Tangled Up in Blue
Disclaimers: As always,I do not own DBZ/GT; credit to Majin_Angel_Chan from DBU for the concept of Planet Souljin and some future characters, OC's are mine. Also, going off original age differences from the guidebooks, as mentioned earlier.
Author's Note: You all sure know how to make a gal feel so loved! I started re-reading fanfiction earlier this year when I was going through a tough time and needed some comfort. To think that months later, I feel more like myself than I have in a long time, all thanks to the lovely support of fellow fans and a TV show that's meant so much to me over the years. I highly recommend rediscovering your passions, even if you think you've outgrown them. Any type of joy you experience is good joy.
Chapter 5: Pendulum
"I feel weird."
Goten blinked at Bulla's comment as they approached his childhood home after flying from the training fields. Both were cleaned and changed into appropriate dinner attire, and Goten took note that Bulla had put on a navy-blue sweater, which brought a smile to his face. "Weird how so?" he wondered.
Bulla extended her hands. "I have no dish or gift to bring!" she said full of pragmatism and respect.
The elder half-Saiyan chuckled at her manners. "Oh please, this was a last-minute invite. Even if it wasn't, my mother would never expect anything," he assured her.
"I know I just…" Bulla trailed off. I just want them to like me.
"My family adores you, Bulla. As flattering as bribery is, you don't need to butter them up with any meals or presents."
It was as if he read her mind. The princess flushed at Goten's uncanny ability to comprehend her so well. "You psychic or something, Son Ten?" Bulla joshed.
She was caught off guard as he grabbed either side of her, giving the heiress a confident smirk. "Maybe," Goten began placing two of his fingers to Bulla's temple. He looked to be deep in thought, as if he was scanning her brain. "Hmm," he began again, "this is interesting."
Bulla decided to play along with the big goof in front of her. "Alright Seer Goten—what's on my mind?" the younger woman questioned. She felt Goten's fingers move from her temple to tuck some loose strands behind her hair, surprising Bulla with the intimate gesture. He beamed at her.
"Well B-Chan, you're wondering just how lucky you are to be having dinner with the hottest guy you know."
Oh, he was really pushing his luck. Bulla rolled her eyes. Two could play that game.
"Yes—" she admitted batting her eyelashes, much to his delight. She lowered her voice. "—but don't tell your brother, he's a married man," Bulla whispered with a wink.
Goten's face immediately balked. "Wait…what?!"
Her cerulean orbs twinkled mischievously, relishing in the absolute terror her comment caused the other hybrid. "Kidding," she laughed tapping his arm.
It took Goten a second to register her words, still skeptical at how quickly she responded with that answer. Eventually, Bulla's smile convinced him. A sigh of relief uttered from his lips that turned into a quiet laugh. "Had me there for a second," the older demi-Saiyan retorted.
He felt Bulla's dainty finger poke him in the chest. "Just teaching you a valuable lesson in modesty, Goten," she added flicking upwards into the air.
"Thank you for keeping me humble, princess."
She smirked with glee. "That's what I'm here for," Bulla stated as they approached the doorway. As Goten reached for the door, she couldn't resist teasing him one last time.
"Besides, we both know that distinction belongs your father…"
"FOR THE LOVE OF KAMI, STOP."
…
"Goku, you better not be stealing any food before dinner!"
Chi-Chi's voice bellowed in the kitchen prompting Goku to immediately release the bite-sized bun in his hand. "Chi-Chiiiiii—I'm starvin' though," he whined to his wife.
"You will just have to WAIT until our guests arrive!" she shouted concentrating on the stove in front of her, facing away from her husband.
Gohan, slicing some vegetables, chuckled as his father groaned in defeat. "Smooth, Dad," he said, carefully making precision cuts to the food in front of him. As his father unleashed another sigh, Gohan covertly slid a radish towards him. Goku's signature grin sprouted as he quickly stuffed it in his mouth before Chi-Chi turned around.
"Goku!"
He turned to Chi-Chi, cheeks full, with her tapping her foot. Earth's greatest fighter swallowed harshly, knowing he was about to lose whatever battle was up next. Until, by his great fortune, he was saved by the front door opening.
"Hey, we're here!" Goten said upon their arrival. He briefly grazed Bulla's waist as he ushered her into the household. The home smelled phenomenal, the heiress thought, her mouth nearly watering just from the aroma alone.
"Heya Goten! Bulla!" Goku waved happily.
"Oh, my baby boy!" Chi-Chi rushed over to embrace her younger son, a smattering of kisses on his cheek; although it caught him by surprise and Bulla by delight to see the outward affection.
"Mooooom," Goten bellyached, flushing, "c'mon, not in front of company."
Chi-Chi's attention immediately turned to the blue-haired princess beside him. Bulla politely bowed in front of the Son matriarch. "Hi Chi-Chi, thanks so much for including me tonight!" she exclaimed.
"Bulla, we are delighted you are here!" Chi-Chi said embracing the Briefs daughter like one of her own. "Such a pleasant surprise when Goten said you'd be coming."
"Well, it was the least I could," Goten said brushing Bulla's backside, "felt rude to talk about family dinner in front of her and not offer any!"
Beat red from his touch, Bulla attempted to hold her composure before Goten removed his hand as quickly as he had placed it. She caught Gohan's gaze for a split second, who seemed to notice the interaction.
"Great to see you, Bulla," he said kindly, his attention back to the vegetables in front him. As he chopped, he cleared his throat. "What have you and Goten been up to today?"
"Oh we…" Bulla nervously looked at Goten, not sure how to explain the coverup for their secret training. Without missing a beat, the older hybrid answered.
"Hello to you too, Gohan," he said coming over and patting his brother's back. Hoping the attention on him would distract the eldest halfling, Goten stole a bite of a freshly cut carrot like a true Son. Gohan lightly elbowed his sibling's side.
"You're worse than Dad," Gohan claimed, both his and Goten's attention turning towards their father attempting to steal another hot bun while Chi-Chi was distracted speaking to Bulla as Videl joined in.
Goten laughed. "Doubt that," he said with another pat.
"Bulla?!"
Pan came down the stairs, surprised to see her best friend arrive with her uncle for family dinner. Bulla endeavored to maintain her cool demeanor. "Hi Pan!" the bluette answered happily.
"Hey squirt," Goten said pulling her into a quick noogie. His niece immediately pushed him away and punched his arm as he snickered. The quarter-Saiyan cocked an brow in curiosity.
"I knew Uncle Goten was bringing a rich girl home," she began, "I just didn't think it was you!"
The comment made Bulla blush and Goten was also turning a shade of red. Did Pan assume this was a date? Goten put both his hands up with nervous laughter. "Well, Bulla is a girl, Pan!" the elder hybrid joked with his niece.
Bulla took this as her cue to add, "and rich!"
The two tried to look inconspicuous, uneasy chuckling dancing out of their throats, but Pan's face remained as it had before. "Interesting…" she started again.
With perfect timing, Chi-Chi handed her granddaughter silverware. "Pan, I told you Bulla was coming—not my fault if you weren't paying attention to the details. Now, help me set the table," the matriarch insisted shooing her grandchild. Pan groaned as she started to follow her grandmother's instructions.
Bulla breathed, thankful for the disruption. She gave a respectful nod to the Son woman.
"Chi-Chi—is there anything I can do to help?" Bulla asked politely.
Her cheery attitude made Chi-Chi clap her hands in approval. "Oh, you darling girl, you are too kind. Nonsense!" she insisted. "You are a guest," gesturing Bulla towards a seat. Chi-Chi's gaze turned to her younger son. "Goten! Don't just stand there—where are your manners? Help Pan set the rest of the table!"
Goten blinked in surprise at the forceful tone, then sprang into action. "Yes ma'am!" he said gulping, not wanting to upset her.
The sight made Bulla chuckle. Chi-Chi had this family whipped into shape, much like her own mother. She silently observed everyone finishing their tasks; Chi-Chi smacking Goku's hand away from the hot meal coming out of the oven, Gohan putting the finishing touches on another dish, and Videl filling up the water glasses for table. Even Goten and Pan were in a better mood as they poked each other while setting the table.
Though she had experience dinner with the Son household many instances before with her own family, Bulla couldn't help but feel as though this was the first time. Seeing them all in their natural element without the shield of any sort of pretense—it warmed her heart. Bulla's thoughts reflected on the conversation she had with Goten earlier about the affection his family shared, and she was overjoyed to see that was still the case. The heiress caught Goten smiling at her in-between his teasing of Pan, which prompted her to smile back with wordless amusement.
