I miss being able to read new T/P one-shots, I think I've read them all now. The T/P scene kinda died off about the same time geocities and msn went out of style. I'd love to refresh the fandom, so I keep trying to come up with story ideas that I can make cute one-shots out of, normally they end up spanning huge portions of notebooks and being forgotten for months. Panic! came from a one shot idea.

This story stemmed from a friends apartment which was super fierce and a desire to write something a little lighter. I decided to keep the rating down for this. I also felt like I wanted to add another scene, so you can end this as a true one shot at the end of this 'chapter' or you can continue onto the next short chapter. I think I like just keeping it as a one shot, but hey I already wrote the other part!

Trunks couldn't pin point when his feelings had started. Not that he hadn't tried to figure it out, he just couldn't. Maybe they'd always been there and had developed quietly. He may never be able to tell when he'd fallen in love but at least he could tell what had finally brought them together.

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Pan was a bit like her mother in that, if she wanted something, she didn't mind blackmailing everyone around her to get what she wanted. So when, after high school, she had decided on a university in the East Capital no one had suggested she pick one closer to home, she could have ended up much farther way if they pushed her too much. East Capital wasn't that far from Mount Paozu, but certainly not a distance anyone who couldn't fly would ever want to make, it would take nearly 4 hours in Capsule Corps. fastest. The choice seemed fine until a week before class when she somehow got Gohan to let her move into a dorm. There were deals made of course, she came home every weekend, every break, and every holiday. She pointed out it would let her have a social life at school, and that she would stay living at home most of the time. It seemed fine, it just didn't turn out fine. Not that anyone knew.

Two weeks into class, after a grand total of three weeks living on campus she'd show up at Capsule very grumpy. He'd was busy going over some sort of report, lounging on his bed in old worn out jeans and a CC logo t-shirt that was pealing off. It was fun to pick at the logo absentmindedly when you were a little distracted. Pan came into his room and saying nothing had only laid down beside him putting her head into his lap. After a while of silence and playing with her hair using her head as a support for his stack of paper, Trunks finally asked what was bothering her.

"I don't want to have to move back home. I don't want to have to battle wind blown hair every mourning." Grumpy was good, grumpy meant whatever was nagging her was fixable. Besides she was cute when she was grumpy. Bringing Pan to sit up he asked why she thought she'd have to move back home. "Because my roommates a bitch." She wouldn't meet his eyes even when he gripped her shoulders. After a few more attempts at getting her to open up he managed to gather her roommate wasn't a good match.

Men came and went from the room and apparently she wasn't interested in hiding what she was doing with them in the small room. It also came about that Pan hadn't been sleeping well and the few days she'd left her things out the girl had gone through and used anything she felt like. As the dorm was co-ed and didn't have a strict visitor policy she couldn't really complain and they'd rejected her application to get a new roommate. Which left her with getting an apartment. This is what Pan wanted but explained presented a large problem. If she applied for an apartment they'd want some sort of income reported, and she had none, or they'd want the money upfront, and that would cause questions asked at home, which would cause Gohan to say she needed to move back in.

After deciding on what way to best scandalize her roommate they'd gone and picked up her few remaining things at the dorm. Her roommate tripped all over herself trying to impress someone so rich and good looking standing in her bedroom, but had found out quickly that the Chairman and President of Capsule knew ways to bruise egos without crossing into anything that was truly rude. On the return trip to the compound he offered Pan a place to stay for the night and to help her look for apartments the next day. Explaining that he had the day off and wouldn't mind trying to find her a place, and he promised not to tell anyone she wasn't still staying on campus. She agreed, which he'd known she would, whenever she had a problem, she'd always go to him first to fix it, or at least had been doing so for the past few years.

