Goten set his alarm for 7:30 am to ensure he could make himself look presentable. He was beyond nervous and he couldn't understand why. He had been on many dates before, but no girl not even Laney had made him this nervous.
It was a date to the coffee shop, he didn't even know what to wear at first. He entered his closet and searched through his wardrobe. Suddenly, he felt he didn't have enough clothes in his closet. He knew a tuxedo was too much, and the t-shirt wasn't trying enough. He glanced over at a nice polo shirt and slacks and thought maybe this would be the best outfit for him to wear.
He quickly changed into the blue polo shirt and black slacks to admire himself in the mirror and thought he was overdressing. He is stressing himself out over wearing clothes. He has never
done this before. He needed some help, so he FaceTimed his best friend. Thankfully, she answered quickly.
"Marron! Please help!" He pleaded as she laughed at him, "Am I overdressing?" He asked in between her laughs. He switched the camera view so she could see him in the mirror. She grinned at him once she finished laughing at him.
"Ten you look great, this girl Valese is lucky to have you. So stop stressing yourself out." She told him.
"So, you think this an appropriate outfit for a coffee date?" The hybrid asked her again as he changed the view so she could face him again.
"Yes, Goten! What time is this date?" She asked him.
Goten glanced at the time on his phone and realized it was already 8:30 am and he would be running late. He still needed to pack for work and walk to the cafe. The morning went by faster than he thought.
"The date is at 9:00. Thanks for your help Marron-" He exclaimed as he was going to hang up, but Marron interjected before he could hang up the phone.
"Goten I want to hear about this bartender!" She squealed through the phone as Goten started to pack for work.
He threw his helmet, cup, boxing gloves, water bottle, access card, wallet, and athletic clothes into a bag. He quickly pressed the button to turn his bag into a capsule. He didn't want to explain to Valese why he had a gym bag with him. Then, he made a mad dash to leave his apartment.
"There's nothing to explain! She's just a bartender!" He explained as he closed the door to his apartment, exited the building, and began walking to the Sunrise's Cafe.
Marron chuckled at him, "Come on, just tell me her name and what she looks like." She pleaded.
Goten rolled her eyes, "Why are you so intrigued with my love life?" He questioned her as he raised an eyebrow. He loved Marron dearly, but he never understood why she got so obsessed with his love life. She wasn't this involved when he was dating Laney. He wanted to know what changed.
He had a feeling that she was obsessed with love life since she was the one who caught Laney cheating on him, but he still wanted the answers. Based on his text conversations with Valese, she seems sweet as if she wouldn't hurt a fly. Marron had nothing to worry about.
"Listen, Ten, I'm asking because I care." She explained herself in defeat, "I don't want to see you get hurt again that's all." She continued.
Goten nodded his head, "Her name is Valese, she has brunette hair and brown eyes, and she's a bartender." Goten said, "That's all I know so far."
"She sounds adorable! I can't wait to meet her. Is she coming to the housewarming party this weekend?" Marron squealed over the phone. Despite he hates when Marron got over-involved with his relationships, he's still thankful to have her as a friend.
"I haven't asked her yet." He admitted. It's not like he didn't want her to come, he felt this was a face-to-face conversation. He didn't want her to feel obligated to go since she would be meeting some of his family and friends. It's a big ask since they have only been on one date.
The blonde noticed some blush creeping on the hybrid's face, "Call me when you get home from work, I want to hear all the details." She squealed again, "Anyways, I got to go to work, Love you Ten bye!"
"Thanks, Mare, I love you too." He said as he hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket. He was rounding the corner to Sunrise's he couldn't believe it. He was going on a date with a girl that he liked and seemed interested in him for him.
He has gone on a few dates where girls only wanted to date him for publicity. Those relationships didn't last long because Goten caught on before the relationship got too serious.
As he approached the cafe, he saw her sitting in one of the booths checking her reflection on her phone. The hybrid couldn't help, but smile at her. "She's so adorable." He thought to himself. He didn't realize that she was looking at him and some blush crept up on his face.
Goten entered the cafe walked over to the booth Valese was sitting at and sat across from the brunette, "Hey, good morning. You look beautiful!" He greeted her.
She blushed at him, "You don't look so half bad yourself." She added causing a small tint of red to appear on his cheeks as well. "Good morning."
"I have never been to Sunrise's. Do you have any recommendations?" He asked as he grabbed the menu. His stomach started grumbling looking at all the options, everything looked good.
She nodded her head, "How do you like your coffee?" She asked.
He sighed as he looked up from his menu, "Don't judge me" He chuckled, "I take my coffee black."
She giggled at him, "No judgment here. But the breakfast wrap is my favorite." He scanned the menu for the breakfast wrap. It was filled with scrambled eggs, avocado, tomatoes, and bacon.
His mouth was watering when he was reading the ingredients. He hoped it tastes as good as it sounds. He also saw it came with a side of hashbrowns, his favorite breakfast side!
The hybrid nodded his head, "Well, I'm going to try the breakfast wrap." He smiled as he placed the menu down.
