Title: Trying Out New Things
Fandom: Dragon Ball GT
Summary: Palace does not know much about smoothies. Fortunately, Goten is there to help his girlfriend with that.
Pairing: Son Goten/Palace (Valese)
"Palace-chan!"
Son Goten's cheerful voice cuts through the babel of passersby, making its way to the beautiful brunette seated at a table meant for two. His footsteps follow along on the same journey.
Like the gold dress and boots she wears, that smile on her cordiform visage is delightfully bright. "Goten-sama," Palace greets warmly once he reaches her.
"Look what I got ya for our date this time," he shows her the two cups in his hands.
Palace's eyes, as chocolate in color as her wavy hair, settle on the thick, yellowish-pink drinks inside the cups. Curiosity flashes in her gaze like the beam of a lighthouse piercing the blackest night, a sight very apparent to the observer.
"What are those?" asks his bemused girlfriend.
"Smoothies," Goten answers.
"Smoo-dee…?" she enunciates slowly, the word sounding foreign upon her tongue.
He hums a 'mhmm' in confirmation. "It's a cool, refreshing drink," the young man explains, "and sorta like yogurt but not exactly. Smoothies come in a myriad of flavors. The ones I got are peach-flavored."
"Wait, drink?" Palace blinks, "Um… From the look of it, are you sure I shouldn't use a spoon instead?"
Her question amuses him a lot more than it should. "Nah. Don't let its thickness fool you, Palace-chan. You just drink it with the straw."
She looks up at him. Her curled lips broaden just as her eyes sparkle, and she appears more radiant than ever in her wonderstruck state. "Oh, wow… I have never heard of a "smoo-dee" before. Looks delicious!"
Goten chuckles, happy to see Palace's reaction. It is comforting, in a way. Having lived in the countryside for so long, he's still trying to get familiar with city life. Socializing with Palace, with someone who has also had a sheltered upbringing, helps reassure him. At least this way he knows he isn't alone in his attempts to fit in.
And he can't lie; her innocence comes off rather endearing.
"Here, Palace-chan. Try it and lemme know what ya think," Goten offers Palace one of the smoothies, to which she graciously accepts. He takes his seat next to his girlfriend.
Man and maiden sit near a mighty tree towering over them. Dark shadows that resemble leafy branches are drawn upon the pair, embellishing the paint of summer sunlight splashed onto their skin and clothing.
Goten ignores the world around him in favor of the one who claimed his heart. Silently, he watches how her inquisitive stare lingers over the lid and the beverage underneath it. He notes the way her dainty digits slightly grip the cup, not used to the numbing coldness he himself had felt from it beforehand.
Then, after a moment, Palace inserts the tip of the straw in her mouth before taking a sip. Goten follows suit with his own smoothie, joining her so as not to feel left out.
The cool drink floods his mouth like how an ocean wave would roll over sand, the peach flavor engulfing his taste buds.
He takes a few, small mouthfuls before deciding that he has had enough for the time being. Shifting his attention back to Palace, he asks the girl, "So whaddya think, Palace-chan? Do you like the smoothie?"
Palace pulls her lips away from the straw. "Goten-sama, I…" she trails off, expression unreadable and chocolate eyes glued to the smoothie in her hands, much to his concern.
Nervous over the possibility that he might have given her a bad drink, Goten waits for her response with bated breath.
"…I love it!" Palace beams, a sunny disposition upon her face.
He, too, glows as instantly as a light switch being flipped. "You mean it?"
"Oh, certainly," she confirms, sincere and euphoric, "This drink's got a good taste to it. I wouldn't mind having it again some other time."
"Ha ha ha! Y'know, it's great you're trying out new things. Seems like it was only yesterday when you asked for cutlery to eat soft serve and hamburgers with."
"Ah…" Palace suddenly averts her gaze, voice softer than before.
Goten pauses. The brunette appears quite shy and mild, taking interest in the glass reflection of a nearby store. But a gut feeling tells him there's more to it than just that.
From his perspective, it seems like Palace is… sad about something.