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Later that night after watching B grade action films they went about getting ready for bed. It seemed normal enough for them, she grabbed a dress shirt he'd worn earlier that day put it on and climbed into his bed wearing little else. Looking back Trunks supposed there should have been a time when they stopped sharing the bed. When she was little and stayed over she'd grab his shirts and snuggle into one side of his overly large bed. The bed was large enough that neither noticed the other, it was after all a size larger than an average bedroom. Regardless of this fact there should have been an age where a girl her age stopped having sleep overs with a man his age. It had changed over the years, the cute two year old sleeping all day to the 12 year old watching TV all night rather than sleeping to the teenager keeping conversation with him late into the night until one of them fell asleep. Changed in some ways, never changing in others.

After stripping off his shirt ,leaving him in just his jeans and plopping down on what was 'his' side of the bed she'd brought up that she already knew what apartment she wanted. This didn't surprise him, so he politely listened to her. She told him about the one bedroom apartment. It was the second story of a two story house, she had a friend who rented the first floor with his boyfriend. The house was divided off so she'd have her own entrance. It was close to the school and wasn't very expensive and was vacant. Agreeing that they could call the land lord and try and get her setup to move in in the mourning, they continued another tradition.

Trunks felt his heart rate increase regardless of the regularity of the actions as she moved across the bed. As her fingers glided across his cheek he couldn't help but wonder how, in what seemed too few years, they could go pudgy and clumsy, to a feather light caress. The slight gasp that left his lips when hers met his cheek was the result of having let his mind wander. Pan's lips lingered long enough to allow for his left hand to glide along her back and grip her neck gently. As she finished her goodnight kiss he made for his, but rather than placing it onto her cheek he pulled her farther over his body so his lips could touch her neck. His lips only lightly pressed below her ear and only for a moment. Rather than remove them he continued a soft slow decent down her neck pulling her even closer. Her fingers gripped his arms. Reaching the base of her neck and the collar of his shirt he left a lingering kiss while slowly rubbing the back of her neck. Pulling away again he laid his head back into the pillows. "Goodnight Panny" Warm surprise ran throughout his body when rather than return to her side, she used his chest for a pillow and snuggled into him. "Goodnight Trunks, I love you." Wrapping himself around her he let his fingers move into her dark hair and started slow steady movements with his other hand along her back. "I love you, too."

Continuing rubbing her back as she drifted to sleep he couldn't help but think about that tradition as well. It hadn't been odd when she was little to give her a kiss on the cheek and say he'd loved her. At the Sons it was still a tradition, she gave everyone a kiss and a hug goodnight, if he stayed over and crashed on the couch it was no different. No one ever questioned it, even when she said she loved him. As Trunks drifted off to sleep the thought crossed him that maybe if they knew that when alone their kisses weren't always on the cheek or very innocent and chaste that they might, just might, question it.

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The next mourning went smoothly, while Pan went to class Trunks squared away a deal with the landlord. In short he paid for the apartment for the entire year, it was under his name and for all legality it was his apartment. After being given the keys and being told he could move in when he wanted to Trunks busied himself shopping for the apartment. When he'd awoken that mourning to find Pan only a few inches away he decided on two things. The first was that he would no matter what help her, but as he was in a position to bargain he would make her owe him. She'd asked what he wanted, he'd simply said she had to promise to do something for him, with no questions, with no complaint. He'd also said he didn't want that something just yet, but when it came time she had to promise to do that something then and there. She'd given him a very long searching look before agreeing to his fee. After all if she said no he could tell Gohan she'd moved out, not that he would. The second was that he wanted. Just wanted, wanted to be with her, wanted to wake up with her, wanted to watch the seasons turn, wanted to spend rainy days under the covers, wanted to know that no matter how bad his day got she would be waiting for him.

Once Pan was finally free for the day he finally got to see her, their, apartment. It was small, the living room blended into the kitchen the bed room was smaller than his bed. After lunch they busied themselves cleaning the apartment, not that it was dirty, the place was well cared for, but still, cleaning it sort of made it yours. Once the sun set it was finally clean enough for both of them and Trunks dragged Pan into the bedroom to show her his purchase of the day. Once the item was out of its capsule Pan spent what seemed to Trunks an eternity just staring at it before finally declaring, "Its huge."

