Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Plotting to Win ❯ Coffee Talk ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and its characters are owned by several people, including Akira Toriyama, Shonen Jump, Bird Studios, Toei, Viz, and Funimation. In other words, it doesn't belong to me. No money was made from the creation of this story, and in fact money was lost from the use of utilities needed to power the laptop I work on.

Plotting to Win
by Lady Lark

Chapter 6 - Coffee Talk

~*~

 

Goten pushed open the door to the Bean Cup and looked around for a familiar flash of blue hair and blinked. The place was packed. Making his way through the crowd, he didn't see any sign of Bra. Frowning, he glanced down at his wristwatch. It was two forty-five - he was early.

 

He made his way up to the counter and ordered a large hot chocolate and a few scones. While the clerk behind the counter made his drink, he scanned the interior of the shop.

 

The place was fairly small with several two person tables. There were a few booths in the back that could accommodate larger groups. Goten noted that there seemed to be a lot of students studying although there were a few people playing games or just talking. Near the front of the cafe there was a small stage set up complete with an upright piano and a few microphone stands. It seemed like a waste of space to him, since the place was already tightly packed. Hanging on the walls were a mish-mash of artwork. Each of the walls featuring a different artist.

 

Grabbing his order, he weaved through the maze of tables and chairs toward his destination: an empty table against the far wall. He sat facing the door and waited for Bra to show up.

 

Twenty minutes and two cups of hot chocolate later, Bra still hadn't shown up. Goten checked his watch again. She was late. He debated calling her, but he didn't want to seem desperate or overly anxious. He glanced at the pile of empty plates and cups and frowned. While the food tasted delicious and made a nice snack, the prices were hacking a hefty chunk out of his wallet.

 

Just as he was about to get up to order another round of hot chocolate and scones, Bra burst in looking very flustered. He could see her scanning the coffee shop looking for him. She caught his eyes and blushed, pushing her long aqua-colored hair behind her ears. She threaded her way through the shop to the table, avoiding the other customers.

 

When she reached him, she leaned over the table and gave him a quick hug. “I am so sorry I'm late. I got caught up in one of my projects and completely lost track of the time.” She pulled the chair across him around so she could sit next to him and slid into it. “Can I get you something to make up for it?”

 

Goten laughed. “Sure. Just 'cause you made me wait.”

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Can you grab me another hot chocolate and a slice of plain cheesecake, please?” he asked, making sure to remember his manners.

 

She smiled brightly. “No prob. Be right back. I am starving!”

 

He watched her walk to the counter and place her order, admiring the way she moved. In his mind's eye, he still pictured her as the little girl following Trunks and him around. That picture didn't mesh with the young woman in front of him.

 

She was taller, of course, but the top of her head didn't quite meet the bottom of his chin. It was a good height he decided - good for dancing and other things. At that thought, he couldn't help admiring her curves accented by her sleeveless red shirt and white capri pants. From her aqua colored hair to her bright red toenails peeping thought her sandals, she was a knockout. The only thing that hadn't really changed were her mischievous blue eyes.

 

He couldn't wait to see what they would look like darkened with passion. Goten felt himself becoming aroused at the thought.

 

Bra turned and caught his eye and raised an eyebrow questioningly. He shook his head, indicating he didn't need anything and forced his imagination back in line. The last thing he needed was to scare her off by moving to fast or seeming too interested.

 

By the time he managed to get his arousal back under control, Bra was handing him his drink. He glanced at her tray and noticed she had an entire cheesecake on it.

 

“Thanks! You didn't have to get me a whole cake.”

 

“I didn't. You can have a slice or two, most of this is for me.”

 

He gaped at her. “What?”

 

Eyes flashing with suppressed mirth, she replied. “Goten, I'm a half-Saiyajin, too. I need to eat a lot of food just like you do to keep up my energy.”

 

“But you aren't a fighter,” he protested.

 

She helped herself to a slice and started to eat. “You know, being a fighter had nothing to do with it,” she said in between bites. “It has everything to do with genetics. Saiyajins have a higher metabolism than Chikyuujins do. Something on the level of about ten times as fast. Half-Saiyajins also have a high metabolism, just not quite as bad. But we still need to eat about five times the calories than a Chikyuujin does. Does that make sense?”

 

He shook his head. “Not really.”

 

She laughed. “Okay. Let me try to explain it this way. You know how your dad eats twice as much as you?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And how you eat about a lot more than your mom.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“That is because your dad is a full Saiyajin and your mom is a full Chikyuujin. Okay?”