…
"So, Bulla," Gohan said biting off a dumpling, "you're full-time now at Capsule Corp., right?"
Bulla finished chewing her vegetables and dabbed her mouth before answering. "That's right," she answered, "in the Research and Development department."
"Oh, that's great. I bet you get to work on some cool projects then!" Gohan exclaimed. Bulla thought it was sweet how excited Goten's brother seemed to get when discussing anything scientific. She fleetingly saw her trainer scrunch his nose, wondering if her earlier teasing about his brother's good looks was still a jealous concept in the back of his head. Bulla couldn't help but be tickled by that thought.
"Quite a few," she returned. The bluette took a sip of water to wash down the rest of her food. "In fact, we've been working on a new spaceship engine that will increase the speed to twice the amount of what it is currently. The goal is to have it solely run on electricity."
Gohan whistled. "Impressive," he praised, "would love to check that out sometime."
"Anytime!" Bulla declared. She heard Goten mumble something and the bluette chuckled to herself. Maybe her comments did get under his skin.
"That sounds wonderful Bulla," Chi-Chi stated admiringly, "how lucky they are to have you."
The compliment made Bulla beam, heat rushing to her face. "You're too kind," she insisted to the older woman. "It has its moments, but I am enjoying it. Beats running the place, that's for sure!" she answered back.
Pan laughed. "Your poor brother," she commented before stuffing a large piece of pork in her mouth. Bulla giggled and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, sucks to be him," Goten teased, helping himself to more food on his plate.
"Speaking of work, Goten," Videl began passing the potatoes to Pan, "haven't seen you at the dojo as much. How's training your private client coming along?"
"Coming along nicely," he stated taking a quick look at Bulla who smiled, "I honestly look forward to the sessions."
That made the young woman's heart swell.
"I'm glad," Videl nodded, "you seem a lot happier lately."
"Do I?" Goten's eyes flashed in curiosity. Bulla continued to smile quietly to herself, wondering if the man beside her had a change in his demeanor since their sessions started.
"Bulla," Goku said in between massive bites of his dinner, "been meaning to tell you, your ki has really grown!"
"Come to think of it," Gohan added, "something did seem different with your energy."
Both Goten and Bulla reacted to the comments. Although it made the older halfling a bit more nervous than his counterpart, she attempted to remain calm. "Has it?" she asked back to Goku casually.
"Yeah!" Goku tore off a large piece of bread and chewed it fast before swallowing. A large smile graced the fighter's face. "I felt it from miles away. Is Vegeta training you finally?"
The younger hybrid hesitated for a moment, but ultimately nodded; thankful Goku's first guess was technically true. As long as she didn't reveal the extent of her ability, she supposed it wouldn't do much harm. "He is actually," Bulla responded.
"Since when?!" Pan wondered with an animated tone. She wiped her mouth after taking a big chug of her drink. "You've nevermentioned that to me, Bulla."
"Just this past year," Goten answered absentmindedly eating his dinner. His eyes bugged out when he realized he inadvertently replied on a topic he should have zero knowledge about. Bulla made a face as Goten gave off a nervous laugh; Gohan raised an eyebrow at the exchange. First Trunks and Marron, now my family—some secret keeper.
"You knew?" his niece queried, dubious of her uncle's connection with her best friend.
"Goten caught my dad and I sparring last time he was over," Bulla coolly recovered. "Dad hasn't wanted to make a big deal out of the training, so I haven't really been public about it. Your Grandpa Goku is pretty sharp though—" the princess smiled at her father's old friend and rival who seemed thrilled at the prospect of another fighter.
"That's awesome!" Goku chimed happily. "I bet Vegeta's got ya up to speed pretty quickly."
Pan snickered. "So, you put on some gym clothes and do a little yoga in the gravity room?" she teased.
Bulla could tell her best friend was simultaneously annoyed with her secret keeping as well as a little hurt. She also knew Pan was a bit too competitive for her own good. If she knew that Bulla could go Super Saiyan after less than a year of training, even briefly, the quarter-hybrid would be livid.
"A little more than that," Bulla retorted a little quieter than before.
Goku, unsure what the tension was about, plainly responded to his granddaughter. "Y'know Pan if she was doing that, I don't think it would have much effect."
His youngest son pushed food around on his plate at the conversation. Goten didn't like Pan's tone, especially towards someone she considered a best friend. Despite Bulla and Pan's close age, Goten was apt to notice the difference in maturity.
"Oh please," Pan snorted, barely able to contain her laughter. "I can see the training session now. Bulla would break a nail and call it a day as an excuse to go shopping," the quarter-Saiyan continued. She seemed to be the only one laughing.
Bulla's face didn't react to her friend's comments, aside from a momentary flinch. Unnoticed by all, save for Goten who has been staring at her countenance during the exchange. He felt a twinge of guilt and frustration.
"Quit it Pan," her uncle scolded, "you're not being funny."
Clearly not expecting such a stern reaction, his niece put up her hands. "Easy, Uncle Goten—Bulla knows I'm joking," she insisted, "she'd probably tell you the same thing! Right Bulla?"
Her friend's lip folded under her teeth, hesitating to respond. Goten was about to retort back with another quip of his own when he felt the small hand next to him on his knee. Bulla shot him a knowing look before averting her gaze to meet Pan's eyes. "Just a joke," she averred. Her normal smile came back, assuring him everything was alright. Goten nevertheless gently removed her hand to their side, but not before giving it a small squeeze. Gohan seemed to notice, Goten thought, but his brother remained silent.
"Alright, enough about training—not everyone at this table lives and breathes fighting you know," Chi-Chi scowled, eyeing her husband who, with a mouthful of food, pointed at himself in confusion.
The two secret training partners sighed in relief at the change in topic, hoping they were out of the woods for the time being. Pan rolled her eyes as she resumed her meal, while her father continued to observe the two younger halflings with interest.
In typical fashion, after dinner Goku and Pan excused themselves to go have a friendly spar. The other ladies remained in the dining area to chat while Gohan and Goten were cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. The two created a small assembly line of washing and drying. Goten was scrubbing a stubborn piece of food off a plate, one eye closed in deep concentration, when his brother's voice got a bit softer than usual.
"So…you and Bulla, huh?"
The younger demi-Saiyan turned towards Gohan with an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "Me and Bulla…what?" Goten asked, not fully understanding the implication.
His elder brother turned side to side, checking to ensure the coast was clear, before leaning in. "C'mon Goten," he began quietly, "I know you probably didn't want to say anything in front of Pan, but you weren't exactly subtle."
"Subtle about what?"
Gohan lowered the dish he had been drying and looked his brother straight in the eyes. "That there's something going on between the two of you," he said straightforwardly.
As Goten continued to scrub, he did his best to appear casual. He figured he could either reveal one of two secret things to his perceptive older brother; that he was covertly training Bulla or that he had not only kissed her the day she turned eighteen but had been unable to stop thinking of her ever since. Goten opted for the lesser of two evils.
"Don't say anything," Goten started off, trying to be as calm as he could be, "but she and I have been secretly training together."
"Why does that have to be secret?"
"You know Vegeta, man. He's overprotective and doesn't want anyone else training her. He won't even let her really talk about the training she does with him. Bulla was eager to learn some new moves, so I offered to help."
Gohan looked at Goten doubtingly, not feeling like he was given the full story. "And so what—you and her train in secret and no one else knows?"
"Nope. Just you."
"Is that all?"
The other hybrid paused his actions at his brother's words as his eyes grew wide. "Gohan, if you're implying something just come out and say it," Goten answered sternly, still appearing as if he was unperturbed.
"Are you two dating?"
A nervous laugh bubbled out of him as he nearly broke the plate in his hand. "Dating Bulla? There's a thought," Goten rambled, attempting to disguise his apprehension. Though the thought did bring a sense of happiness.
"Goten…"
"What?"
"You're not…" Gohan trailed off getting flushed, "…hooking up right?"
He knew enough about his brother's past sexual antics, but the elder halfling always hoped that he'd have a bit more sense than to pursue someone close to Pan's age. Gohan was full on blushing at this point, very uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, but he couldn't help but feel protective of Bulla as well as Goten, who could very well be on Vegeta's kill list should there be any funny business going on.
Goten scoffed, as if to seem offended, and tried his best to hide his own reddening face. "Gohan no—absolutely not," he asserted. Goten resumed washing the dish in front of him to avoid his brother's gaze. "We're just friends," he murmured, focusing still on his task.