He tried to not look scandalized. Chuckling slightly he responded, "I thought it was too small."

"Are you crazy, it barely fits! I don't think anything else will fit after this." Her eyes were huge.

"Oh psssh, what were you planning on putting in after?" An eyebrow raised at him before she smiled.

"You really like it don't you?"

"Yes."

Her shoulders shrugged as her smile brightened "Okay, well then... I don't suppose you bought anything to put on it?"

"Who do you think I am! I didn't spend 6 hours shopping for a bed and not buy anything else." He sounded insulted but his face told another story.

"All right goof, get to it, I'm sleepy. " Yawning loudly as if to prove her point she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. He moved an arm to wrap around her waist while giving the top of her head a kiss.

Whispering into her hair as he inhaled the scent of vanilla he managed to sleepily get out, "So am I, how about tomorrow we go shopping for what we need for the kitchen and bathroom so we can do furniture on Thursday?"

Under his finger tips he could feel her muscles tighten. What we need, not what you need. It wasn't a big deal really, but he knew she'd make the distinction. The tension left her as she turned her body so she could wrap her arms around him, "We'll have to do some more shopping next week as well."

He smiled, she'd made the distinction and could live with it. "Sounds like a plan Panny."

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Thats what sucked about East Capital, it was bitter cold out most of the year. Winter, was frigid. It wasn't yet that season, and Trunks was thankful. He wasn't looking forward to flying home during the winter. Not that Capsule was home, not really, not anymore. Sure he only spent Monday and Tuesday nights in East Capital, but it was home. The week after Pan had moved into the apartment he'd spent the night on Monday because he wanted to spend his day off with her. The board met on Sundays so he had a day off midweek. After a day of shopping and trying to put together furniture(even super genius inventors weren't sure why a bookcase with only 6 screw holes had 17 screws) he hadn't wanted to leave. This didn't surprise him, what did was when Pan waltzed in wearing the shirt he'd been wearing the day before and told him to come to bed because she was sick of playing with the furniture, they could play with it next week, and they had. It became another tradition, him staying two nights a week, and for Trunks he'd began calling this place home. And right now home was very cold.

They'd managed to beat the storm slightly that afternoon when they rushed out and bought a space heater. The furnace had only just been turned on the week before and it hadn't been really cold until that mourning so it hadn't had time to really start warming the place. Unfortunately it may not matter in a few minutes. It had started out as a cold snap with rain, but as the day progressed the storm began to build. By afternoon it had become a winter mix, rain with a few snowflakes. The sky was confused it seemed, as by dinner time it was turning into sleet and freezing rain. The largest concern Trunks had right now as he peaked out the bedroom window at the street light, was that it had been so cold and yet not cold enough that the rain and ice started to build up. He ran his hand through his hair, mussing it in a way that only added to his looks. "There is a solid 4 inches" he rasped out, his shoulders slouching down.

"Heavy enough to break the power lines?" She didn't sound concerned. Pan glanced out the window at the street lamp, shrugged and returned to giving him a back rub. "I'll bet schools canceled. They seemed to think snow was moving in in the mourning as well" Paying extra attention to a knot by his left shoulder she continued the steady kneading.

Trunks closed his eyes and relaxed. She'd been doing this a lot lately. He wasn't sure why but over past few weeks she'd began to get much more, well, physical. Not that they'd done anything really, they still slept on opposite sides of the bed, sometimes would wake up next to each other, but they still hadn't crossed over the last few lines that would take them into a different realm of possibility. He pushed his forehead against the glass and moaned slightly as she began working on his neck. Not that Trunks didn't want to cross the lines, it was just that he wasn't her age. He couldn't just fumble into a hot and heavy moment, because for him, once he crossed that line, he wanted a commitment out of it. He wanted something that could be built upon, at this point she could still step back and think of him kindly and he could at least know that he'd been quietly offering and not feel too much of a sting if rejected. But if she walked away once they'd crossed the last few lines, the cost would be too high. If she walked away once he offered it all, well, he wouldn't think about that.

