Early the next afternoon, Chichi softly knocked at Goten's bedroom door. No answer. She desperately needed to do the laundry, and her youngest son sleeping in was putting a screeching halt to her daily chores. She pushed the door open, but as she inched closer to wake him, a propped-up pillow greeted her right where her son was supposed to be.
She stormed out of his room—a total hurricane in human form—and gusted straight into Gohan's old room.
Goten and Melody were fast asleep, completely wrapped up in each other with barely a millimeter of distance between them. Melody was holding onto Goten as if she were terrified he might vanish into thin air otherwise.
Goten: *Goten's eyes snapped open, staring up at his mother in pure, groggy confusion.* "Mom…?" *he muttered, blinking away the sleep.*
Chichi: "Don't you 'Mom' me, Son Goten! I explicitly told you no, and you blatantly disobeyed me!" *she raged.*
The sleep-addled fog in Goten's mind dispersed instantly, making way for guilty realization and a very healthy dose of annoyance. He sat up slowly, shifting Melody, who grumbled in quiet protest as the warmth suddenly vanished from her side.
Goten: "Seriously, Mom? You're busting in here with a lecture right now?" *he said, rubbing his tired eyes. The absolute last thing he wanted was to get into an argument with his mother.*
Chichi: "Hell yes, I am!" *She screamed so loudly that poor Melody was startled wide awake—so loudly that Goten was almost certain the roof was about to lift off the house.*
Goten winced at her volume, which felt like a drill boring straight into his skull. Beside him, Melody was staring wide-eyed, still half-asleep. He glanced between his girlfriend's sleep-mussed hair and his irate mother, his patience rapidly wearing thin.
Goten: "Keep it down, will you?" *he all but ordered, his annoyance flaring. He was far too exhausted for another motherly screaming match.*
Chichi: "What have I ever done to deserve such a total lack of discipline?!" *Chichi demanded, sounding like an emotional time bomb.*
Goten pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off an incoming headache. He loved his mother—he really did—but her constant nagging and over-the-top lecturing just grated on his nerves.
Goten: "Mom, can we not do this right now?" *his tone grew sharper, losing the last bits of gentleness.* "Either you let us enjoy each other's warmth... or we'll just go crash at Trunks' place for a day or two." *Goten let out a heavy sigh.*
Chichi's eyes went wide, completely appalled by Goten's ultimatum. Was he seriously ready to uproot himself and his girlfriend just to avoid this argument—to avoid her?!
Chichi: "You can't be serious!" *she barked, her voice rising again.* "This is YOUR home!"
Goten: "I never brought my previous girlfriend home due to obvious reasons. This one you actually approve of, so what's the problem?" *Goten asked, an eyebrow arched logically.*
Chichi's mouth snapped shut. The sheer logic of his statement hit her, causing her temper to flicker uncertainly.
For a long, agonizing moment, she just stood there, fuming in complete silence. Then, with a dramatic huff, she spun on her heel and stomped out of the room.
SLAM! The door vibrated on its hinges behind her.
Goten let out a long, theatrical sigh, flopping back onto the bed beside Melody, who was still blinking sleepily.
Melody: "...Think we're in trouble?" *she mumbled softly.*