"Just friends, huh?"
"Yes."
"There's clearly an attraction there," Gohan stated resuming his drying duties, "not just on her end. Yours too."
"She's an attractive woman, Gohan. That's an objectively true statement."
"I'm not talking about that. Both of you have been making googly eyes at each other all night. You also were pretty quick to defend her, even though Pan was being a little out of line."
"She was," Goten answered quickly, "and again, as a friend I would do that for anyone."
"Eleven years is a big age difference, Goten," his brother cautioned. He finally set the plate down and put his hand on Goten's shoulder. "I know she's technically legal, but barely. That's a really gray area."
These were facts that Goten would tell himself at night when his thoughts would start to wander and fantasize of Bulla. The age difference was always in the back of his mind, as if the fear of Vegeta's wrath and Trunks' disappointment weren't enough to keep the demi-Saiyan at bay. Even so, the past month of training with Bulla showed that she was far more mature than the dates on the calendar. This made it even harder to rely on those details when he needed help resisting temptation.
"I know," Goten finally answered back. He couldn't believe he was about to try and justify it in front of his brother, but he felt a need to defend himself. "Look Gohan," he added, "there's nothing between us, but even if there were, Bulla's been around older people her whole life. She has a Ph.D. for Kami's sake and emotionally, I think she's more grown up than I am."
"You're not wrong."
"Hey—"
"Kidding. She's also your best friend's younger sister, and your niece's best friend, however."
"And she's the daughter of a former mass murderer who could kill me with his pinky toe," Goten turned to show off a cheeky grin, "we could go on and on."
Gohan let out an amused chuckle. "Making a great case for yourself," he murmured.
"Gohan, I'm sure you mean well, but I would tell you if Bulla and I were together."
"Would you though?"
The comment caught Goten off guard as he contemplated if he actually would share that side of his life with Gohan. The two were close but they had an age difference of their own, not to mention Gohan's life path was so unlike Goten's. Gohan married young and had a kid soon after—it wasn't always easy to share certain parts of his life knowing that his brother couldn't relate. Still, they had a bond that was based on mutual understanding of each other's dissimilarities. However tight that bond was though, any developed connection with Bulla could likely never be shared with anyone, Gohan included.
"Guess it doesn't matter since we aren't," Goten responded with almost a hint of sadness.
Gohan observed his brother's reaction, sighing at what he was about to say. "Look, I'm a little biased since she grew up with Pan, so maybe my perspective isn't absolute. Clearly, Bulla has become a wonderful young lady. You both seem to have a close connection, friendly or otherwise. I just would hate for someone like her to be taken advantage of."
"Gohan," Goten's said in a sincere tone, "I would never do that to her. Nor anyone for that matter, but especially Bulla."
"Goten, I know," Gohan assured, "you've had your moments, we all have, but I know you're a good guy. Just…keep in mind your age brings life experience that no amount of maturity on Bulla's part can replicate. I'd hate to see you both get hurt because of something like that."
The younger halfling grew quiet once more, deep in thought. Gohan nudged his brother.
"But like you said," he continued, "you two are just friends."
A flash of Bulla's lips on his own the night of her birthday crossed Goten's mind. He smiled at the memory.
"Right, just friends."
"So, Bulla," Chi-Chi began as she brought coffee and cakes over for the ladies to enjoy, "we heard about work and your training, but we're dying to know what's going on in your love life."
Bulla momentarily coughed on her piece of crumble cake and smacked her chest to help it down. Caught unprepared by the question, she tried to regain control of her voice. "My-?" she blushed as she realized she couldn't finish the sentence.
"What Chi-Chi means," Videl tried to approach the subject less invasively, "is do you have your eye on anyone?"
Bulla's complexion reddened further, trying her hardest to keep her secret affection for the youngest Son brother hidden. "Well not really," she said looking down, "work makes it a little tough to date."
Chi-Chi sighed. "Goten says the same thing," she shook her head, "ever the bachelor. Even though his father and I were married at your age! Videl and Gohan too!"
"It's not for everyone though," Videl added understandingly. She gave a nod towards Bulla. "I can imagine it's hard balancing a good work and life balance."
The mention of her crush gave Bulla butterflies. "Yeah, I get it…" she trailed off thinking of what to say, "hard to meet people when working long hours."
Videl smiled at the younger woman. "You know Bulla, when Gohan taught me how to fly, that was when we really bonded. It was something we had in common. Maybe you should look for someone with similar interests!" she declared happily.
Bulla briefly glanced towards Goten in the kitchen washing dishes and laughing with his older brother. A warmth filled her chest with glee. "I'll keep that in mind."
As the conversation went on, Bulla faintly heard Chi-Chi and Videl reminiscing about their young love, but the princess was solely focused on the demi-Saiyan she had been so fond of. She quickly averted her absentminded gaping when she noticed Goten and Gohan wiping their hands and returning once more to the living area.
"Ladies," Goten greeted, charming as ever. He shot a quiet grin at Bulla. "What's the topic of discussion this evening?"
Bulla's eyes broadened, worried at what her companions would say.
"Nothing crazy," Videl maintained, and Bulla felt a momentary sense of relief, until Chi-Chi interjected.
"We were just asking Bulla if she was interested in anyone," the matriarch answered.
The look of fear in Bulla's eyes was enough to excite Goten. He knew her trepidation at such a topic and in spite of assuring his brother just moments before there wasn't anything more between the two hybrids, Goten couldn't help but have some fun.
"Ooh," Goten began with a Cheshire Cat grin, "do tell Bulla. What's your type?"
Both Bulla and Gohan eyed the other half-Saiyan strangely, both for the same reason. Bulla could hardly believe he was being so openly forward and Gohan, who could believe it, shook his head but Goten was exclusively focused on the princess.
"I—" Bulla started unsure of how to answer.
"Don't be shy," he teased, prompting an eye roll from Gohan.
Bulla tried suppressing a smile at Goten's audacity. "I don't really have a type," she answered truthfully. She hoped her honest response would conclude the teasing, but it only seemed to egg Goten on further.
"Everyone has a type," the older half-Saiyan grinned, "even you."
"You seem so sure about that."
"Oh, believe me I am," Goten smirked. He looked at her ponderingly, preoccupied with potential traits. "Let me guess," the ebony-eyed man resumed, "you like them tall, dark, and handsome."
Gohan could hardly hide the groan he released into his coffee cup.
Bulla knew a challenge when she saw one. "Perhaps," she answered warily, drawing an inquisitive eyebrow from Goten, "why…do you know anyone?"
His brother's groan turned into a hearty chortle. Points to Bulla.
Goten winced at the slight. "Bruising my ego there, Briefs," he joshed. He waved his hand, the insult already overlooked. "C'mon B-Chan," Goten continued, "there's gotta be something you look for.
Knowing that the Son man was not going to let up, Bulla resigned to give him some sort of answer. Her mouth pursed slightly as she contemplated what to say until suddenly, she was reminded of a trait that was dear to her.
"A good heart," she spoke softly.
Goten seemed to be taken with her answer, remembering the exchange the two had several weeks prior. "I've never doubted your good heart," she had said so earnestly.
"A good heart," he repeated, "that's an important one for sure."
Bulla smiled at his response, pleased he seemed to get the reference.
"You know Goten," Chi-Chi began refilling the coffee cups on the table, "you ought to maybe reconsider your type. You've had some lousy prospects over the years."
"Ouch, Mom. Is this dump on Goten night?" he snickered.
"I'm only speaking the truth," Chi-Chi pointed out, "those city girls you seem to like are after one thing."
Goten's eyes widened, wondering what his mother was about to say.
"Money!"
He sighed in relief; thankful she didn't say something else. "Not all city girls are bad," Goten commented, nodding in Bulla's direction. She rolled her eyes but kept smiling.
"Actually, a gal similar to Bulla would be ideal—successful, intelligent, attractive, polite—I could go on!" Chi-Chi declared putting her hand on the younger woman's shoulder. Gohan took too large a gulp of his coffee in the middle of his mother's words as Bulla felt the heat rising to her face. The bluette knew the Son matriarch didn't mean her specifically (or did she) however, the implication still was something. Bulla's sole focus turned to seeing Goten's reaction.
He observed the youngest hybrid fondly, taking note of her colored cheeks. Goten enjoyed the effect the conversation had on the woman between his teasing and his mother's unintentional matchmaking. The ebony-haired man wryly grinned at Bulla.
"That could be tough, Mom," Goten admitted, talking to his mother, but meeting the princess' stare head on. "I don't think there's anyone quite like Bulla."