 

“Yeah. I guess. It isn't something I really gave a whole lot of thought to.”

 

She shrugged and finished another slice. “Don't worry about it. It really isn't all that important, but don't expect me to pick at my food like most girls. I can't. Not unless I want to collapse in hunger a few hours later.” She gave him a pointed look. “Does that help?”

 

He thought about it for a minute, realizing that she was telling him that she was likely to eat as much as he did on a date. It was a bit of a shocker both for his manhood and his wallet. He mulled the thought around for a moment, while she watched him with a calculating gaze. “Yeah, I think it does help. Thanks.”

 

“No problem. Did you want another slice of this?” she asked, motioning with her fork.

 

He nodded and she complied. “So what made you lose track of time?” he asked curiously, his attention mostly focused on the food in front of him.

 

He thought he saw her tense up for a moment. But he dismissed it as his imagination when she shifted to lean closer to him. “Can you keep a secret?” she said in sotto voce.

 

He nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“Good,” she stated before answering his question with an expression of pride. “I'm working on two projects right now that kinda go hand in hand. The first is an early warning system for our solar system. Grampa and Mama set up one for Chikyuu after the whole Buu affair, but Daddy pointed out that it really isn't very useful since it would only give us about a minute warning. So I'm working on a way to expand it so that we can detect when someone enters our solar system.”

 

“Whoa!” Goten breathed in amazement. “The thing's gotta be huge.”

 

“It will be when it's complete but right now I am trying to figure out the tracking system and the triangulation of the bots. I don't want to make them attack an intruder, merely give us warning. I also want to find a way to cloak or shield them or something so they aren't destroyed by an enemy or a passing asteroid.”

 

He nodded his head in confusion. “I think I get it. What's the second part?”

 

“A detection system for high level ki signatures. That way something like Buu or Cell can't slip under our radar again and surprise us like they did. It also would help in locating fighters without having to use ki to do it. That way if Mama needed to find Goku, she could do so without having to ask another fighter.”

 

Goten mulled over it for a little bit. It seemed like a good idea, but he thought he saw a flaw in her idea. “What about things like the Androids that don't got a ki signature?” he asked, innocently.

 

She slumped back in her chair. “That's part of the problem. I don't know how to detect something like that.” Bra sighed in frustration. “You probably don't want to hear about all of this do you?”

 

“Well, I do. It's important to you, which means that it is important to me. But I don't really understand it all. I don't get all of this science stuff. Mom tried to get me to study it, but it just wouldn't stick. Sorry.”

 

“It's okay, most people don't understand it.”

 

He noticed the slightly wistful expression on her face. “It hurts sometimes doesn't it?”

 

“What?”

 

“People not understanding you or not getting you.”

 

She looked down at her last slice of cheesecake and pushed it around with her fork. “Yeah, it does.”

 

He smiled at her. “I know how you feel.”

 

“You do.” she said, flatly. “How do you know?”

 

“Because I am your brother's best friend. He has the same problem. The way to fix it isn't as hard as it seems.”

 

“Really. What is the solution?”

 

“Well, you can talk to your family about your projects and they understand you, right?”

 

“Yeah. Well, most of the time. Not always.”

 

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

She looked down at her hands. “I don't really want to go into it.”

 

Taking in her posture and voice, Goten thought it would be better if he didn't push her. But his curiosity was piqued, and had the instinctive desire to try to make her smile again. He didn't like seeing her look so dejected. “It's okay. You don't have to. The other thing that helped Trunks was having someone completely uninvolved that he could just talk to or distract him from his problems.”

 

“Like you?”

 

“Uh-huh,” he said, nodding. “I didn't always get what he was talking about, but I would always listen to him. And when a project was giving him a lot of trouble I would try to distract him so that he wouldn't dwell on it. Your brother tends to brood a lot.”

 

Bra's lips quirked up at that, and her shoulders started to straighten. “I've noticed. He takes after Daddy like that.”

 

“So what you need is your very own Goten to help you out.”

 

“And I take it, you are volunteering?”

 

“Yep!”

 

“What about Trunks? Do you think you can handle us both?” Her voice was light, but he could see that her eyes were serious.

 

“Trunks doesn't need to talk to me much any more,” he answered honestly. “We're still best friends and it's still my mission to keep him from slipping into broodsville, but he doesn't have the same problems that he used to.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Well, he used to feel alone like you did because he didn't have anyone to talk to or who was smart enough to talk to him. That's changed since he's taken over Capsule Corporation and become Chikyuu's most eligible bachelor. Now we talk a lot more about people than projects.”

