Pairings: G/B, U/M, eventually T/P
Rating: R
Warnings: Some cursing, more serious stuff in later chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, you probably don't either.
Notes: Enjoy.
When You Smile
1 of ?
I smile faintly as Blacky jumps onto my lap, settling on it and lowering his little head until it rests comfortably on one of my wrists. My other hand reaches up to softly stroke the black fur behind his pointy ears, knowing by heart where they are.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking; crappy name, huh? It was just the first thing that came to my mind when Uub gave him to me last year, when his cat got little kittens.
I don't have to look at him to know that he's lying with his eyes closed. Instead, I look up at my white cealing, trying to figure out if I should get up and check on dinner or not. Sighing, I decide it would probably be best to do so.
Blacky mewls uncontentedly as I dump him off my lap and onto the couch beside where I sat. My smile only grows as he rolls over, trying to tempt me to touch him again. I don't.
Walking into my overly huge kitchen and leaving my grumpy cat behind in the process, a sigh escapes my lips.
Tonight's my turn to cook dinner for the 6 of us, and glancing at the clock, my friends must be here shortly. We have this ritual that once or twice a week we go over to each other's houses and eat there, just so we keep in touch. Sometimes we go out to clubs, but that's a rare occasion – Bra and me always tease the guys that they're just too old to have fun anymore, but I know that's not the reason.
Secretly, or not so, Goten just doesn't want others to look at his girl/wife/mate.
Hn.
Yeah, I guess I should mention that Goten and Bra have been married, for about 2 years now. They live in this huge house near Capsule, so that Bra is close to work. I say huge, because it's just that; 3 stories with rooms as big as the regular class room.
I've got a pretty big appartment myself – I got it from Trunks and Bra for my eighteenth birthday so that explains the size – and I like it very much, 'cause it's near college and I simply feel at ease here. But it's really nothing compared to theirs.
Trunks has his own house near Goten and Bra, though it's smaller because he lives there alone. Well, most of the time. Last time I saw him was 3 weeks ago, because we were all too busy with our own lives to make an appointment.
Marron lives on her own, at some house near the beach – I've never been there, she's just bought the place, but I'm sure I'll see it someday soon. Uub shares the house with her, but I think they don't have a relationship. With emphasis on the word 'think'.
Between getting the garlic bread out of the oven and checking on the pasta, I glare at Blacky who's just entered the kitchen. He rubs up against my bare leg with his wide eyes gazing up at me, pleading for a little attention. I sigh. The cat is just a spoilt little brat. But I love the little guy despite that. I stroke his head for a second.
Taking the garlic bread to the main table in the living room that's already set for my guests, I flick the cd player on and plop down onto the windowseat. The sky is a clear blue, no clouds in sight. That much I had guessed from the heat outside, but thank god for little things such as air conditioning.
I smile at the sky and at the sun for no obvious reason, tapping my fingers on my knee absently to the rhythm of the song currently playing.
"Hey, yo! Panny we're here!" Yes, even I ask myself why my Uncle has the key to my appartment. Ah, yes, Bra of course. My eyes don't move from the sky, admiring the blueness of it. Why, it's almost as blue as-
"Trunks, stop that!" Marron giggles as they all at once enter the room. They're laughing loudly, and I have my doubts for a second. But I know that Marron and Trunks are exes, I know that they're just friends now.
Honestly, I admire them for that. 'Cause God knows I couldn't with my exes.
"Hello you guys. Make yourselves comfortable while I get the pasta." I smile as I give all of them a peck on the cheek. It's nice to see them all again, seeing as how studying is keeping me busy all the time. Walking to the kitchen, I open the refrigerator and look for what I know my dear Uncle's going to ask me.
"Pan, where's the wine!" Goten yells, before I hear him give a yelp. His wife is scolding him for being rude, though she's laughing at the same time. I can hear it all the way in the kitchen. Ha. As if I'm not used to it.
"It's right here." I walk into the room again, putting the pasta and the bottle of cooled wine down, smiling as I see Bra slapping on my Uncle's fingers to get him to stay away from the garlic bread. I chuckle as she kisses his cheek to comfort him, cause even I can't resist his puppy dog face.
"Uncle, you are so majorly pussy-whipped." I wink at Bra as Goten turns a nice shade of red and everyone bursts out into laughter. I grab the wine bottle from the table and uncork it by holding my hand over the bottle and using the slightest bit of ki to get it out. As the laughter dies down little by little, I fill everyone's glasses with the red wine, stopping at Bra when she holds her hand up.
"No, no wine for me Panny." I raise an eyebrow in question, when suddenly I see Goten grinning widely beside her, rubbing his hand over his belly. And that's about the time my mouth drops to the floor. Oh. My. God. No fucking way.
"WHAT!" Echoes through my lovely apartment from all sides. I wince. The neighbours must be having a ball right now. A grin then makes its way onto my face, and I know it has to be nearly splitting my face in two. I don't care.
"Well, I guess I better get the juice out then, huh?" I lean down and give her a bear hug, congratulating her and my Uncle and walking to the kitchen as everyone congratulates them and asks about when she found out, when she's due and all that sort of stuff.