Bulla's expression softened as Goten's praise left her with a tingling feeling. She had not expected him to say that. There was a magnet on his face, Bulla convinced herself, because despite her best attempts she could not look away from him.
Goten, too, maintained his gaze. Though he meant what he said in the response to his mother, he also was speaking from the heart a bit to the heiress.
Meanwhile, Gohan scoffed at his younger brother's second blatant attempt at flirting. But despite the obviousness, the eldest halfling took note of the direct staring contest Bulla and Goten seemed to be engaged in. Though his sibling protested, there was certainly no denying the chemistry now. "Just friends, huh baby bro?" he thought amusingly. Gohan stood up to walk towards the kitchen counter, attempting to divert the conversation.
"Say, anyone want more dessert?" Gohan offered up to the group.
Still locked on each other, Goten gave a small wink towards Bulla before affixing his attention to his brother. "I'll never say no to mom's cake!" he exclaimed following his brother. He clapped Gohan's back once they reached the counter as Gohan suppressed a chuckle.
"You're impossible," he said under his breath, but amused, nonetheless.
Goten guiltily grinned. "That was all for your benefit, man," he teased taking a big bite of coffee cake off his plate.
His brother shook his head in disbelief. "Keep telling yourself that, Goten," he stated, but Goten was already focused back on the heiress whom Gohan suspected never took her eyes off the younger halfling. Whatever the two had going on, be it friendly or romantic, there was no going back for either of them. Gohan just hoped his advice would be heeded, though he somehow doubted that to be the case.
…
"Thanks again for having me over again, Chi-Chi!" Bulla said happily, embracing the older woman goodbye when it was time to leave. Chi-Chi squeezed her in return.
"Anytime, Bulla—you are always welcomed here!" she returned in a sweet tone.
"Bye Videl! Bye Gohan!" she shouted to the two from afar. "Gohan, let me know when you want to take a tour of the facilities," Bulla offered to the older Son. She heard Goten grumble under his breath for the second time that evening as she poked him in the ribs, rolling her eyes.
Gohan took a sip of his coffee as he observed the two one last time. He waved at her from the table. "Looking forward to it, Bulla. Have a goodnight!"
"Goten, are you staying over? Your old room is still set up for guests," Chi-Chi asked her youngest child.
"Oh," Goten sounded almost disappointed as he turned to Bulla. "I was thinking of flying back with Bulla, so she didn't have to go alone," he admitted. The bluette was charmed by his offer, but Goten had done so much for her already that day she didn't want to prevent one-on-one time with his family.
"Don't worry about me," Bulla assured, "I've got a Capsule Car I can drive home with. Besides, I'm tired from all the—"
She was about to say training but caught herself. "Cake," she corrected turning towards Chi-Chi, "couldn't get enough of that cake."
"I'll make some more and will have Goten drop it off since you liked it so much!"
Bulla laughed with Goten in the doorway of the Son home. In the distance, she saw the auras of Pan and Goku still going at it. Goten rotated towards his mother. "I'm just gonna say goodbye really quick," he said softly, about to close the door behind him, but not before he caught one of Gohan's many eye rolls for the evening.
As the Autumn air hit her face, Bulla shivered a bit. She suddenly felt a warm arm around her, looking up at the other hybrid looking peaceful.
"You sure you want to drive home alone?" Goten questioned, slightly concerned about the heiress traveling in darkness.
"Oh, it's not a big deal I'll be fine," Bulla contended, "besides, I'd rather you get some alone time with your family. I took up enough of it."
"I like spending time with you, Bulla," her companion admitted aloud, rubbing her arm ever so slightly, "and my family does too."
Goten leaned closer to the heiress admiring her features. They looked extra appealing in the moonlight, he dared to think. He inhaled her scent, the familiar waft of coconut shampoo and a fruity perfume permeating his nostrils. It became apparent that he really didn't want her to leave.
Bulla smiled at the handsome man in front of her, struggling desperately not to go weak in the knees near him. Goten certainly had surprised her tonight with his forwardness, joking or not. It warmed her chest just thinking about it. Bulla exhaled, knowing that she had to start heading back lest her father send out a search party.
She enclosed him in a hug, her slender arms tightening around his neck. "See you next week, Goten," Bulla said releasing him from his hold before he even had time to really return it. The elder demi-Saiyan gently squeezed her side as she withdrew from him.
"Text me when you're home?" he requested sweetly.
The princess nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. "I will, promise," she said honestly. Bulla tossed a capsule to unveil a car as she waved goodbye to the older man. Goten gave a two-finger salute before heading back inside, smiling softly at her. Bulla took a deep breath before rotating towards the car. She was about to open the door when a voice distracted her.
"Secrets, secrets—"
Bulla turned to see Pan behind her, arms crossed, evidently finished with her sparring session. The bluette released a long sigh. "Spooked me there for a second, Pan," Bulla said, hoping to distract her.
"Not quite, Blue," Pan retorted, using her nickname, "we need to have a little chit-chat."
Bulla gulped. "About…?"
"You know what about. First, you don't tell me you've been training with your dad for a year and then I come to find that the girl my uncle isbringing home for dinner is none other than you."
Bulla sighed, knowing she owed some basic answers to her best friend. "Look, I'm sorry I never said anything about training, it wasn't personal I just hadn't told anyone. You know how my dad is."
"Sure, but that doesn't explain how you and Uncle Goten are a thing."
"We are not a thing!" Bulla insisted.
Pan scoffed with a single laugh. "Bulla, he's never and I mean NEVER brought anyone home before."
The revelation struck her. "Wait, what?" she wondered, astonished.
"Interesting…" Pan chortled once more, "guess he didn't tell you that."
"Not that it means anything because we're friends," Bulla said, "but are you telling me even Valese never came over?"
"Kami no!" her friend waved her hand at the idea. "That airhead was on my grandma's shit list; Goten knew better than to bring her around. Besides, they were too on and off."
The constant, small twinge of jealousy Bulla felt toward the woman in question seemed to dim a bit when Pan revealed that. She tried not to react too strongly to the news.
"I've been over before with my family Pan," Bulla veered the conversation back to her insistence of being just friends with the man, "it's not like it's anything new."
"Yeah, but this time without the rest of your family," Pan pointed out.
Bulla was running out of responses. Her ebony-haired friend sighed. "Look Blue," she said softer than before, "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time earlier. I have to say though, you brought out a side of Uncle Goten I don't really see."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought he was about to bite my face off," Pan laughed. She looked at her friend with a peculiar grin. "So tell me, what's actually going on with you two?"
Just then, the women were interrupted by Pan's grandfather coming over, whose impeccable timing made Bulla sigh in relief. Goku was smiling widely, ready to say his goodbyes. "Have a safe drive back, Bulla. If you are ever up for it, would love to spar with you and get a sense of your power!" Goku declared as patted her back.
The heiress smiled at her father's rival. She saw so much of Goten in Goku and vice versa, but the two were certainly incomparable. Bulla liked that they were still distinctly themselves. Though she was certain Goku could kick her inexperienced behind, she appreciated his offer.
"Deal," she bowed politely.
Goku patted her back once more and took off, but not before turning around. "Ya coming Pan?" he asked, sporting his signature Son pose.
Pan gave one last cryptic look at her friend. "We'll finish this another time," she cocked her head in amusement before making her way back up the door with her grandpa.
Bulla let out a huge breath once they vanished and thanked her lucky stars that she didn't have to divulge anything else to her friend that evening. Though she was given more time, Bulla hadn't the slightest clue what to tell Pan, and silently hoped she'd never have to.
Sorry Pan, meant to tell you at some point that I've wanted your uncle my whole life, oh by the way—did I mention we kissed?
The next day, Marron sat in the living area of Capsule Corp. waiting for Bulla to descend for their shopping excursion. She fidgeted nervously, wondering if Trunks would come through the common area at all. Although she knew he'd be tied up with work, Marron knew her friend liked to get out of the office during his breaks.
"The brat's working right now," she heard a booming voice say from afar.
Marron's eyes met the black orbs that belonged to Vegeta, whose gaze never ceased to unnerve her a bit. She recalled Trunks' offhanded comment about his father still being upset with her mother all those years after breaking his arm, but she hoped for her sake, that story was greatly exaggerated.
"Hello Mr. Vegeta," Marron murmured uncomfortably, she quickly stood to bow in respect and sat back down.
