Love Denial
Sailor Marz

Sweat was dripping down her forehead while she was throwing powerful punches and kicks at the punching bag. She let put a final punch before she rested, the punching bag exploded. "Damn!" she swore under her breath. "Who was that supposed to be?" Startled she whirled around ready to fight. "Whoa, it's only me" Gohan held his hands up in the air. "Sorry, Daddy" Pan apologized. Gohan just laughed. "Well, Mom wants you in for lunch" "Okay I'll be there, just give me a couple of minutes to get ready" Gohan left smiling. You never know what runs through young girl's mind. Gohan thought. Pan picked up a towel and took off her bandana and went for a shower.

"Trunks called" Videl said as Pan stepped into the kitchen. The name made her freeze. Her parents noticed her reaction and both had confused looks on their faces. Snapped out of her trance "Oh... did he say what he wanted?" He tried to be calm. "No, he said he'll talk to you another time" Her mother smiled. They all ate, then Pan excused herself for a walk. She walked and flew around thinking. Before she knew it was really late. She flew back to her house not wanting to wake her parents she flew in through her window.

Tossing and turning in her bed. For the past 3 days she couldn't stop think of Trunks, the way he looked when he picked her up from the airport. He didn't change one bit; he still had those piercing blue eyes and sleek lavender hair. She tried so hard to forget him but it never worked. She left to Italy for that reason. To search out her feelings and forget about her love for Trunks. I wonder what he thinks of me now She couldn't sleep so she slipped on a pair of jeans and a tank and flew out into the darkness.

PAN, PAN, PAN, PAN The named played his every thought. PAN, PAN, PAN,!!!!! The name kept on ringing in his mind. Trunks sat up, her face; her name was all he could think about. He couldn't think of anything else but his best friend. Damnit Trunks!!! You used to baby-sit her for Christ's sake!! But she was twenty y now she was not the kid he used to babysat she was a woman. He held his head in frustration. He couldn't take it anymore. He stood up put on a pair of Sweats and a sleeveless shirt. In a split second he flew out his window.

The cold cave behind the giant waterfall was always her favorite spot. She'd come their to think or for no apparent reason. The smooth rocks and the gushing sound of the water had always appealed her. When she was here she'd have no worries, it was her own little world. She'd shut everything out. But that wasn't the case for tonight, she couldn't stop think about him. Every inch of her mind was covered in him. Her heart ached for him but her mind said no. It told her that it would never work out. Nothing helped her. Trunks! Why in God's name am I thinking of him?? Out of all people it just had to be Trunks! Something jerked her back to reality. A force, a strong force. Then she got really cautious. Who could that be at this hour?? She pondered. The figure was blurred but the water but it felt strangely familiar. Then it zoomed through waterfall and splashed her.

"Who the hell are you?!?!?" Pan yelled angrily. She twisted her hair so all the water would drip out. "Sorry" Trunks said. They both turned around. "Trunks!" She said in surprise. "Pan!" he said with the same reaction." Wh-at are you doing here?!?" They both said at the same time. They both blushed and turned away. "I wanted a little…peace, I guess" She replied sitting down. He sat down beside her. The heat generated between them could've heated hundreds of people. They sat in silence for a long time until Pan stood up to leave. "Where are you going?" He stood up. "Home" She prepared to fly off until he grabbed her and on impulse he kissed her. She came there to sort out her feelings but it just got more complicated. She stepped away confused. He made an attempt to come closer. "Pan…" She already left.

"Pan!" Videl, her mother called out. "Bra's on the phone" She woke up and picked up the phone. "Got it!" she yelled down stairs. "Hello?" she yawned. "Hey, do you know where Trunks is?" Trunks' sister sounded worried. "No, I thought he went home" Pan answered. Sitting up getting worried. "You were with him?" Bra inquired. "Yeah, we…uh…only talked" Pan lied. "Why? Do you need him or something?" "I don't but Dad is looking for him to train, he never misses his training lesson, and mom wants him at the company, they are both going crazy" Bra explained. Getting more worried she stood up and was getting dressed. "I'll go find him" "Thanks so much Panny" -click-

His limbs ached, his muscles tensed. He slashed his sword everywhere. Overtraining himself since last night. Blood trickled on the side of his mouth. Overtraining would lead to internal injuries. He didn't care anymore. The look Pan gave him killed him. He chopped everything in sight. He let one final blow before the world he knew of went black.

Flying everywhere scared and worried. Where are you Trunks? Please don't let anything be wrong, I'll never forgive myself . There was no trace of him. Tears started to pour out. This is my entire fault. She had been waiting for that kiss all her life but it just came so sudden she was prepared. Then she felt him. He was near. God let me find him. Please. There he was lying on the grass badly injured. His body weak and barley alive on the ground. "OmiGod, Trunks!!!" She flew down and landed right beside him. He was half-dead. "Why???!!!! Trunks look at me!" She screamed hoping he'd hear. He didn't reply. "TRUNKS!! DAMNIT!! LOOK AT ME!!!" She burst into tears, she mad no effort to wipe them away. "Why…."

