2/12/07

A/N: Ahh! I have had crazy writer's block. And a crazy schedule to life. I've been so exhausted lately! But it was my birthday on Feb. 4th! Woohoo… I lost my cell phone, which sucks incredibly. Stupid restaurant staff… I am so positive that one of their workers actually stole my phone. Anyway, only a month interval this time… haha, nervous chuckle. I'm sorry about the wait, and thank you for your patience!

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

Her Indigo Dress

Chapter Eight:

She landed on the sofa softly, allowing her tired body to splay across the cushions like putty. What a night, Pan thought, as she glanced at the clock on the opposite wall. It was only barely past eleven p.m. and she was exhausted already. Maybe her turning twenty-seven was already catching up with her.

Nahh, she brushed that idea off immediately. Twenty-seven wasn't that old… was it? Of course not. She was only probably so tired because of Trunks practically breathing down her neck. That and all the awkward conversation that Bra just had to bring up.

"So Pan, have you been seeing anyone all these years?" Pan mimicked in her head while an annoyed grimace appeared on her face. She had nearly choked on her spit upon hearing Bra's absurd and incredibly awkward question, especially with the party that had been present and waiting for a response. It had been just after Trunks arrived and Goten had still been trying to decide on a movie to watch. She remembered accidentally peeking toward Trunks, who was sitting a few paces away, and catching his intense and anxious gaze set on her.

"I… uhh," She had chuckled nervously, grabbing a strand of hair to twirl – a habit when she was at a loss for words. Her had eyes skimmed the white carpet, desperate for its plush material to supply her with a way to dance around the question. She had been oblivious to a then smirking Trunks, who was marveling about how cute she looked playing with her hair and biting her lip, but at the same time was dying to know the answer. She recalled looking up upon hearing a loud rustle – Trunks shifting in his seat – and shooting a dirty, yet discreet look at Bra. The blue haired woman had merely smiled expectantly. Ohh, she was evil.

"Well?" Bra had prodded.

"I guess…" Pan had managed to mumble, noting a slight rise in Trunks' ki. She had shot a glance in his direction. She remembered how he was distinctly – stance tense, eyes boring annoyance and jealously; he seemed almost angry. But why should he care about her love life anymore? He had no right to be pissed, or even so much as to be jealous.

Pan groaned slightly as her thoughts were brought to the later events of the night. Somehow, she had ended up being stuck with Trunks on the sofa (mainly because Goten and Bra were cozily occupying the loveseat). She had sat as close to the armrest as possible, creating as much distance between her ex and her. However, Trunks had spread out leisurely and had come dangerously close to touching her. Needless to say, she had been quite uncomfortable during her time on that couch.

She had noticed that he kept stealing gazes at her from the corner of his eye throughout the movie, and he kept shifting (consciously or unconsciously, she didn't know) closer to her. Every once in a while he leaned over to whisper something about the movie, undoubtedly trying to tickle her lobe with his words. She couldn't help but squirm each time.

Replaying these scenes in her mind made Pan let out a scoff of disbelief. Was he serious? He was actually trying to put moves on her. Trunks and Pan were done. Over. They had been that way for quite a while. Why couldn't he seem to get that through that thick skull of his?

"Jack ass." The mumble slipped from her lips as she dragged her body up and stretched.

On a brighter note, at least she had the chance to escape before Trunks wrapped another knee-melting hug around her. She was so relieved that she had distanced herself far enough upon her departure, and she was even more relieved that she didn't receive another toe-tingling kiss on the forehead.

She looked toward the stairwell, where a light had just been flicked on. Gohan peeked out from beyond the first few steps, the soft light illuminating his ruffled hair. "Panny?"

"Hey dad," She chirped back tiredly, making her way towards him.

"Did you just get home?"

"Yeah. Sorry for waking you up." Pan scratched her head sheepishly.

Her father yawned and rubbed his right eye. "It's alright; I just thought I heard a noise."

Pan smiled, "That was probably just me talking to myself." She made a mental note to stop doing that.

"Go to sleep." She nodded as he turned to back down the hall and retreated back to his room.

"Finally home?" It was more of a statement than a question. He lifted his light eyes to connect with hers, noting her tired tone and irritated stance. "It's late."

"Yeah," He replied quietly as he dropped his keys into the tray sitting on the marble-topped cupboard. He ran a quick hand through his hair. "Sorry, did I keep you up?"

"I just couldn't sleep." She stood frigidly, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms in hopes to warm herself. Her eyes followed his motions as he slipped his navy blazer off and then removed the already-loosened tie from around his neck. "So, where have you been?"

He glanced at her momentarily before clearing his throat, "I was just hanging out with Goten."

"Oh, at a bar?" She half-sneered, expression bitter.

"No, not at a bar." He was exasperated. What was with her edginess lately anyway?

"A strip club then?" Her face was scornful, and the same bitterness nipped at her words.

"Marron. We didn't go to a strip club."

"Then where, exactly, were you?" She was impatient. Her silky pink nightgown swayed as she shifted her weight onto the other leg.

"Why does that matter so much?" He rubbed the bridge of his nose, already feeling ten times more tired than he did upon walking into the house. "I'm here now."

"I don't understand why you can't just tell me." Marron's voice rose a little, tone harsher. Trunks simply turned toward the closet and began to strip down for bed. "I mean, if you can't even tell me something as little as this, then how am I even supposed to trust you? Damnit Trunks, you're my fiancé for crying out loud! And I'd like to know that we can actually talk to each other about things."

"Marron," Trunks turned towards her, now only in his boxers, "Come on, calm down."

"Well will you just tell me where you were?" He could see her eyebrows knit together in frustration. He, too, was agitated.

"I was just at my parents' house, okay? Can we just sleep now?" He slid under the covers, into the left side, and held the sheets up for her to get in.

She sighed and grudgingly crawled in. For some reason, there was still something in the pit of her stomach – a foreshadowing feeling. As she drifted into her subconscious, she knew in the back of her mind that that feeling had to do with Pan.

She had to do something about her… before it was too late.

A/N: I don't think that I can say this enough, but I'm so sorry for the wait! This was just kind of a filler chapter, and I have no idea why I always stagnate for months at a time… but that is kind of how my writing pattern flows. -;;; I can't help it when inspiration plateaus. But I certainly wish I could do something about it! Thank you for reading. Please review!