Vegeta sneered wordlessly as he filled a glass of water and drank it just as fast. Marron noted he looked like he was just returning from the gravity room, covered in perspiration and a reddened complexion.
"I'm actually here for Bulla," she continued, feeling the need to justify her presence, "she and I took personal day to hang out."
The Saiyan Prince clicked his tongue, thoroughly unamused, while Marron held her breath. As he passed by, he paused momentarily to sniff the air, before shaking his head and leaving as quickly as he arrived. Marron sighed in relief when the Prince of Saiyans exited the room. No matter how long she had known Vegeta for, the man still intimidated her.
Almost as much as Trunks.
The two had been remarkably quiet with one another since their night together. Marron genuinely hoped that she and Trunks could at least be friends if they couldn't be lovers. She foolishly thought that was possible. But like hitting a brick wall, the realization dawned on her that perhaps they couldn't ever go back to what they were.
She let out a sigh. Marron never would have acted so impulsively had she grasped the toll their union would cause.
Of course, these thoughts she put to bed as soon as she saw him enter the room.
Suited up, Trunks looked as handsome as ever. Donned on his nose were glasses he only wore when at work, which Marron always thought looked a bit misplaced, yet still quite attractive on the lavender-haired man. The half-Saiyan looked deep in thought while he passed by. Her breath quickened when she realized he hadn't noticed her yet, the demi-Saiyan concentrating solely on making his way to the kitchen. As he grabbed a soda from the fridge, Trunks managed to spy Marron out of the corner of his eye.
"Mare," he said rather quickly, almost dropping the soda can.
She let out a small smile. "Mr. President," Marron returned cheerfully.
A flush of red crossed Trunks' face as he turned away. He cleared his throat realizing how awkward he was being. "Sorry, just didn't expect to see you here on a workday," he responded casually, still not making eye contact.
"Playing hooky today with your sister," the blonde confessed, "only time we could make our schedules work for a mall date."
Trunks nodded along soundlessly. Attempting his best to not make things weird between the two of them, even though he was far past that point. Trunks knew he had been keeping himself distant from Marron ever since their night together. Shamefully, he regretted not being able to act like nothing happened, which was their initial agreement to begin with. He was the one insisting to just pretend it was a drunken one-off night of passion. He was the one who said they could still be friends.
But how do you go back to being just friends when you've been inside someone?
His gut sunk into itself as he took another nervous sip, knowing his silence was more deafening than anything.
"Well—that should be fun," Trunks whispered gawkily.
Marron didn't know what to think of his presumed indifference. It became harder to keep the smile on her face, but her pride forced her to. "Yeah, should be," she added.
The two shifted uncomfortably. How was it that a few weeks ago they were laughing alongside their other best friend and now they felt akin to strangers?
"You know," Marron began softly, "I was worried when you didn't respond to my last text."
Trunks looked down, knowing that he was guilty of being evasive.
"Sorry, things have been a bit nuts lately," he tried to come up with an excuse.
A frown formed on Marron's pretty lips. "You sure you're just not avoiding me?" she wondered boldly for her.
He shook his head. "That's not it at all, Marron."
"Could've fooled me," she retorted, eyes shuffling elsewhere.
The halfling took umbrage at the truth she was implying. "Marron, we're friends, why would I avoid you?" he asked incredulously.
Ocean blue eyes met their icy counterpart.
"Do I have to say it?" the blonde whispered, her face cringing in pain.
Trunks didn't have an answer for her. His silence hurt more than flat out rejection. Though her pride wasn't as strong as a Saiyan's pride, it wouldn't let her take his apathy lightly.
"Fine Trunks—you clearly don't want to talk," Marron said sadly, sitting back down in her seat. Her friend stalled as he took in her statement.
"You're such a dumbass, Trunks," he told himself. He coughed to clear his throat. "I should head back for my meeting," the lavender-haired man said heading in the other direction. "Have…fun with Bulla," he wished her uncomfortably, meaning his words though struggling to say them. Marron avoided eye contact with the young prince but nodded.
With that, Trunks took off towards the hallway in a huff distracted, whereupon he almost mowed over Bulla. "Hey!" his sister snapped at him. Putting her hands on her hips, she stared him down. "Watch where you're going, doofus," she clacked.
Her brother's appearance grew into a scowl. "You!" he said, finger pointed. "You need to tell me when you…you…" the prince couldn't very well say invite Marron over, "…when you take a PERSONAL day."
The heiress laughed derisively at the elder half-Saiyan. "Well, excuse me sir," she gave her best curtsy, "I'll be sure to inform you instead of HR next time."
Trunks grunted in frustration. "Women!"
Bulla stared at his fading figure with a confounded exterior. "What's his problem?" she muttered under her breath. The bluette entered the living area to see her best friend pensive and pouting. She speculated what happened to get Marron in such a mood and wondered if it was at all related to Trunks' strange demeanor.
"Sorry for the delay!" she said, bringing Marron's attention towards her. The blonde's mood instantly changed upon seeing the other woman.
"No big deal," the human assured. She stood up with a smile. The blonde nervously twisted a pigtail, a habit Bulla recognized Marron did when stressed. "Ready to go?" her friend asked.
Bulla wanted to say something else but simply nodded as Marron took off for the door with impressive speed. Whatever was on her friend's mind certainly seemed to be weighing heavily.
"Marron, what do you think about this one?"
Bulla held up a blue pencil skirt, taking Goten's comment about her best color to heart. Marron was zoned out looking in the other direction, missing the comment made by her friend. She still felt embarrassed about her awkward moment with Trunks earlier and it was hard to concentrate on the shopping at hand.
"Marron?" Bulla inquired once more.
The blonde snapped out of her trance. "Sorry Bulla," Marron apologized, "I'm a little out of it today."
Bulla's azure eyes stared intently into Marron's own pair. "Is everything okay?" she wondered.
"Just a lot on my mind," Marron smiled weakly. She didn't want Bulla to worry, but even more so, she didn't want to reveal anything about her tryst with Trunks to his sister, despite Marron's close friendship with her.
"I noticed you were a bit preoccupied when my brother left. Did he say something to bug you? Because he was being super weird."
Perceptive, Bulla.
"No," Marron lied, "we didn't talk long. He seemed stressed about work."
Bulla thought for a moment and then responded, "I think you're right. He's been working nonstop this last month."
Her friend's ears perked up when Bulla revealed that. She wondered if it was because of their one-night stand that Trunks was diving into work so much. His avoidant behavior would certainly have him wanting to focus on other things.
"Marron," Bulla continued, "you know you can tell me anything, right?"
The blonde's face emitted a white glow. The blue-haired halfling must have seen through Marron's weak fib. "I—I know, Bulla."
"And I know I can tell you anything—"
"Right but,"
"—there's something I've been dying to share with someone. You can't tell ANYBODY though."
A few blinks later, Marron suddenly realized that Bulla was talking about a secret herself, and not Marron's sordid affair. She sighed in relief. "Of course, you can tell me anything Bulla," the older girl said, "I promise I won't say a word."
Taking a deep breath, Bulla looked down on the ground and mumbled. Her voice was so low, Marron couldn't hear a thing.
"What was that?"
"Gotenkissedme—"
"What?"
"Goten kissed me!" Bulla shouted with more animation than she expected.
Marron's mouth dropped in pure shock. "Goten did WHAT?!" she asked, jumping to her feet.
Bulla immediately shushed her and looked around the dressing room to make sure no one was nearby. "Shh," she quieted, "he kissed me. On my birthday."
"YOUR BIRTHDAY?!"
"Shh!" Bulla hushed her friend even louder.
"Bulla, that was almost two months ago! And you are just telling me now?!" Marron couldn't believe her best friend would keep a secret of that magnitude from her. Especially when it involved another one of her best friends. However, Marron was painfully aware of the irony of her cowardice when it came to being open with Bulla.
"I haven't told anyone about that night, Marron! I swear, you're the first person I've said this to."
"This is unbelievable!" Marron exclaimed. "You and Goten? How?!"
The demi-Saiyan reddened, remembering the promise that started it all.
"Years ago, I asked him to be my first kiss if I hadn't been kissed by eighteen and he promised me he would," Bulla started off, taking note of Marron's befuddled expression, "I genuinely thought he forgot about it, or at the very least wouldn't go through with it."
Marron's jaw was still popping out of its socket in disbelief. "So wait, you've had this secret for YEARS?!"
Bulla shook her head. "Like I said, I really didn't think he'd actually remember!" she confessed. The bluette blushed as she recalled that night. "It was when I was out on the terrace by myself. He came late and we were chatting. Goten brought those chocolate kisses for me, and I assumed that would be the only acknowledgment of things."
