me."
The moment those words were uttered, Goten reached for her. He tucked Bulla's loose hair behind her ears, taking note of a second piercing he hadn't noticed before. Now that he could see her pretty face with no obstruction, Goten beamed.
"Never, B-Chan," the older hybrid promised.
A feeling of warmth permeated her cheeks. Bulla looked up at him, straight in the eye. If he was ever going to take her seriously, she would need to prove to him just how grown-up she was.
"Goten would you…" she trailed off abandoning the phrase midway through. The other Saiyan raised his eyebrows in response.
"Would I what, B-Chan?"
"Would you be…my first kiss?"
That wind knocked out of him, like a swift punch to the gut.
He figured Bulla possessed a tiny crush on him, as so many little sisters of best friends do, but never in a million years did he think it was anything more than that given their age difference. A faint shade of red crossed his cheeks, still moved that she considered him in such a way, no matter how misguided.
"Bulla," he said using her full name for once, "I'm an old guy, it's not appropriate. Besides, you don't want to kiss someone like me when there are tons kids your age."
She heaved her chest at the word "kids", folding her arms in the same manner as her father.
"I don't want a kid, Goten-kun," the princess insisted, "I want a man."
The color that had sprouted moments before simply drained from his face. Bulla's voice sounded so guttural when she said that phrase, it nearly gave him a heart attack. Goten realized despite her tone, her feelings were innocent enough, but worried that if he didn't say anything soon, his lack of an answer would suggest agreement.
"B-Chan," he returned to using her nickname, "I know we've always been close, but grown-ups shouldn't be kissing teenagers. Even for friends like us."
The young girl pouted. "But Goten, it's different with us," she insisted to him, "we're great friends and you're like my big brother."
"Yeah, but if your brother or father ever found out, I'd be dead," he teased, but Bulla wasn't laughing along. Her eyes nearly watered prompting Goten to sigh.
"You have so much time to have your first kiss, Bulla. Don't try to grow up before you're supposed to," he said with a hand on her back.
Her face formed a frown once more. "I guess," she relented, sadly.
Goten hated to see her disappointed, even if she wasn't crying like she was earlier, he still yearned to make her happy. So many times when they were younger, she'd run to Goten, completely ignoring her brother, and Goten was more than happy to help cheer her up. He loved making her smile.
And then it hit him—the perfect distraction.
"Well, maybe you are a bit too grown up, Bulla," he started off, catching the teenager's attention. Goten revealed an audacious smirk. "Probably way too grown up for ice cream."
"Ice cream?" she contemplated, her ears instantly perking up.
"Especially ice cream with hot fudge," Goten continued, knowing that was her favorite topping.
Bulla's resolve was weakening but she held her ground, remaining silent despite the thoughts of a dreamy, chocolate drizzle on a chilled scoop.
Goten got up to start heading towards the door. "You might be too old, B-Chan," he began again, "but I'm probably going to grab some myself. Unless…"
She shook her head and put Tenten to her side. "Wait!" she shouted as Goten was in the doorway.
Bingo.
"Maybe," the young girl tiptoed in the direction of the older demi-Saiyan, "maybe ice cream wouldn't be so bad."
A big smile spread across Goten's face as he put his arm around her. "Your wish is my command, princess!" he exclaimed, not noticing Bulla's furious blushing at the move. She just enjoyed the closeness as the two made their way back towards the living area.
"Damn it!" Trunks threw the controller down in frustration. The screen flashed GAME OVER as he groaned. His ears perked up with the familiar sound of his sister's laughter, joined in tandem by the laughter of his best friend.
The oldest hybrid raised an eyebrow as the two entered the room together, all smiles.
"There you are, Goten. I was beginning to think you fell in the toilet," Trunks chided.
Bulla shot Goten a confused look and he simply shrugged. "Sorry, got a little distracted," he admitted not taking his eyes off the heiress. She beamed.
Trunks rolled his eyes. "Glad to see her royal highness is better," he answered sarcastically, starting a new game.
His sister stuck her tongue out at him. "No thanks to you," she berated.
In all his wisdom and maturity, Trunks returned the gesture. He turned his gaze back to his friend.
"Goten, grab a controller, I still have time to add you to this campaign."
"Actually Trunks, your sister and I were going to grab some ice cream."
Trunks dropped the controller. "Ice cream? The two of you?"
"Yeah, the two of us," Bulla butted in, "no loser brothers allowed."
Goten had to stifle a chuckle as Trunks glared. He emitted a faint groan in defeat. "Well fine, let me grab my wallet—" the lavender-haired man stated. Bulla was about to protest again but Goten spoke up.