He sighed deeply and opened his eyes, it was pitch black. Blinking, he felt a little lost. The power was out. The furnace was off, without a moon you couldn't see two feet in front of you. So why was Pan still rubbing him, although at this point she'd moved onto to his upper arms. He cleared his throat, "I wonder when the power went out?"

"About ten minutes ago" she said nonchalantly.

"Oh." He managed to get out, although to his ears it seemed very weak and breathy. "Umm, it's, ahh, it's, it's going to get cold."

"It is cold, you goon" he could hear the smile.

"I mean colder." He tried to sound upset but couldn't really manage it, he was content. But he still had to worry about them freezing to death. Not that a Saiyan would freeze to death in barely below freezing weather when inside a house.

Sighing deeply he removed his forehead from the glass and shifted so he could feel for Pan with one hand while the other felt around for the tops of the blankets. He'd been pretty insistent on buying a lot of blankets, and was glad he did so. Once he'd gotten a hold of Pan around the waist he pulled them both under the covers, she made no protest. Shifting them around so they were farthest from the window he got behind her. Wrapping himself around her he placed her feet on his bare legs so they would stay warm and wrapped his hands around hers. It likely seemed stupid to wear only boxers to bed when the power had been threatening to go out for hours, but he took his queue from her only having her panties and one of his shirts on. Nuzzling into the crook of her neck he placed a chaste kiss there. Trunks raised his Ki just high enough that it would keep them both warm but wouldn't warm the room. He licked his lips. He wondered if now would be a good time. Feeling her scoot back into him and sigh, while tightening her grip on his hands, he figured it was.

He bit his lip and waited a moment before breathing out in one gush that slurred his words together, "I'd like, want to, redeem my fee now."

Trunks felt her stiffen before saying in hushed tone, "Now?" she sounded a little afraid.

"Yes. Now." He kept his voice soft and gentle, he didn't want her to fear anything he did, ever. He mulled over the request in his head before choosing to say "I want to stay like this. All night." They hadn't ever slept together the whole night, he'd never been able to go to sleep and wake up with her against him.

Bringing his hand up to her lips he felt her relax again, she kissed the back of his hand while murmuring, "Alright, my dear, but I think you can have another wish." His heart was slamming in his chest, he knew she had to have felt his breathing speed up when she said dear, he couldn't help it.

"What, what do you mean?" Trunks managed to stutter out, while pulling their arms closer to her chest.

"Well, you're keeping me warm an' comfy, your keeping my secret an' letting me stay here." He didn't know if she'd fallen asleep it took her so long to finish. "You are undercutting your fee. So have somethin' else. But hurry, this offer won't last forever." breathing evening out, her voice barely carried to him. "You can 'side later, nigh' Trunks." A goofy grin crossed his face, she was cute when she was trying to keep herself awake. It took him a moment to register when she spoke again, it was so quietly mumbled "I love you."

Trunks had been sleepy. Had been ready to join her in dream world. Now his eyes were wide staring into the blackness of the room. Aware of every sound, aware that someone had closed a car door, aware that it was drizzling again. Aware that the wind was knocking icicles down, vividly aware of his own heart beat that seemed so loud in his own ears and of the girl in his arm's soft breathing. Aware and awake because of three words that had been spoke like a promise. Brining his lips down to her neck again he whispered his own promise, "Night, sweetheart. I love you, too."

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Pan stumbled into the kitchen at 8am the next mourning to find a shirtless Trunks already finished making breakfast, the apartment wasn't warm really, but it was no longer cold.

Turning to her with a smile, "The power came on at about 6 this mourning." He sounded cheerful. She couldn't be cheerful in the mourning. So she returned some grumbles that she hoped made sense to him.