"But then…?"
The younger girl blushed. "Then," she spoke softly, "then he just looked at me, shocked when I told him I hadn't been kissed before."
She tucked her hair behind her ears. "Everything happened so fast, but he leaned in and we just…" the bluette's cheeks reddened further as she recalled that magical night.
Her friend appeared flabbergasted at the discovery.
"Bulla, that's so insane. What happened afterwards? Have you kissed since?" Marron couldn't stop asking questions. She had always known Bulla had a crush on Goten, but the fact that he seemed to have some sort of attraction to her as well was an unexpected development.
"We…well, we haven't kissed since but Goten and I…"
She trailed off prompting Marron's mouth to drop.
"Have you slept together!?"
"Marron!" Bulla shouted, getting redder. "No, nothing like that. He's actually been training with me."
"Training?" Marron questioned. Her eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, is that what he meant?!"
"What who meant?"
Marron grabbed Bulla's arm. "Goten mentioned that you started training with your dad the night the three of us went out," her human friend continued, "He actually kept bringing you up, asking Trunks how you were, which I could tell confused your brother."
Bulla appeared shocked that Goten was mentioning her to Trunks and Marron at all. "I wonder why—we only started training shortly after that."
"I didn't think much of it at the time, but Goten definitely looked nervous when he asked about you. That makes sense now though knowing he had just KISSED you not too long before that."
"Marron, c'mon…"
"And now he's training you? Spending one-on-one time with you?" Marron questioned, the animation in her voice continuing to unfold.
"Yes," Bulla replied gently, "and while we haven't kissed again, we've gotten closer. He even invited me to his family's Sunday dinner last night."
Marron continued to remain bug-eyed and interested. "Bulla Briefs!" she cried.
"It was totally platonic," Bulla tried to explain, though she knew Goten attempted to be a bit flirty with her. Especially when his mother and sister-in-law brought up her love life. Still, she remained unconvinced it had to do with attraction towards her and more about him just teasing her. Even though she told herself it meant nothing, she smiled thinking about his firm embrace at the end of the night.
"So, your daddoesn't even know about any of this?!"
"Kami no—Goten would be dead and I would be locked up in some deep, dark bunker if he did. No one else knows and like I said, you can't say anything. Especially to Trunks."
The mention of Bulla's brother caused Marron to cringe momentarily. "I swear, you don't have to worry about that," she promised again, "Trunks doesn't exactly react to things the best way. I can't even imagine what he'd do in this scenario."
"You're telling me," Bulla emphasized. The bluette sighed. "Goten is his best friend, you aside," she said matter-of-factly, "Trunks has badgered me for having a crush on him, but I don't think he realizes that there have always been true feelings there on my part."
"It sounds like Goten may have some too," Marron pointed out quietly.
Bulla's eyes brightened. "What do you mean?"
Marron looked at her friend dubiously. "Bulla, are you serious? Why would he be spending so much time with you? Out of the kindness of his heart?"
"I mean," the hybrid began, "it's Goten. He's a good guy."
"Goten is a great guy!" Marron stated excitedly. She cleared her throat. "But secretly training you, kissing you on your birthday, inviting you to family dinner? That's not just friendly."
"Marron," Bulla said with a twinge of sadness, "he's so much older than me. Even though I don't care about age, I know it's something that has bothered him. Plus, with Trunks and my dad as my family, I doubt he'd ever do anything about it."
"I mean, I know it isn't ideal," Marron continued, "but as far as age goes, at least you're an adult. Plus, your family is your family—as much as Trunks would freak out, I'm sure he'd come around. He knows Goten is a fantastic person who'd do anything to defend you."
Bulla secretly hoped her friend had a point. Best case scenario, Trunks would be annoyed but understanding eventually. Worst case scenario, Trunks and Goten's lifelong friendship would be destroyed, and she would be the one to blame for it. The princess sighed, hoping the former situation to be more likely.
"Then there is my dad…"
"Ah, Mr. Vegeta…" Marron thought back to her earlier encounter with him and how awkward it was, "…look, strength is important to him right? Who is stronger than a Saiyan to protect you? Does he think a human would be able to?!"
"I think he just assumes I'll join a nunnery and live until my dying day chaste and husband-free."
Marron chuckled, attempting to envision her stunning friend, who could have any man in the world, in a convent somewhere. "Well, no offense to your father, but I don't think that's your destiny," she said reassuringly.
Bulla chuckled, grateful for her friend's unexpected support on the matter. "Marron," she began softly, "you really think he may feel something?"
"Look, I'm not an expert in relationships by any means," Marron said. Understatement of the year, Mare. "But I do know that you and Goten are two great people that seem to have a connection," she added, "and you'll never know unless you ask him."
Bulla's face blanched. "Oh, absolutelynot, Marron!" she shouted in terror. She put a hand to her face, embarrassed at the thought. "Even if he did feel a tiny bit of affection towards me, I'd be mortified to just ask him," the Saiyan Princess retorted.
Marron's heart stung, knowing all too well the same feeling Bulla was experiencing. She lamented her lack of bravery earlier with Trunks, and for that matter, all month since her encounter with him. How hard it was to just come out and say that night meant something to her, and she hoped it did for him too. But she was too cowardly—too worried about ruining the friendship.
"I understand," she responded tenderly, "but as a third-party who cares deeply about both of you, I'd rather you know where you stand with each other than tiptoe around for Kami knows how long."
Bulla's eyes darted towards the ground, considering Marron's advice. She knew at some point the conversation needed to be had with Goten, but she was enjoying their time together and didn't want that to be cut short all because of her silly feelings. Even so, the small chance that Goten could potentially feel something similar towards her gave her heart wings, inspiring enough hope to possibly take flight.
She just didn't want to fly too close to the sun and watch them burn.
The following Sunday, Goten sat against a nearby rock awaiting Bulla's arrival for their next training session. He grabbed fistfuls of grass in his hand, mindlessly tossing them to the side, while deep in thought.
After spending the last month with the princess, Goten was no closer to getting her out of his head than he was prior to their kiss. He had faintly wished for their time together to have the opposite effect; somehow seeing her as just another sparring partner that would knock some sense into him, literally and figuratively. Yet, as she tended to do often, Bulla somehow managed to permeate his thoughts even more so than before.
It wasn't as if he knew nothing about her before their additional time together, but Goten was pleasantly surprised at how much he noticed about the bluette as they trained. Her feistiness certainly came out more. The Son man chuckled at how Bulla seemingly let down her guard around him while spending one-on-one time with each other. It had him wondering just how much she previously tried to hide in an attempt to be cool. Not that he minded; he appreciated the openness between them, especially after the prior week.
The conversation they had post-spar was one of the most honest discussions Goten ever had with anyone. Trunks didn't even know about the depth of Goten's insecurity around his place in his family. Yet, Bulla managed to bring it out of him so easily. Here she felt the same, a silent shadow that rarely had a chance to come out of the dark.
While Goten sang her praises during that chat, a piece of him felt like he had so much more to say. Maybe that's partly why he invited her over to dinner with his family; he didn't want their time together to come to an end. It wasn't lost on him just how seamlessly she seemed to fit in to their chaotic little clan. Granted, Bulla had years of experience with the Son family, but seeing her interact with everyone without the backdrop of a big Capsule Corp. party or other guests made him even more drawn to the heiress.
His brother's concerns did bring a dose of reality to the evening, but just as soon as he finished that dialogue, Goten just as easily forgot it. Doing what he could to get Bulla to blush about her love life, knowing full well she wasn't seeing anyone, was more than just a fun way to rile her up. While perhaps a bit brazen for two people trying to keep multiple secrets, Goten couldn't help himself. Some part of him wanted to get her to admit aloud that she saw him the way he was starting to see her.
Intuitively, Goten felt it whenever he held her. The slight tremble of her figure, the reddening of her cheeks, the quickened breath—he wasn't a novice when it came to women being attracted to him. The connection between the two of them, however, was unlike anything he experienced with prior relationships. And still, the princess managed to hold some of her poker deck to her chest. Just when he was absolutely certain where she stood on things, Bulla would stun him. Her driving home without him the week prior surprised Goten, although perhaps she truly was just being nice enough to let him spend more time with his family.