"You heard the lady, Trunks—no loser brothers allowed!" he said winking towards Bulla.
Her brother looked gob smacked. "Wait for real?" he asked incredulously. Goten merely begun to whistle, leading Bulla towards the front door. When her dark eyed comrade was turned around, she stuck her tongue out again at Trunks. On instinct, as the door closed, he shouted, "well promise at least to bring back a pint of rocky road!"
"Okay promise!" Goten replied before the door shut.
Left alone with his game, the heir of Capsule Corp. could scarcely believe what happened.
Fucking Saiyan Princess juju.
"Here you go, B-Chan!" Goten handed her the cone while already munching on his own.
Her eyes lit up at the ice cream that Goten treated her to. He certainly was on the money when he suggested grabbing some. If there was anything Bulla enjoyed, it was cute Saiyans with the last name Son (she'd never tell Pan this) and a big scoop of ice cream.
"Thanks, Goten!" she exclaimed in the most animated tone she had that day. She eagerly commenced licking the frozen treat. The older Saiyan beamed.
"Well, anything to get you to smile again, Bulla."
As soon as he said that Bulla's heart skipped a beat. "You always know how," she said happily lapping at her cone. "Trunks would never be able to figure it out."
"I'd cut your brother some slack," Goten commented between licks, "he's been really stressed since starting at the company. Your mom wants him to be President someday. Besides, before you came along, your father was even more intense if you can believe it. Trunks didn't always have the best example at showing emotion."
Her blue eyes widened at Goten's astute observation. She tended to get so enthralled with her own life, Bulla rarely saw things from Trunks' perspective. Especially the differences in how they were parented.
"Your brother loves you though," Goten continued. "He might be an asshole, but he's our asshole," he finished cheekily. Bulla chuckled at Goten feeling comfortable enough to joke with her like this.
She then let out a knowing sigh. "I guess you're right. He still doesn't have to take it out on me though."
"That I agree with you on."
Bulla turned to him once more. "I'm sorry about earlier," the younger Saiyan began, "I feel so embarrassed."
"Embarrassed about what?"
"About…you know…" her voice trailed off, getting very low, "…asking you to kiss me."
"Don't be. It was flattering at least!" Goten tried to play it off so she wouldn't feel as awkward. She smiled at his attempt.
"Look Goten, I know obviously I'm still young and have a lot to learn. It wouldn't be a good idea now but," she paused looking him square in the eye, "but say I'm eighteen. Never been kissed. Would you be my first?"
Her new proposition somehow had just as stark of an effect as her original one.
Goten observed the younger woman blushing furiously as she said it. He had to give it to her; she certainly was braver than he could ever hope to be. The thought almost made him laugh though—as if she wouldn't be kissed by eighteen. While she was still young, it was clear as day that Bulla was on her way to being a beautiful woman.
Sometimes, the realization made him sad he wasn't just a bit closer to her age. Of course, he would never tell anyone that. Especially her.
"Bulla," he murmured.
"Just think of it as an 18th birthday present to me," she teased halfheartedly, "I know it's a while off and just a what if scenario, but it would mean a lot."
Goten couldn't help but smirk a bit. "You're persistent, B-Chan," he snickered, "100% your father's daughter."
"Is that a yes?"
Her teal eyes twinkled at him and for just a moment, he caught a glimpse of not B-Chan the little girl, and not B-Chan the melodramatic teenager—but Bulla the young woman she was slowly becoming.
It gave him such a pause, the ice cream melted onto his hand. "Oh shit," he cursed, immediately regretting doing so in front of her. In one fell swoop, he ate the rest of his cone and patted his hand with as many napkins as he could. He'd hoped with the commotion it would distract her, but Bulla held her ground, not looking away to even blink.
"Goten?"
He had to give her some sort of an answer. "I'm sure you'll be well-versed in kissing by then, B-Chan."
"Hypothetically though," Bulla stated, "what if I'm not?"
Goten wanted to tell her the chances of that happening were slim to none, but he needed to maintain some semblance of dignity and decorum. That was not something to say to a teen girl, let alone the daughter of someone who could end his existence in an instant. Even so, his dark eyes met hers and it was over.
Just one look at those painfully captivating baby blues of hers, he knew he was putty in the princess' hands.
"Hypothetically," he started off, looking right at her, "if you haven't had one yet by eighteen, I suppose a quick peck between friends wouldn't hurt. Only if though."