After eating enough to regain some of her brain she realized it was weird for him to be up at 6am. Because of the timezones from City of The West to East Capital he normally slept in till noon. Which left him enough time to shower eat and fly back to Capsule in time for work at 8am. "How long have you been awake?" She hoped her tone was casual, she didn't want to freak him out that she was worried.

"Four." Her fork hit the plate harder than she meant for it to. He flinched and glanced expectantly at her, he had something he wanted to talk about.

"Why?"

"I couldn't sleep." She bit her lip. When he'd asked last night if he could hold her she'd been blissful. She'd been stressing out lately because he kept dropping hints at going further, mind they'd never had a normal relationship, but he was giving a lot of mixed signals lately. Not even two years previous he'd kissed her on her lips, open mouthed. She'd been floored, it had never gotten much further, but they'd been far closer than they should have been as friends after. But once she'd moved into the apartment that closeness had shifted again. She didn't like being here when he wasn't, she loved the apartment, but she loved him more. After he bought her a bed, he started giving her easy kisses, he'd hold her hand in public, and for all practical purposes was her boyfriend, except he wasn't.

Pan couldn't decide if the bed was a hint or not and as he always stayed on his side she'd decided it wasn't. But then Trunks kissed her, on her lips, then later at a spot that he seemed to favor on her neck. They were light and made no demands, but left her wishing he would. When they watched movies he'd plop her on his lap and would glide his hand over her stomach, which always made her shiver. Pan wasn't sure what the hell to do. Because Trunks never let it go any farther, and would drop hints that said it could, but never that he wanted it to. She'd tried to drop her own hints, but didn't want to look trashy so she couldn't do much. If she bought him a bed, it would be an invite, but she couldn't decide what he wanted.

Blinking back tears she didn't even know where building, she didn't want to cry in front of Trunks. She wasn't weepy by any means, but she was at the breaking point trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Last night he'd sounded almost scared she'd say no, she'd been excited because it was at least something new and might be a step closer towards a bigger commitment.

But he couldn't sleep next to her. Well fine, if he couldn't sleep next to her, fine, she was to damn proud to have to sleep in the same bed as him if that was the case, she'd sleep on the couch on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and next semester she'd live back at home. Because her heart was shattering, because she didn't want to sleep on the couch, she spent the other days when he wasn't here sleeping on his side of the bed. It smelled like warmth and a delicious spice she couldn't pin point, she even did her homework on that spot. It wasn't fair that he kept tempting her and then pulling away once she thought she could have him.

Looking up she realized she'd been silent and unmoving for a while because her food was clearly cold. Trunks looked almost perched on his chair, ready to run off she guessed. She sighed dejectedly. He hadn't finished his food either which told her that he'd been waiting for her. Face the music indeed. "Why couldn't you sleep Trunks?"

Lips twitching into a frown his eyebrows knotted together, he looked like he was trying to taste her temper, "Because..."

"Because? Just because?" Pan knew she shouldn't be so short but it felt like she as if she always had to walk on eggshells, she gripped her fork tighter. Not that it would protect her heart, but maybe she could brain him with it.

"No." Shifting in his seat his frown deepened as he looked from her fork to her face, "Not just because." Raking his hand through his hair his eyes softened as they caught hers. "Not just because." Almost a whisper. He looked absentmindedly at nothing for a moment. "Not just because. Because I know what I want." Pleading with her to see, so he wouldn't have to ask. Why couldn't he understand that she didn't know what he wanted! She was going to cry. She knew if he didn't finish soon she'd be sobbing into her cold toast. He sighed deeply before straightening up in his chair. "I want my wish now."

A small smile graced her lips for a moment before vanishing again, "Now?" her voice cracking under the strain. Pan hadn't moved at all except for the fork, not a single movement, if she had she'd be crumpled on the floor.

"Now." He looked at her intently, longingly, before smiling. "Every night."

She waited. Nothing. She blinked. Again nothing. "Every night?"