He opened his heavy eyelids to see a blurry Pan. He smiled then it went black again. Pan wiped her tears away from her face. "Trunks!! I didn't want you to train this hard!" Vegeta's voice boomed behind her. Bulma was lifted down by Vegeta. She ran to her son. " Oh my God, my baby! What happened? Why did he do this? Why? Why? Why?" She panicked then fainted in Vegeta's arms. "Women! Wake up! Not you too!" Gohan, Bra, Goten, Marron,Videl, Krillen and everyone else was present in a matter of minutes. Goten and Gohan carried Trunks. Vegeta carried Bulma. Bra held on to her best friend. "What happen Pan? I don't get it, he never does this" Bra started to cry, Marron and Pan also started to cry because they all loved him as a friend and a brother. Pan loved him period. "I don't know, I don't know" I sorry, so sorry. Forgive me.

Pan opened the heavy hospital door that led to Trunks' room. No one was there, for her privacy. She sat down on the edge of the bed. He was still unconscious. She held his lifeless hand. All she can do was cry at his beautiful yet vulnerable face. Hot tears kept on rolling down her cheeks. "I love you" was barely a whisper. "I always have, Trunks. Who couldn't love you? You have always been there for me. I always will be there for you that will never change. We can't be together. You are too old for me. we are 13 years apart. It wouldn't work. You deserve a woman not a girl. You deserve someone better then me. I am just like a young sister to you. You are fooling yourself Trunks. I am not the one." Tears kept on rolling down her smooth cheeks. " Are you listening Trunks? Do you even know I am here? Trunks I am not the one, you have chosen wrong" She softly let go of his hand a placed it under the sheet she stood up and left the hospital. His hand moved and twitched to find the comfort that he once had. "Pan" a whisper left his lips.

She flew to her and Trunks' favorite spot, behind the waterfall. I am sorry Trunks. Dear God, I rarely have to ask for something, but please listen to my prayer, please let Trunks' be okay, please heal him. I am begging you, let him forget about me. Let him find someone that is his age and that is good to him. Let him have someone that'll love him. For this I pray to you. She sat there crying and thinking the whole night. Hoping he'll recover. I love you Trunks.

One and a half weeks later

Sipping the chicken soup his mother made for him he was thinking. "Where are you Pan?" He said aloud. "What was that hunny?" Bulma turned around. "Oh…nothing, mom you could go home you know, I am 33 I don't need you here. Go home and get some rest. "How am I supposed to get home?" She asked. "The car, mom" Trunks said. "Um, I didn't bring the car. Your father flew me here, he didn't want to see you like that, you know him, he doesn't like to show his emotional side" "Mom you didn't bring the car?!?" Trunks' groaned. "Don't worry! I am here," Vegeta said as he walked into the room. "When are you gonna get out of this place?" That was Vegeta's way of saying 'how are you'. "Soon dad" Vegeta opened the window and lifted Bulma of the ground, she yelped. Then he flew out the window. "Remember to finish the soup!!!!" Bulma yelled from the sky.

Right after his parents left Gohan walked in. "Hey how are you? Feeling better?" Gohan asked. "Yea sort of." Trunks answered while sipping his soup. "You know you shouldn't train like that, you were lucky you lived. Why did you do it?" "I know, sorry for worrying you like that. Why I did it?" Trunks said. "Yea, why did you there has to be reason for it. Was something bugging you?" "No, I just wanted to train that's all" Trunks' lied. "Don't you lie to me, I have known you since you were a baby. So, do you like her?" Gohan said bluntly. "Wh---who?!" Trunks' stammered. "Pan" Gohan said bluntly. Trunks' sat on his bed with a shocked look. Does he know? "What makes you think that?" Trunks tried to hide his obvious embarrassment. "We are just good---- friends.." Trunks said. "Do you like her?" Gohan asked. "Uh…as a friend" Trunks lied. "Yeah…okay then. I have to go. Videl wants me to go to this banquet for her company. You take care okay…and Trunks' you should learn how to lie better" In a zip Gohan was gone. Trunks' just stared out the window. Was it that obvious?

Everyday since Trunks' was sick Pan snuck into his room late at night hoping he wouldn't know she was there. She couldn't face him. She was sit for hours and care for him. She sat on the edge of his bed brushing his hair away from his face. She loved just looking at him. His closed eyes and his rough yet beautiful features. She stood up to leave. She gathered her belongs and left. She forgot her bandana on his night table.