 

“Ahh. So you're on equal footing now.”

 

“A bit. It's different now than when we were kids. Back then we used to play a lot of pranks. Trunks would think them up and I'd improve on them. It was the way I would get him to loosen up.”

 

“I always figured you played pranks because you were bored.”

 

“Well, it was most of the time. But sometimes it was a stress reliever. That and fighting.”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

To her left, Goten saw a few people come out and start setting up a microphone and sound board. He motioned to them, hoping to distract her from the current topic. “What do you think's going on?”

 

She turned and looked. “It looks like they are setting up for a concert. I know that a lot of up-and-coming musicians like to play here.”

 

“Why's that?”

“I don't really know,” she answered absentmindedly. Her attention focused on the stage.

 

A young woman came out to the front to a smattering of applause and sat down to the piano. Soon, the soft strains of a ballad filled the cafe. The music was light but had a melancholy harmony. All around them, conversations tapered off, as the patrons turned their heads toward the musician. Then, when she had the audience's undivided attention, the young woman began to sing.

 

Her rich contralto voice blended with the notes from the piano as she sang about a musician leaving her lover to go on tour. At the end of the first song, the woman began to speak.

 

However, Goten's focus was elsewhere. Partway through the song, he noticed Bra's hand move to brush something away from her face.

 

Concerned, he leaned over to her. “Hey, are you alright?” he whispered.

 

She turned to face him and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I'm fine. She's really good.”

 

His brow furrowed. “She is,” he said slowly, drawing out the words.

 

“I love music. Really love it.” She gave a quick snort. “Well, at least the good stuff. That band from the other night doesn't count. They are really hideous.”

 

“That they are. But the lead singer is an old friend of Gohan and Videl's.”

 

“That explains it then.”

 

“Anyway, you were saying about the music.”

 

She sighed. “Music is something that I love. But it is something that I just can't do.”

 

The next song started, this time about two former lovers and their memories of the other. Lowering his voice even further, he murmured directly into Bra's ear. “Why not?”

 

Tilting her head to look at him, her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I don't know. It's just something I can't seem to do. I can't sing at all - neither can my mom.” She shrugged fatalistically and continued. “And when I tried to learn an instrument, everything I played came out sounding mechanical.”

 

“I'm sorry,” Goten said sympathetically.

 

She shrugged again. “Don't be. I've got a soul of a scientist and engineer, not an artist. We can't all be perfect.” She sighed and looked back at the stage. “Even though I want to be.”

 

Goten lifted a hand to Bra's shoulder and squeezed it. “I like that you're not perfect. It means that I've got a chance with you.”

 

She smiled back at him and reached up and took his hand bringing it around her so she could hold it in front of her. “Thanks.”

 

Inwardly, Goten exulted at her action but he needed to ask her one more thing. “Did you want to go?”

 

She shook her head. “No, I'm okay. I want to stay and listen.”

 

He felt a wash of relief flood through him. He didn't really want the date to end, but he didn't want to disturb her any further. He tightened his fingers around hers and settled back to take in the music.

 

Forty minutes later, the musician signaled that she had reached the end of her first set and that she would be back later after taking a break.

 

When she left the stage, Goten surveyed the crowd. The cafe was now packed to the gills with people standing against the walls.

 

Bra squeezed his hand once before releasing it to grab her purse. “We probably should get going. The crush of people is starting to make the air a little thick.”

 

Goten sniffed and nodded in agreement. The place was starting to take on that indescribable crowd funk. They got up from the table, which was immediately claimed, and left the cafe. When they got outside, both of them took a deep breath of the relatively clean air of the city.

 

“That was nice,” Bra offered, reaching down to take his hand again.

 

A smile slid across his features and he started to lightly massage her palm with his thumb. “I'm glad you had a good time.”

 

“Me too.”

 

They walked in comfortable silence, Bra subtly leading the way towards where was parked. Goten simply took the time to think about the bet and his next steps.

 

He had a little less than four weeks to get her into his bed. While the date itself laid some nice groundwork, groundwork wasn't going to get him nookie or Trunks' air car. He needed to step things up a notch - but he didn't dare take things too fast or Bra just might smell a rat and he would lose the bet. It was time for him to start making his move.

 

He slowed down and Bra turned to look at him with a puzzled look on her face. “Is there something wrong?”