The waitress came over and took their orders. The pair was able to make casual conversation. Goten explained how he grew up being a martial artist and he lived in Mount Pazou with his parents until he moved out to the City after college.
"Having your own dojo sounds fascinating!" She squealed as she sipped on her latte. "How does it feel to have your own business?"
"It depends on the day" He chuckled again, "But I love it. I'm my own boss. I teach martial arts classes, I'm a personal trainer, I love it." He continued.
"Which one is your favorite? Doing martial arts or being a personal trainer?" She asked him.
This was a good question and he never sat down and thought about which one was his favorite because he loved both equally.
"I'm not sure if I can answer that question." He paused and thought about it again. "But I think I like teaching martial arts a little bit more."
She sipped her coffee and smiled, "Oh really? Is it because you grew up practicing martial arts?" She asked.
"It's part of the reason, but not the full reason." He began, "I just love martial arts so much. Being a personal trainer is fun, but it will never replace my love for martial arts."
She smiled at him, "Would you mind training me?" She asked, "I am trying to be more consistent with the gym."
He nodded his head yes, "Of course, I would love that. We can talk specifics another day. So what made you decide to be a bartender?" He asked as he sipped on his coffee. It was still a bit too hot and he didn't want to burn his tongue.
"My cousin was a bartender and taught me how to mix drinks when I was 21." She explained, "It's just a temporary gig."
"Tell me, what do you want to do for a living?" He asked since being a bartender was only a temporary gig.
"I'm currently pursuing an undergraduate degree at West City University to become a journalist." She began, "I'm in my final year."
A smile formed on Goten's face, "My best friend's girlfriend is a journalist." He said, "I can see if she can help you out." He offered.
Valese's eyes gleamed with joy, "You would do that for me?" She asked him.
He nodded his head, "Of course! I want to see everyone win! So, this leads me to my next question."
"Ask away!" she said as their waitress served their breakfast wraps and a side of hash browns.
He cleared his throat, "My best friend, Trunks, you met him at the bar. He's throwing a housewarming party this Saturday. I would love for you to be my date. I know it's sudden, but that way I can introduce you to Marron."
She nodded her head, "Oh my Kami, yes! I work Saturday night, so I can stay for part of the party."
"Great! I'll pick you up around 5." Goten said as he took a bite of his breakfast wrap, "Also, this breakfast wrap is 10/10!" It was on par with his mother's cooking. He hardly gave restaurant food on the same level as his mother.
She giggled at him, "Yay! That's what I want to hear! She responded as she ate her breakfast wrap.
"So, do you ever miss Mount Pazuo?" She asked him in between bites. She had a bad habit of talking with her mouth full, so she covered her mouth with her napkin when she spoke.
He shrugged his shoulders, "At times since I'll be closer to my parents, my brother, and niece, but I love the City life. I saved enough money after college against my mother's wishes." He said causing her to smile.
"I get it, my parents did not want me to go to West City University. I couldn't pass up the journalism program its too good to pass on." She said as she shoved some more of her hash browns into her mouth.
"Wait, you aren't from West City?" He asked as she shook her head no, "Oh, where are you from then?" He asked her.
She whipped her face with her napkin before she answered. "I'm from North City, that's where my entire family is from. The journalism program in North City is okay, so I leaped and came to West City. No regrets though." She chirped as she winked at Goten causing his heart to skip a beat.
"I'm glad you came here too." He flirted causing blush to appear on both of their cheeks. They continued to talk about their childhoods growing up in Mount Pazou and North City. The pair lost track of time.
Both of them exited the cafe and smiled at each other with admiration. Goten couldn't believe the date he went on. He felt as if he had known this girl his entire life. A feeling he never felt before.
"I had a great time today," Goten said as he grabbed her right hand to caress it. "I would love to go on another date with you." He admitted.
She grinned at him, "I would love that too." She responded causing Goten's heart to skip a beat. He stared at her lips, he wanted to kiss her. He knew if he didn't kiss her, he would regret it. He started to lean in but stopped himself.
"Is it okay if I kiss you?" The hybrid asked her. His mother always told him to be polite and proper with women. The main thing she told him, always ask for consent.
Valese giggled at him, "Such a gentleman, yes I grant you permission to kiss me."
Goten smiled at her as pushed some of her brown locks out of her face. He gently caressed the brunette's face and stared at her lips one last time before he leaned in and kissed her. He felt as if fireworks were going off behind them. He kissed multiple women, but this kiss felt right. His missing puzzle piece.
The two parted from their kiss and Goten couldn't feel his legs. "Have a great rest of your day. Do you want me to walk you home?" He asked nervously. He felt like a teenager again when he had his first kiss.
She shook her head no, "No, I'm okay, I stole enough time from you this morning." Valese giggled as Goten grabbed his phone and looked at the time.
'Shit.' He mentally cursed, he didn't realize it was already after 10 am. He was running late now.