3 days later

Trunks was up and walking again. He didn't see Pan since the incident. Why wouldn't she come visit? Is she still mad? I a so stupid for thinking anything would happen. He missed her a lot. There was a party at Capsule Corps. For Trunks' safe recovery. Everyone was there. His Family; Bulma, Bra,Vegeta, Goku, ChiChi,Goten, Krillin, Jouhagou (#18), Marron, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, Lunch, Chou-zou, Mr.Satan, Ox-King, Master Roshi, Gohan, Videl, and ….Pan. Man, she looks so good tonight. How did Bra convince her to wear that? Bra's ways are never explainable. She was wearing a black halter dress, she looked different. It showed off her curves that are always hidden by sweats and T-shirts. Her hair was down and was as black as her dress. He was afraid to go near her. "Time to dance people!!! Lose the calories!!" His mom said cheerfully after dinner. They were all pushed into the ballroom. After awhile it was loaded up with people, other guests Trunks has never seen before came. Why does mom have to make the party so big? She even got a DJ! This is going overboard. Mom always goes overboard. He laughed silently. The all of a sudden slow music poured out of the speakers. His mom somehow convinced his dad to dance, Goku and ChiChi were paired off. Everyone had someone. Where is Pan? Then he saw her standing by the refreshment table. He started to walk over there but arm tugged on his shirt. It was Marron. She smiled "Trunks' let's dance!" She pulled him to the dance floor without even giving him a chance to say anything. "What up?" She asked cheerfully. "Uh...nothing really" He said as he saw Pan walk out of the back door.

The song ended he gave Marron a quick kiss on the cheek and wedged through the people to the back door. Finally he made it to the door. He stepped out to the darkness. He saw her standing away from the house and it was cold so he picked up a jacket. He walked up behind her the wrapped the jacket around her shoulders. She got startled and turned around. "Oh…Trunks, hi" She said hoping the darkness would hide her blushing. "Hey" Trunks said back. There was a moment of ultimate awkwardness. "Pan?" Trunks broke the silence. "Yea?" She asked looking away. "I…" He started nervously. "Yea…." She said with the same amount of nervousness. "I…I am sorry Pan" He finally said. She looked up at him then quickly turned away. "Why? What for? You didn't do anything...wrong," She said. "I did do something wrong Pan, I am so sorry for that…kiss" The awkwardness exploded. "Uh…Don't worry, it was nothing." She started to walk back to the house. "I love you" Pan turned around in shock. Trunks stood there in confidence. "What did you say?" Pan asked in obvious shock. "You and I both now that kiss meant something" He said. "Trunks you are wrong the kiss meant nothing" She lied. Without her noticing he was inches away from her. She backed up and broke into a face walk…away from him. "Pan! don't run away from it , you and I both know that you do love me!" He shouted out to her. Pan stopped dead in her tracks. Trunks caught up to her. She bravely looked up to him "I don't love you Trunks, whatever you're thinking is wrong" She lied. "You lie" "What do you want from me Trunks?! I have nothing to give you, nothing to say to you!"

"If you don't then why would you visit me when I was in the hospital?" He confronted her. "I never did!" She lied once more. "Then who left this?" He held out her bandana. In shock she tried to cover it up. "I-am your f-friend, of course I'd visit you" It didn't fool him. " Why did you come during the night when no one was there then?!" He said loudly. "Who says I did?" "The nurses" He answered coolly. "Pan…"He said. "WHAT?!?" She snapped back. "Look at me!" he ordered. She just looked at the ground. "Look at me damnit!!!! Pan!!" She looked up fuming. But he somehow held all the power to melt her stubborn exterior away. Tears poured out of her eyes. "What do you want with me Trunks?" She asked weakly. It killed Trunks to see her like that. "Pan…I want nothing but you, why do you have to lie about it?" He asked as he came closer. "Trunks…I…can't…We can't be together." She said. "Why not?" A tone of hurt caressed his voice. "Trunks, look at me, I am practically half your age!" she sobbed. " 14 years." He corrected. She looked up "Exactly" "So what? I don't care" Trunks stated. "Well I do damnit!" "Well you shouldn't!!!" He snapped back. "Even if I do love you, that makes no damn difference Trunks!" She shaked. "Actually it does, I love you, I always have" She sobbed and collapsed into his arms.

The Next Mourning

Trunks winced at the sunlight that poured into his room. Then he realized that it was Saturday and his father would be coming in to tell him to go train. Pan woke up beside him and smiled. "Morning" She said sleepily. "Pan!?!?!? Is she here??!!" a voice they both recognized. It was Pan's mother, Videl. "OmiGOD! My dad will be coming in any minute and your mom is here!! Get up!!" Trunks panicked. "They'll be here any… Then the door bust open, Videl, Bulma, Vegeta stared in shock. …Minute" Pan finished as she buried herself in the covers. "Well, well, what do we have here?" Videl said smiling. "Something very disturbing MY son with Kakorrott's granddaughter" He smirked and left. "Well Videl we better leave for them to finish, changing, or whatever they were doing" Bulma laughed as she pulled Videl downstairs. The door closed. "My God that was very embarrassing" Pan sighed in relief that her mother left. "I hope my dad wasn't here," Pan said. "He'll find out anyway, if we are discovered then there is no use of getting up." He laid back down. She shrugged in agreement and laid on his chest. "I love you Trunks" She said as she went back to sleep. "I know"