Then there was his bath in the creek. For a brief moment, Goten felt as though he was being watched, only to turn and see blinds shut before he could confirm. Had she been…observing him in all his glory? Goten felt his cheeks warming, both out of a bit of pride as well as slight concern. Bulla made it clear multiple times since they started things that she wasn't just some kid sister of Trunks anymore. With that adulthood however, even Goten realized that meant growing up in more ways than one.
In spite of his attraction to her, the beast inside him still wrestled with inappropriate thoughts. He remembered the rage he felt when she told him the motivation behind her brief flicker with the Super Saiyan form. Just the thought of Bulla getting cat-called or callously manhandled was enough to make him feel sick. This instinctive need to protect her, undone by a simultaneous desire to have her, certainly didn't make his predicament any easier. It just made him feel hypocritical.
The previous week he had been so tempted to kiss her goodnight, and though it would have been away from the prying eyes of his family, Goten couldn't shake his brother's voice of reason out of his head. Though it was likely for the best the two hybrids hadn't kissed that evening, his gut churned at the thought. It was starting to become more difficult to resist the princess, but he couldn't let his guard down.
She was counting on him to help her, even if that meant denying his desires.
"Hey."
Bulla landed nearby, arms behind her back, virtually sneaking up on the distracted Son man. Goten took note that her training outfit was a bit different today. She merely wore a spandex suit, sans the protective gear, the color several shades darker than her hair. His eyes perhaps lingered longer than they should have, but he appreciated her figure, especially in that outfit.
"Hey," he said in rejoinder. Goten stood up to approach her and noticed Bulla was a bit more sheepish today than in times past. She was staring at her feet and looked deep in thought. After their day the Sunday before, Goten thought the two had gotten closer, though Bulla was now acting like a shy teenager.
"You okay?" the older demi-Saiyan asked.
Bulla nodded. Her nerves multiplying in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? If anything, her talk with Marron should have calmed her but the pressure to get a sense of where Goten was at with his feelings intimidated Bulla greatly.
Her older companion observed the way she shifted. She certainly looked demure, a stark contrast to her more verbose presence. "B-Chan?" he inquired gently.
"Do you think we can focus on me going Super Saiyan again?" Bulla offered up as a response. His eyes broadened, wondering how she just shifted right into training mode without any sort of pleasantries. Whatever was bothering her, Goten hoped letting loose with a spar would help.
"I know you've been frustrated you've only unlocked Super Saiyan once or twice since we started," Goten began, "but I think you're still making great progress."
"Thanks," Bulla replied, looking as though she was blushing a bit.
Was she…was she acting nervous around him? He really needed to find a way to get her to let loose then.
"I'm not going to go easy on you today, Bulla—" Goten continued to say before she cheekily interrupted.
"Oh? You've been going easy, huh?" she folded her arms in amusement as he smirked at her sassiness. There she was.
"—very funny."
He powered up immediately to Super Saiyan with virtually no effort, unlike sessions before where he took his time to show her how to power up effectively. Bulla once again admired his gilded state equally as impressed with the raw energy behind his change. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Goten said in a singsong tone, very aware that Bulla was distracted once again. He hoped to remedy that with the element of surprise.
Before she could blink, Goten was in her face attempting to strike the princess. She countered his blows as best she could for being caught off guard. His aura was emanating such power that Bulla was shocked this was the same man she sparred with the week prior.
"You weren't kidding," Bulla declared, dodging another one of Goten's powerful strikes.
"I told you, we're going to push you harder today," Goten replied, a smirk on his face as he continued to attack. "We need to get you to turn Super Saiyan and stay in the form longer."
Bulla knew he was right, but the intensity of the training was throwing her off. She had to focus if she wanted to improve. The princess blocked another one of Goten's attacks and countered with a punch, but he easily dodged it.
"You're too predictable," Goten taunted. "You need to be more creative with your moves."
Bulla gritted her teeth, determined not to let him get the best of her. She powered up, her aura shining brightly as she attempted to change, but something was still holding her back. Goten noticed the struggle on her face and decided to up the ante. He charged towards her with even more ferocity, his fists pounding the air as he prepared to land a blow. Bulla saw him coming and braced herself, ready to counter his attack.
As Goten approached her, Bulla took a deep breath and focused her energy. Just as he was about to strike, she vanished, reappearing behind him with a powerful kick that sent him flying. Goten quickly regained his balance and turned to face her, impressed by her sudden burst of speed and agility.
"Nice move," he said, nodding in approval. "But you can't rely on just one technique. You need to keep mixing things up."
As they continued to exchange blows, Bulla was trying to think of ways to outsmart the more experienced fighter but came up short. She tried to launch a ki blast at him. With little effort, Goten smacked it away, unfazed. Bulla's teeth clenched as she charged towards him, but the other half-Saiyan startled her with a knee to the stomach, launching her up higher in the air.
On cue, Goten's elbow hit her square in the back, sending her flying across the field. She hit the ground with a loud thud, the impact jarring her body. Bulla slowly lifted herself to a sitting position, but Goten could tell she took quite the tumble.
"Ow," she cried loudly, slinking towards the ground. Almost immediately, Goten flew over to the heiress to check on her worried he may have pushed things too far.
"Oh no Bulla—" Goten lamented, "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"
She sniffled covering her face, not answering his question, and hiding whatever injury she had from Goten. "Here," he said gently, still in his Super Saiyan form as he raised her from the ground. He attempted to lower her arm, but before he could lower it all the way, Goten saw a flash of Vegeta's menacing glower in her eyes. That devious look was certainly unexpected.
The roundhouse kick to his face shortly after was also unexpected.
Goten grunted as he was knocked back by a clearly faking Bulla who was on the attack once more. The smirk firmly planted on her face irritated him, but he secretly appreciated the ingenious move—using her perceived fragility in her favor.
"Sneaky little thing," the Son man chided, dodging the ferocity of blows coming from the heiress.
As Bulla screamed exerting a punch, an amused laugh escaped her lips. "Papa always says to take advantage of your enemy's weakness," she said, narrowly missing the elder hybrid.
He chuckled, clearly entertained. As he blocked her efforts, Goten matched her speed. "What's my weakness, Bulla?" the halfling asked. He was genuinely curious. A grunt was coaxed out of his mouth as her elbow bumped into his side.
"Thinking you know mine!" Bulla shouted, before unleashing another yell. A barrage of ki blasts hurled out from her hands.
Goten evaded the blasts with relative ease, no longer underestimating the daughter of Vegeta because of mere inexperience. The golden energy around him increased in size as he flew out of her eyeline. Bulla strained to sense the man's ki but was having trouble getting a lock on it. Without warning, Goten reappeared behind her, gripping her in a headlock.
Bulla struggled against his firm hold. Goten's arms boxed her in, locking the heiress' arms and body tightly. She made an attempt to flail against him, but it was in vain. Her older companion wasn't letting her go anytime soon.
Goosebumps tickled her neck as she felt his hot breath behind her. Goten leaned in, gilded light buzzing out from his aura, as he tightened his grasp.
"Then tell me, princess," he whispered in her ear, "what is your weakness?"
The words danced in her head, heating Bulla's insides in a manner that elicited both frustration and desire. It took everything within her not to quiver in his arms. Though, despite her best efforts, a pool of warmth formed below, and she prayed he wouldn't notice.
He squeezed her a bit tighter, hoping the restrained position she was in would ignite enough frustration for her to change forms. While her power strengthened, Bulla still hadn't been able to activate her Super Saiyan ability in their spar. She tried to concentrate on her ki, but the princess was too distracted by her bones cracking to effectively focus.
"Well?" Goten hissed, trying to elicit some sort of response from her. Whether it was her going Super Saiyan again or simply providing an answer to his curiosity, Goten grunted attempting to keep the heiress at bay.
Bulla couldn't even let out a scream in his grip. Though she was unable to move individual limbs, she noticed Goten's body followed hers as it turned. He had her in his hold, but she knew he would have to sacrifice his mobility to keep her there. Not seeing any other way, Bulla exhausted every ounce of energy to ground both of them out of the sky, plummeting at an alarmingly fast rate.
Goten was not expecting the younger halfling to drag him down with her and though he had her still firmly in his grasp, Goten adjusted his body to take the brunt of the hit once they made contact with the earth below. The two tumbled and rolled a distance before Bulla eventually loosened from Goten's arms, only to have the older demi-Saiyan slam down on her to get them to stop moving.
As the dust around them dissipated, the hybrids were covered in debris coughing a bit while attempting to take inhale.