"Makes sense. Let me know when you make it home. Have a great day today, Valese." He said as he kissed her cheek. They waved goodbye to each other before they walked in opposite directions.
Goten's date with Valese ran longer than expected so he had to push back a few of his scheduled clients. His shift was longer than expected too. He tends to work from 9 am to 7 pm, but he didn't start his day until 10:30 am today.
He told Marron he would call him once his shift ended, but he didn't have the energy to do so. He would text her to tell her they could talk about the date another day. He knew the feisty blonde would kill him if he didn't tell her about this date. Especially since he kissed her.
He felt his phone vibrate and he realized it was Trunks calling him. It was almost 9 pm, Trunks never called this late.
"Trunks?" The younger hybrid questioned, "Is everything okay?" Goten placed his access card on the scanner so he could enter his apartment.
"Hey, are you home?" Trunks asked causing Goten to roll his eyes at him.
"Answering my question with a question, funny." He said, "Yeah, I'm just getting in now."
Trunks smiled, "Cool, can you let me in?" The twenty-eight-year-old asked, "I'll explain when I get up there."
Goten hit the buzzer and let his best friend up. He must have a solid reason why they needed to have this conversation in person.
Trunks knocked on the door and Goten let him in. "I promise I won't make a habit of this, I need to talk to you about this in person." Trunks explained.
"So, what's this big secret that you can't tell Marron?" Goten questioned his best friend.
Trunks smiled "I got Krillin's blessing" He began, "So, I'm going to propose to Marron at the housewarming party." He said.
Goten cheered as he heard the words come out of his best friend's mouth, "I'm loving this! I'm guessing my speech a few weeks ago moved you, huh?" He teased Trunks.
Trunks looked at his best friend, "Yeah it did, I said why wait? I love Marron and Marron loves me. I refuse to have her do wife activity as a girlfriend. She deserves the title of wife."
Goten smiled as he looked at his best friend. His reasoning is extremely valid and the younger hybrid is glad that Trunks is ready to take his relationship to the next step. Both of them deserve this.
"So, I need your help." Trunks chuckled slightly. "You still have the ring?" He asked. Goten is known for losing things, the only reason the older hybrid asked him to hold on to the ring is that he trusted him that he wouldn't tell anyone his plan of proposing. Trunks is surprised his soon-to-be father-in-law hasn't called Marron yet. Krillin is happy the couple decided to take this step, but he is sad that he is giving away his only daughter.
The younger hybrid nodded his head yes, "I have it hidden in my sock drawer." He said.
"Perfect, I thought you would have lost it by now." Trunks chuckled at Goten causing him to glare at him, "I'm kidding! We can talk about the details later on. Thank you 'Ten." He continued as he went over to his best friend to hug him. Goten has been extremely supportive during this time and Trunks couldn't be more grateful.
"I forgot to tell you, Valese will be coming to your housewarming party on Saturday." Goten smiled as he rubbed the back of his head.
Trunks smiled, "That's great! How did the date go?" He asked.
"It went really well, but I can tell the details another day. I want to go to bed." Goten explained as Trunks laughed at him.
"Were you up all night tossing and turning about your date?" Trunks teased him as Goten nodded his head yes, "Oh shit, you were nervous."
Goten nodded his head, "I was, but it was a great date. I did kiss her!" He exclaimed causing Trunks to clap, "Please don't tell Marron, she will kill me."
Trunks laughed at him. He knew he was right, "My lips are sealed." He said causing his friend to sigh in relief.
"Anyways, I'll see you Saturday!" Goten said as Trunks left his place.
The hybrid felt his phone vibrate again and realized he received a text message from Valese.
Hi Goten! I had a great time on our date today :) I can't wait to see you Saturday - Valese
A smile appeared on his face when he read the message she sent. He was getting ready to respond, but she sent him another text message.
Sorry for the double text! Let's also talk about the specifics of you being my personal trainer! - Valese
I had a great time too! You looked so beautiful today! And yes we can talk about the specifics tomorrow! I can't wait to see you on Saturday! :)
He put his phone on the dresser to charge it. He walked over to his sock drawer to inspect the engagement ring Trunks bought for Marron. Goten remembered the day when Trunks was thinking of buying a ring. He remembered the day he told him bought the ring, and now he received Krillin's blessing. Goten couldn't help but smile.
His two closest friends were going to be engaged this weekend. He remembered hanging out with them growing up, he knew the two were bound to end up together one day. The chemistry between them had always been there and had grown every day.
Goten put the engagement ring back in his sock drawer and closed it. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it. He wouldn't hear the end of it from Trunks and he could never afford to pay him back. He told him how much it cost and he didn't have that type of money.
Goten hoped one day he would find the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He didn't know when it would happen, but part of him hoped it would be with Valese. He knew they had only been on one date, but he hoped it was the last first date he had to go on for the rest of his life.
He smiled as he walked over to his bed and slid underneath the covers. He had a long day, but he wouldn't change it for the world.
"Best day ever." He whispered to himself as his head his pillow and before he knew it, he was asleep.