Snatching the orange juice from the top shelf in the fridge, I skip back into the room happily, ignoring that little voice in the back of my head. Bra's sitting on Goten's lap, and they're both grinning as she plays with the black strands of his hair.
I can't believe I'm actually jealous.
Not jealous of them, but of the easy affection they share. To them it's the most normal thing in the world. But then again, they have the luxury of simply knowing their loved one is waiting for them when they come home every day.
"Well, Uncle Trunks, when are you coming with some kids of your own?" Uub smirks as I hand the pasta to him, and he winks in my direction. Trunks, who sits on the opposite of the table blushes and shakes his head. That's when I notice that not only are Bra and Goten sitting next to each other, but also Marron and Uub. And they're sitting really close, if you catch my meaning.
"So, I see that you two got something going on, huh? I was wondering why you were suddenly moving in together." Bra said, nodding toward the obvious arm Uub has around Marron. They both smile, and for some reason (besides the obvious 'I'm glad for my friend'-thing) I'm a lot happier than before.
"Hey, I'm not the only one not producing brats. What about Pan?" Trunks smirks that cute smirk at me, and I scowl. I'd been waiting for that one, and of course every one at the table is looking at me expectantly. For some reason, they're always so curious about my love life. And then I ask myself (and smile bitterly) what love life?
"Well, the last guy I dated ended up crawling away, 'cause I didn't like the way he was constantly trying to get his hands underneath my shirt, so no. I don't see little ones running around any time soon." I frown as I remember the asshole. And I absolutely don't look up. Besides, I already know that they're all surprised. Normally, I don't open up like that – I just don't like to tell them how fucked up my life really is. Strange, huh?
"But hey, I can't help if I'm that sexy, you know?" I laugh falsely as I get up to get another piece of the bread, and they laugh with me. Hiding that deep inside I too want a man to just hold me, and love me, and not be scared of me. Or just trying to get into my shorts for that matter. But hey, this is what they expect of me.
"Anyways, I just don't think I have time for romance, with all that studying." Rolling my eyes, I sit down and nibble on a piece of garlic bread, avoiding the piercing blue eyes in front of me. Why is he looking at me like that?
Okay, so I like Trunks. Big deal. And yeah, I know what you're thinking, like; oh, but he's so much older than you. I know, believe me. I know. But you try telling that to my heart. And hormones.
"You're just saying that, Pan. Deep down you know that's just a big fat lie." Damnit, why can she read me so easily? And now everyone's just staring at me like I've grown a second head or something like that. I glare at her, but she doesn't flinch.
"Fine, so I do have time for it. Do you know how scary guys think I am? I mean, it's not every day you find a girl who can fly and do stuff a normal human can't imagine. They get scared so fucking easily. No offence, you guys." I smile apologetically at the new couple as they laugh. Yeah, you laugh. You've already found each other.
Ugh, since when am I this pathetic?
"But you're okay, right?" Ah. My dear Uncle Goten. He's just way too concerned about me. I nod in his direction, and he smiles at me. He's really nice, perhaps too nice. I'm just glad that he and Bra found each other. If I told you of all the times she came crying to me about how he didn't notice her…… Well, it just torr apr apart. They're good for each other.
"Of course I am, Uncle Goten." I snicker as he mock glares at me, before Bra glares at him and he quits it. He hates me calling him Uncle. Maybe it was a bit of a lie that I'm fine, but that's not the point.
"Are we going out Saturday?" Trunks asks as he pours himself some more wine. Goten and Bra immediately nod, and so do Marron and Uub. Then he turns his blue eyes on me, and I feel like I'm just drowning in them. Shaking my head to clear it, I shift my eyes from those orbs to my plate.
"Well, you can come by at my club, cos I need to work for a couple of hours on Sat." They all stare at me weirdly. Oh yeah, I haven't told them yet of my new occupation.
"Two weeks ago I got a job at the new club downtown. You know, to pay for food and stuff." And of course to look at all males on the floor and dream about them. Hey, I've got hormones too ya know?
"You? Working at a club?" Oh, don't you agree that Trunks is just so well-spoken? The guys all stare at me, while Bra and Marron smile. I guess I'm just full of surprises.
"And? Are there any cute guys there?" Bra asks, grabbing her fork and just twirling it in the pasta she's stopped eating. You'd think she'd only eat more now that she's pregnant.
Marron closes Uub's mouth with a tap on his chin, and I chuckle.
Seeing as how everyone's finished their dinner, I only shrug at her rethorical question and stand up from my seat, gathering the plates and bringing them to the kitchen. I hear someone coming into the kitchen, and turn around to see Trunks behind me.
He hands me the rest of the bowls and stuff from the table, and then we silently clean them. It's a comfortable silence, though I wonder why he's this quiet. You'd at least think he'd tell me all about work and why he's been so busy the past few weeks. But he's just drying the plates and glasses, a frown on his sharp features.