 

Goten shook his head. “No, just thinking how I don't want this to end.”

 

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Okay, that sounds so cheesy.”

 

“I didn't mean it to.”

 

“I see. You know that super cheese doesn't work on me, right?” she asked pointedly.

 

“I seem to remember having a conversation about that the other night.”

 

Pulling at his arm to indicate he should pick up the pace, Bra regarded him frankly. “Goten, I'm probably violating every girl code by doing this, but I like you. You don't have to use smarmy pick up lines or whatever with me. They aren't going to work and their only going to make me think that you like me as some kind of object, not for myself.”

 

He glanced down at their linked hands. Her words buoyed him, but at the same time made him uneasy. He used those words and phrases because they were easy and didn't mean anything. He didn't have to give up any part of himself to do it and typically got what he wanted in return. Winning this bet was going to be harder than he had originally thought.

 

He tugged at her arm and turned her around to face him. “I'm sorry.”

 

She patted his cheek. “It's alright. Just don't forget, okay.”

 

“I'll try not to.”

 

Bra looked around and then pointed to an air car parked on the street. “There's my ride.”

 

Goten followed her finger and blinked. Bra drove a bright red convertible car that looked like it just came off of the dealer room floor. He knew that she was likely to have some nice vehicle, but this sporty car was more than he expected. He looked back over at her and raised an eyebrow.

 

She smiled playfully at him. “What? I like red and love feeling the air whip through my hair as I drive.”

 

He didn't say anything but smirked at her knowingly.

 

They crossed the street and she moved to get in the car. Goten squeezed her hand to get her attention. “I wasn't joking earlier, you know. I really don't want this date to end.”

 

She looked up at him and smiled enigmatically. “I know.” She disengaged their hands and slipped into the driver's seat. “But I really need to get back to my work.”

 

“Did you have a good time?”

 

“You know I did.”

 

“Good.” He leaned over and put his face level with hers. “You know. I'd like to see you again. What would you say about a nice quiet dinner and a movie at my place tomorrow. I'll cook if you bring the movies.”

 

“That sounds like fun. I'm in.”

 

“Cool. How does six sound?”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

“Great.” He leaned in even closer. “Speaking of your projects, why don't you ask Android Eighteen about how she tracks her brother. I seem to remember Krillin mentioning it one day that they aren't so good at tracking ki but they always seem to know where the other is.”

 

“Goten, that's genius! I could kiss you!”

 

He grinned at her. “Why don't you?”

 

An answering grin spread across her features. “Didn't you know? A good girl never kisses on the first date.” She then closed the distance between them and gave him a soft kiss. “It's a good thing that I've never been that much of a good girl,” she breathed against his mouth.

 

He savored the feeling and pulled back reluctantly. She had a point. They shouldn't rush things. After all he had four weeks. He could afford to take some time.

 

Brushing her hair back from her face, he leaned in for another quick kiss. “I'll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow then. Bye, Goten. I can't wait to see what you're going to fix for dinner.” With that, she started her engine and took off.

 

He watched her go with a smile on his face. At least until her parting words sunk in. “Awww man, I've got to go shopping! I have no clue what I am going to make tomorrow!”

 

~*~

 

AN: I need a Beta! I want someone who can both act as an editor - ie tell me what is not working and why - and someone who can smack my grammar around. Please contact me if you are interested. I am begging you all.

 

I am not terribly happy with this chapter. It is transition chapter and honestly I am not sure how I feel about it. It didn't help that I have about four extra topics of conversation that weren't supposed to happen. They just did. I plot out my chapters in advance and this one followed the outline generally it just kept wandering off and on track.

 

The two songs I mentioned in this chapter have real world equivalents. Actually the whole set does. Here is a short list of my inspiration for that scene.

 

Leaving on a Jet Plane - John Denver

I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan

Gravity - Maaya Sakamoto (Wolf's Rain ED)

Life is Like a Boat - Rie Fu

Tsuki no Ie - Rie Fu

The Prisoner - Adam Crossley

Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx

A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carleton

Angel - Sarah McLachlan

 

I highly recommend buying their CDs or checking out their music. Especially Rie Fu - she is one of the best things to come out of J-Pop lately.

 

I actually updated this pretty quickly for me. The chapter is over 10 pages long in word. That is hopefully enough for you guys!

 

Let me know what worked and what didn't and if you liked! I have to say that your feedback is what keeps me writing this thing.

 

Until next time!