Panting hard, Goten firmly had Bulla pinned beneath him, his strong forearm pressed across her sternum. Bulla gasped for air, exhausted from the exertion of energy, sweat dripping down her face. The elder halfling powered down from his Super Saiyan form, keeping her securely planted below, as he tried to steady his breathing. Sensing she was having trouble catching her breath, Goten removed his arm so that it was resting at her side mirroring his other one.
As she inhaled, Bulla released but a whimper as she took in Goten's scent. Toffee and musk, exactly like that night on the terrace, and the mix of perspiration and blood merely enhanced it further. His dark eyes somehow looked even darker as they fixed in on the heiress. She had no words to respond with, concentrating only on those obsidian orbs observing her.
His vision skimmed the length of her face, studying every perfect detail. Normally hidden beauty marks and dips, noticeable at close distance, revealed themselves to the older half-Saiyan. Goten's mouth parted, still struggling to breathe at a normal pace. Black eyes continued to trace over the princess' figure, now lowering towards her chest that heaved at an erratic pace. Though he attempted to avoid staring too long at that particular area, her hardened nipples managed to cut through her sports bra and training spandex, completely draining the color from his face. The blood leaving his cheeks had uses elsewhere.
Sweat poured from his temple to jawline, trickling in painfully slow drops. She squirmed beneath him, and he raised himself a small amount to avoid completely blocking her. Hovering over the bluette, he noticed her expression. All at once, Bulla seemed to be enticed, fearful, and unsure. Her eye contact never leaving his once she had Goten's gaze back at attention.
Goten felt his one hand instinctively roam down Bulla's side, the other resting for balance. His fingers gripped her hip to steady her; the contact drawing a sharp breath from the younger hybrid. As he switched the balance to his legs, Goten's free hand nestled itself in between her neck and mandible, his thumb ascertaining the territory.
Intuitively, Goten lowered his head slightly, enough to leave just a small space between his face and her own. Onyx eyes trailed over her lips, so flushed and segregated. Bulla vaguely recalled Goten having a similar stare the night of her birthday, the familiar goosebumps from that meeting prickling her arms. She bit her lip and juddered at the echo of a groan that Goten poorly attempted to suppress. Its vibrations reverberating against her.
Wide-eyed and wanting, she met his eyes one last time as they stopped staring at her lips and concentrated on her. Only her.
"Bulla," he breathed breathlessly, inches from her very lips.
Her palms floated to his cheeks, as if by some unspoken command, unable to say anything but his name. "Goten," she whispered back.
She shouldn't be under him like this, he thought. Looking so lovely, despite the aftermath of their sparring session evident on them both. Torpid eyes traced once more to her mouth, remembering how sweet she tasted that night nearly two months ago. So many times, he relived that moment in his head, never daring to think he could ever experience that sensation again.
Yet, here she was, beneath him and solely focused on what he'd do next. Goten prided himself on self-control in so many areas of his life. Including Bulla. Especially Bulla. Even so, his resolve weakened as she leaned in ever so slightly. Goten was determined to meet her halfway and reunite his lips with her own. Bulla closed her eyes in anticipation.
Just as they were about to connect, Goten's phone rang out from his zipped bottom pocket, a harsh ring back into reality. A guttural grunt of disappointment could not be kept constrained inside his throat as he sharply turned his head. "Shit," he cursed quietly under his breath.
As the phone continued to vibrate and play its tone, Bulla slowly reopened her orbs, disoriented by the distraction. Goten slowly removed himself from the princess' form as he took out his phone to see Trunks' face and name flashing across the screen.
Good, now he knew who to both simultaneously thank and kill.
With no effort to hide his annoyed tone, he answered the call. "What?"
"Geeze, hello to you too," Trunks said on the line, confused by the uncharacteristic shortness.
Goten sighed. "Sorry Trunks, just in the middle of something."
He briefly looked at Bulla who was bright red and averting his gaze. Goten's heart sunk as he realized the precarious position he put both of them in.
"Look man, sorry to bug you, but you need to get over here ASAP."
His stomach plummeted, worried that he had been found out. "What's going on?" Goten wondered, attempting to hide any sort of guilt.
"Something is entering Earth's atmosphere with some pretty noticeable power—we think it's a ship but have no clue who is on it."
"Oh that's—wait what?!"
That was the last thing Goten expected to hear. He'd been so on edge lately he just assumed his and Bulla's secret training caught Trunks' attention or worse, Vegeta's attention. An intergalactic power landing Earthside was not on his bingo card for the year.
"Mom and I are trying to reach out to everyone before they land so we can try to figure out if they're friendly or not. I've gotta call like five people after this. Including my good for nothing sister who's missed my last three calls."
Goten's face inflamed at the mention of Bulla. "Keep trying, I'm sure you'll get her," he said to try to throw Trunks off any potential trail.
He heard Trunks snort on the other line. "She's the least of my worries right now to be honest."
Thank Kami.
"Want me to rally my family?" Goten suggested, trying to help his friend.
"Honestly yeah, just call and let them know it's urgent. They may even be sensing it soon, our radars picked up once they entered Earth's atmosphere. We're just trying to get ahead of this in case it gets ugly."
"Understood. Be there as soon as I can."
He hung up the phone in disbelief, still caught off guard by the news. Goten finally turned again towards Bulla who lifted her eyes from the ground, but nevertheless flushed from before. She cleared her throat as she tucked loose strands behind her ear.
"What did Trunks want?" she questioned rather resigned.
Goten looked at his phone and then back at her. "There's…some sort of alien ship coming here," he said a bit disbelieving, "sounds like Trunks and your mom are letting everyone know to meet up to assess the situation.
Bulla blinked, certainly not expecting that answer. She immediately checked her own phone and saw the missed calls. "Shoot, yeah he called multiple times—he only does that when it's something serious."
After staring at her phone for a moment, she raised her focus towards Goten once more. He had a somber countenance on his visage and a dull pain ate at her, wondering if he regretted what almost occurred again between them. If he did, that would be the only thing worse than not kissing at all. The princess sighed as she took in his appearance.
"Hey Bulla, about before—" Goten attempted to start off saying, but she didn't want to be rejected in that moment.
"It's fine, we've got other things to worry about," she retorted politely, if short. Goten blinked at her sudden response. He knew she was likely feeling strange, as he did, regarding their intense minute together. There was no denying there was still a spark lingering from the first kiss they shared, and that was plain as day to see. It gave Goten a mini jolt of assurance that he'd been contemplating existed at all.
"Sure," he stated, "but I really think we should talk—"
"Let's be concerned about that later," the pragmatist said gathering her things, "sounds like Trunks gave you a task."
"Right," Goten acknowledged with a small nod, disappointed with her reaction. He had to touch base with Gohan and his father with the news. "I guess I'll meet you there."
"Guess so."
Once her belongings were assembled, Bulla went to turn in the direction of West City. Her aura intensified waiting to take flight, when she heard her favorite voice in the world speak once more.
"You know," the older hybrid added, "you never did tell me your weakness."
Goten felt the warmth on his cheeks, almost surprised those words came out of his mouth. The heiress stalled momentarily; her head aimed towards the side. An amused smirk flashed across her face, barely visible to Goten. "Perhaps one day you'll know, Son Ten," she crooned softly.
Before he had a chance to respond, Bulla took off in the air at remarkable speed. The other demi-Saiyan sighed where he stood, trailing her fading figure in the sky. He wanted to chase after her, finish what they had started, but Goten knew the moment had passed. Immediately, he averted his gaze to focus on the task at hand and started to dial his brother's phone, nonplussed at what could possibly be coming towards them from space.
Airborne, Bulla's heavy breathing returned once more, barely able to catch up, as she pushed herself to fly as quickly as she could. Nerves bundled together to form a weight in her lungs. The princess puffed feeble breaths out of her mouth, still attempting to dispel her rising heart rate. Fluttering from the trees that she passed fanned her panting form, taking some solace in their cooling breeze. Bulla felt as if her entire body was on fire.
You never did tell me your weakness…
His words stayed with her. She knew all too well the answer to his question.
Don't you know by now, Son Goten? It's always been you.
Chapter 5 and somehow, I'm alive after all of that (I'm running out of rhymes for these ending notes LOL) I was not anticipating another mega chapter yet here we are. I hope you enjoyed the interactions, though sorry to tease another Goten/Bulla kiss – when I said slow burn, I meant it. Doesn't mean there aren't developments of course :)
Chapter 6: Souljin Ambassadors Prince Zasso and General Taikan make an appealing offer for Vegeta to reconnect with distant family. Marron catches someone's eye and Trunks experiences jealousy.
Almost time for outer space – get ready!
-SonChan