Her smile grew even wider. "So…it is a yes!" she confirmed, excitedly.
Goten chuckled, not believing what he was even saying. "Bulla, on the completely off chance that happens, then yes. That'll be my gift to you, although it feels weird, not to mention a little wrong, saying that out loud."
Suddenly, he felt the warmth of her arms wrapped around him in a tender hug. Her soft cheek pressed onto his chest and abruptly, Goten's temperature spiked.
"You promise, Goten? Not just saying that?" she asked genuinely.
He looked down at her, hypnotized by those eyes. A formidable weapon if ever there was one.
"I-I promise, B-Chan."
A tight squeeze and she released him to resume eating the rest of her ice cream cone, almost unphased by what just happened. The older man remained stunned on the bench seat. All Goten could do was observe the bluette happily content for the first time the entire day.
Afternoon started to fade into dusk as Goten strolled back to Capsule Corp. with Bulla in tow. The two were fairly silent on the walk home, just enjoying each other's company.
Goten sometimes caught Bulla staring his way and felt a familiar flush on his cheeks, matching hers perfectly. Whether or not her crush on him was misplaced, Goten did feel a sense of flattery to be so highly thought of. A twinge of guilt did creep up inside of him, hoping that Bulla didn't transfer whatever feelings she had for that stupid school kid onto him. She was so innocent; he could only hope that whoever captured the young girl's heart next would be gentle with it.
He prayed he wouldn't ever have to see her cry like he did earlier that day.
As they approached the entrance to her home, Bulla paused and turned towards him.
"The ice cream hit the spot," Bulla said staring at her feet, "appreciate you cheering me up."
"Was happy to do it, B-Chan."
"Goten?"
"Yes?"
She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't voice what she wanted to say. Her head turned away shyly.
Goten couldn't help but stare at her exposed cheek, which was turning redder by the second. Instinctively, he pressed his lips on the soft skin and Bulla nearly died. "You're welcome, princess," the older hybrid said quietly.
A moment of silence passed over them again, before Goten cleared his throat and opened the door. "After you," he politely bowed.
Bulla awkwardly shimmied on past him, Goten following close behind.
Trunks was planted exactly where they had left him.
"Took you long enough!" Trunks castigated, still intensely focused on his game. Goten deduced he hadn't even left his spot in the last hour. He chucked the pint of ice cream right at his friend's head, to which the older hybrid caught with one hand, the other hand fixed on the controller.
Bulla rolled her eyes as Goten laughed—they were forever linked by their devotion to their pink-haired companion.
"Trunks, I'm sorry for taking up Goten's time with you," Bulla apologized. The comment caused her brother to stop his game and look at her directly. He was touched, albeit surprised, to hear her heartfelt apology.
"All good, Bulla—I'm sorry I didn't come by to check on you. You okay?"
She smiled at her brother and then at Goten. "Much better now," she confessed. The action caused the younger Son to grin himself. Her mouth contorted into a yawn as she felt herself fading.
"I think I'm going to head up to bed," the bluette divulged, "busy day."
"G'night—" Trunks said with a mouthful of rocky road. Rolling her eyes, she focused one more time on his best friend.
"Goodnight, Goten," Bulla murmured giving him another quick hug, "thanks again."
He held her, briefly stroking her head before she turned away. "Goodnight, Bulla—" he returned quietly. His attention diverted from her fading form to that of his best friend ravenously consuming the ice cream.
"I was worried you didn't hear me earlier. I almost wasn't sure if you were going to bring it back," Trunks confessed, digging into the pint with reckless abandon. Bulla could hear his voice carry throughout the room as she made her way up the stairs.
"Well, you know me," she heard Goten start off. "I always keep my promises!" he chimed happily.
Bulla stalled her movement on the stairs, looking back down at the sweet Saiyan with a smile that could melt hearts. She was emanating light all the way from her toes to the tip of her head.
The dark-haired halfling caught her gaze and returned the smile. He gave her a telling nod, and Bulla knew he was a man of his word.
You just know that person is a good person and that they care about you.
While it may have meant waiting a little while longer, Bulla knew she had the right person in mind to share such a special experience with.
That night, the young princess slept with Tenten tucked safely under her arm, feeling more at peace than she had in a long time.
And that concludes our little prologue! Originally, I thought about just jumping in headfirst to the future but there's so much time unseen between these characters, I wanted to explore that a bit more.
Looking forward to expanding upon everything and getting to the good stuff—just know if you made it through this chapter, I am eternally grateful for you giving this story a shot. Until next time!
-SonChan