Goten opened his mouth—then closed it again. His expression was caught somewhere between 'I love you, but no' and 'Please stop.'
Goten: "You sing... much better than Trunks," *he said carefully, knowing it was best not to dodge the question entirely.*
Trunks: *He gasped loudly, clutching his chest in mock offense.* "Betrayed by my own best friend! How could you?!"
Bulla: *She rolled her eyes and snatched the mic away.* "Alright, let's spare our eardrums before someone actually goes deaf."
Melody pouted like a little lost puppy. Goten tried to soften her pout with a warm smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He knew her ego was a bit delicate in certain areas—singing being at the absolute top of that list.
Goten: "Let's just enjoy the night," *he tried, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.* "You know I adore you. Even if you sound like a dying cat." *The last part practically slipped out on its own.*
SMACK!
Another hit landed, this time connecting squarely with Goten's arm.
Melody: "A dying cat?! You just told me I sounded better than Trunks!"
Goten rubbed the spot where she'd smacked him. It was painfully clear she wasn't going to let that comment slide anytime soon. He needed a distraction—fast.
Goten: "How about we sing something together, then?" *he offered quickly.*
Melody: "Fine. But I choose the song," *Melody compromised.*
Goten tried—and failed—not to grimace. Knowing his girlfriend's taste in music, whatever she picked was going to be either a ridiculously mushy love song or the cheesiest, most embarrassing track she could get her hands on.
Goten: *He let out a quiet sigh, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable fallout.* "...Deal."
Melody smiled sweetly, though a dangerous glint of mischief danced in her eyes. She strutted over to the screen and queued up 'Summer Nights'—the iconic duet from Grease.
Goten resisted the urge to facepalm. Still, he grabbed the second microphone and, with a resigned sigh, took his place beside Melody. Goten actually had a pretty decent singing voice, but Melody possessed a rare, supernatural gift to throw him completely off-key within seconds.
The first few notes went surprisingly well—Goten was hitting his marks, keeping up with the tempo, and even putting a little effort into the performance. Then Melody joined in for her line, her voice taking the song in an entirely new direction that pitch and physics had never accounted for.
Goten: *He started cracking up right mid-verse, completely unable to keep a straight face as she butchered the chorus.* "Babe, no—" *he wheezed, his shoulders shaking with uncontrollable laughter.*
Across the booth, Trunks had collapsed face-first onto the table, laughing so hard he couldn't even make a sound. Bulla looked like she was actively reconsidering every life choice that had led her to this karaoke bar. Pan pretended she was at a completely different table, while the rest of the crew buried their faces in their hands from second-hand embarrassment.
But Goten? Looking at her beaming, off-key face, he wouldn't trade this moment for the entire world.