"Palace-chan, what's wrong?" he decides to not mince words, "You don't seem happy at all."
When Palace glances back in his direction, Goten feels a pang of worry pierce his heart like how a blade slowly digs deep into its victim. So sharp, so painful, and so palpable the saiyan wonders how his love for this lady can make him hurt this bad.
What he sees is a face marred with a sorrowful frown that's completely out of place. For a brief moment, Goten almost forgets he's looking at his girlfriend and not some stranger.
"I'm sorry, Goten-sama…" she tells him, noticeably contrite.
The weight of concern etches many wrinkles on his furrowed brow. "Huh? Sorry for what?" he asks.
"For always being so dumb," Palace responds sadly.
"Hey, hey," he coos, quick to comfort the girl with a head pat. "Don't say that about yourself. That just isn't true."
Palace shakes her head. "But it is true. As you've pointed out, I knew nothing about soft serve or hamburgers, let alone how to eat them, and I can barely say "smoo-dee" even now. I don't know much of anything in this place. Not like you, Goten-sama. Doesn't it annoy you, having to try to help me understand certain things all the time?"
"No," Goten doesn't hesitate to affirm, "And I don't think you're dumb at all. You are just learning. There is no shame in learning."
"Really?" she asks innocently.
He inclines his head, shooting her a look that's just as earnest. "For sure. Actually, you wanna know something interesting about me?"
Although Palace says nothing, the undivided attention she gives him is enough of an answer.
Goten grins. "I can't say I'm all that familiar with smoothies either, Palace-chan. In fact, this is only the second time I tried one."
"Eh?!" Palace eyes him in astonishment. "You're not serious!"
"It's true! Only other time I had a smoothie was with Nii-san, who was the one to introduce me to them when I was trying to get familiar with this city."
He isn't lying. Mother made sure he didn't grow up a liar.
It was back when he started thinking about moving out of the house not too long ago, wanting to live his life in a more populated area. Satan City had been the one choice that came to mind, and Goten figured it'd be prudent to have Gohan show him around. The smoothie place stood out to him, alongside many food stores.
"Funny thing about that," Goten laughs, "I thought the smoothie was so thick I asked Nii-san a pretty embarrassing question."
"What would that be?"
"I asked him whether or not I should use a spoon instead of a straw."
That small bit of information is true as well. Even to this day, it is a silly yet fond moment to look back on.
Palace gapes at him like a fish out of water. "No way! Really? I never would have expected that from you. With how you've been introducing me to various foods and drinks, I thought you were some kind of expert at this sort of thing!"
He returns a benevolent smile. "Nah, I'm just somebody who learned and tried out new things. Like you."
She meekly glances down at her lap, fingering the cup in her hands. "I guess we are a lot more alike than I imagined, huh?"
"Seems that way to me," he agrees, "and I wouldn't want it otherwise."
Palace closes her eyes, though her lips curl up nonetheless. She wears the kind of face that brightens his world, a charming visage made from joy and innocence. "Yeah. Me neither…"
A sudden thought enters his mind. More of a recent memory, really. One involving a new thing to try.
"Y'know, Palace-chan," Goten starts, "I came across this place selling some kind of dessert I'm not too familiar with. Gelato, I believe it's called. If you feel up to it, perhaps we can check it out. Together."
The young man extends his hand towards the brunette. He watches as his girlfriend studies his gesture of support. It's his promise for a bond that will outlast everything ephemeral, just as it's also his plea for a companion in this endeavor to adjust to society.
From the bottom of his heart, Goten silently prays for the beauty's acceptance.
Palace's eyes linger on his outstretched hand, her face pretty hard to read. After what feels like a prolonged period of suspense, she raises a hand of her own…
…and accepts.
"I'd love to try out this gelato with you, Goten-sama," Palace chirps, her sweet eyes meeting his steady gaze. "Together."
Goten, now beaming wholeheartedly, cradles the small, delicate hand in his grasp. Today he makes his vow to remain by Palace's side, and it's a vow he will be sure to fulfill without neglect.