It seemed as if he'd been holding it in, he leaned forward in his seat his words nearly running together his own intensity made her heart rate increase. "I want. Every night, I want no matter where you are, to be with you. I want to be with you. Completely. I want to know that every night I can come home and be with you, that every night I can fall asleep with you beside me, that even when your angry with me you'll still be there. I want to know that every mourning I'll wake up with you beside me, that I won't have to be on the other side of the bed. I want to, even when I'm old and wrinkly and smell funny and you don't want me, you'll still let me be beside you." He bit his bottom lip gasping for air his eyes wide before breathing out in a softer tone. "I want to. I just do." Shrugging he sat back into his chair.

Pan just stared for a while. It sounded almost as if he'd just asked her to marry him. But he hadn't, so, well. She dropped her fork and sank into her own chair. He was watching her with great intensity. Well she had one answer, she knew what he wanted, but now, she didn't know what to say to that. What was he asking for truthfully? Well, not that he was asking, that was his fee, and not that he'd let her say yes to whatever that just was as fee. It sounded in every sense a proposal except without any of the 'will you marry me', or even 'wanna be my girl?' Nothing. Typical Trunks.

She closed her eyes and leaned onto her elbows on the table clasping her face with both hands she pulled on her own cheeks as she gave the most dramatic moan she could muster while trying not to cry or become a gibbering fool. "You are a freak, honestly!" Trunks shifted uncomfortably. "I swear to all the Kai, ever, you are the most abnormal man I've ever met!" Pulling her cheeks even farther out and letting go she smacked her hands back onto them again while tears welled up. "Oh, couldn't you do something normal, like ask to be my boyfriend, instead of buying me a bed!?!" He flinched and looked as if he'd been slapped as she screeched. "Or just say, hey Panny, I love you, lets make babies," Trying to do her best imitation of him possible she stood up and gestured around. "Instead of buying me an apartment, kissing me, confusing the shit out of me!" She slammed her hands into the table causing him to jump, he was scared of her! Oh, he was going to pay. "And would it have been so freaking hard just to say 'will you marry me' instead of 'hey let me be your shadow please?!' UGH! Stupid MALE!"

Blinking at her as she sat down and proceeded to eat her very cold eggs he looked like a very lost and confused puppy. He wasn't stupid really, he was just, well, weird. But thats what made him, well, him. Sticking out her tongue at the how nasty cold eggs were she proceeded to try the toast, which was kinda gross but eatable.

"I can." He coughed, " I, ahh, could, umm." He cleared his throat. "I could make you more if thats too cold?" Desperation shining in his eyes, he wanted a sign that he could stay. Maybe he was stupid. If she was really mad at him he'd be on his ass in the snow. The snow!! Dropping her toast she quickly dashed to the door and wrenched it open. Moaning she smacked her head onto the door frame and whimpered. The snow was piled to her knees and it was still coming down. A world of white that hid the ice underneath. Even if she didn't have class she still didn't want to have to stay indoors without him today. Not after what he'd just done. She felt him come up behind her, his hand shaking slightly as he touched her hips. Touching his face against her own he asked, "Whats wrong Panny?"

"I don't want to stay here alone." she answered honestly. No point in hiding it anymore.

His timid reply surprised her, "Do you want me to leave?" He shifted so he could look into her eyes. He still didn't know what to expect from her reaction, and he was still trying to taste her temperament.

"No Trunks, I want to you stay. I don't like being here when you aren't. I never have." Searching her eyes, he nodded satisfied. Pulling Pan closer he shut the door. Leaning her against it he seemed to be making another decision before brushing his lips against hers. His hands softly but steadily gripping her hips. He kissed her gently, as if there was nothing else to want, nothing more to need, she moved her fingers down his bare chest until she found his own hips. That was all it took, shifting his weight to firmly place her in between his body and the door there was no mistaking his body's response to hers. As he took her over the edge he couldn't figure out how he had gone from a protective family friend to lover, but it never really mattered how, just that it had.