"What's going on?" I decide to just ask him. Apparently, he hadn't been expecting that one, for he suddenly looks at me with a startled expression on his face. I smile warmly at him, trying to get the man to open up and just tell me what's troubling him.
"I just…. I have the same problems you know," at my puzzled expression, he proceeds, "Not many people understand me like you all do. I don't like to lie to the women I date, I just want to tell them so they know who they're with. But I just don't do that, because I know how they'll react. And how can I build a relationship on half-lies?" He looks anywhere but at me, and I suddenly feel like I'm the biggest jerk ever. I always thought he didn't have any worries, 'cause he's just beautiful and rich. Guess I really don't know him like I thought I did.
I gaze into his blue eyes and see his sincerity there. I really am a twit. Maybe I'd just hoped to convince myself that he was just a pretty face, with not much to offer otherwise, even though I knew better. Perhaps it was just easier to think that to help myself getting over the guy.
I mean, with the Grand Tour and all, we used to be good friends. However, afterwards we all saw each other less and less, and with every time he appeared on the news for Capsule it just gave me the impression he'd changed into a player or something.
After a couple of years, Bra was the one that got us all together again and we began to make more appointments to see each other. And while Bra and I are best friends, I just don't know the others that well anymore. I never took the time, just too busy with myself. You see, pitiful excuses are my specialty.
"We'll find someone." I pause for a moment after I say that. He smiles gratefully at me, and I nod at him confidently. Well, also a bit desperately, 'cause I just hope I do.
Glancing at him sideways, I can't help but notice the way his muscles ripple under his bronzed skin as he moves to put the plates into the cupboard above the counter. Mentally I scowl at myself. I'm close to pining over the guy. Okay, so he's gorgeous, and nice, and kind, and single. It doesn't mean anything!
"Hmph." I turn as I finish the last of the dishes, walking back into the living room to find that Bra's already finished folding the table cloth and putting it back into one of the drawers of the closet on the right of me. The table has no dishes on it, so I turn around.
I feel a pang of envy in my gut as I see the two couples sitting close to each other and quietly talking.
Bra meets my gaze, and damn her 'cause she knows how I must feel, and she smiles sympathetically. Shaking my head to prevent her from moving from her place on Goten's lap, I turn on my heel and walk back into the kitchen.
Trunks is sitting at the kitchen table, awaiting me so it seems. Glancing around the kitchen, I see that everything's cleaned up, and I smile gratefully at him as I plop down into the vacant chair in front of him.
I think it's time I get to know him again.
So I've been talking to him for about a full hour, and nobody's come into the kitchen yet to check on us. I suspect they're just too busy with each other. Hey, I don't mind. Surely I don't mind when I see this man in front of me pouring his heart out, while Blacky comfortably rests on his lap like it's the best place in the world.
It's strange how I feel immensely comfortable pouring mine out.
He's telling me anything and everything, in complete honesty. So am I, for that matter. We just keep talking and talking and talking. Various things really.
For example. He's got these problems at work, and I try to help him however I can. Of course, with my limited knowledge it's not much, but he seems to appreciate it even so.
It's nice to talk to him too, I feel like he's actually listening to me. Not that Bra doesn't, mind you.
It's just….. different.
"Do you want coffee?" Not waiting for his answer, I stand up and open the cabinet. I'm all too aware of the blue eyes on my back, but I try to ignore them. When I glance back at him for a moment, and I realize what he's staring at, I'm startled.
Okay, so I know I'm not ugly and that I have a nice caramel-coloured skin tone. And with my shorts as short as they are and the red top not doing a very good job at covering everything, I can guess that's what he's staring at. But it's hot, so excuse me.
It's just that he is looking at me like that.
"Sugar?" I flush crimson as I realize what that could've sounded like. If he noticed, he doesn't comment on it. He just nods vaguely and turns his head to look out the window next to him. But he's smiling.
Pouring the coffee into the two mugs I placed on the countertop, I completely forget about the company in liviliving room. A smile graces his face as I sit down again and look down into the black abyss. It probably looked like I was gazing for answers in it, because I didn't raise my eyes for quite a while.
"The meaning of life is that it stops." My head shifts up quickly, surprised at his soft murmur. He's still gazing outside, a serious expression on his face as he watches the birds on the huge tree beside the building, and with some awe I realize I can see his carotid artery beating in time with his heart on that corded neck. Under that bronze skin.
Geez, I'm really going on about him, here. Oh well.
I wonder what happened to make me discuss these things with him. He's surprised me more than once in this whole conversation. It seems that he's not only one of the hottest guys on Earth, he goes a lot deeper than that. Surprise, surprise.
And just when I've decided to ask him what made him and Marron split up-
"Hey you guys! You forgot all about us, didn't you?" Bra yells as she practically runs into my kitchen, a huge smile on her face. She crosses her arms over her chest and mock glares at us.
I raise a brow as I realize her lipstick's just a bit smeared.
"No. You forgot about us," Trunks chides her playfully, and I look at him with both brows raised when he winks at me, "but that's alright."
I guess this must be the time where I realize I'm hooked.
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