There is something nobody knows about my dad.
Well, actually there's A LOT nobody knows about my dad. He's one of the biggest mysteries to ever crash land on the planet. But through the years, his rivals have shifted into his friends and he's let his steel-armored guard down little by little. Especially to my mother. Suddenly to me.
Anyway, there is one major misconception people seem to have about him. And it's the trait that makes me want to go Super Saiyan and smack him into oblivion. It's not his mass-murdering history, or his smart ass mouth, or his constant patronizing tone. No, those actually make him somewhat endearing. But not this.
My dad is loud.
Not all the time, mind you. In fact, most of the time he pretty much keeps to himself. He shuts people out at parties and get togethers, and he's maybe said the same three words to my grandma ever ("Make me food").
But come 6am every morning? He's chatty. And LOUD.
We live in a pretty large place, and my room is right up the staircase to the left. Most nights, my little sister likes to share my king-sized bed with me as we watch some classic movies and drink tea. She's still young, so she falls asleep pretty early. My mom usually carries Bulla out of my room by 11 and back into her own room. Now this is where my mother makes her mistake: she, without fail, leaves the door to my room WIDE OPEN. No matter how many times I tell her to close it, the path to morning hell is unavoidable, much to my dismay.
Now, I'm a college student. So if you ever expect me to willingly wake up at 6am, it better be for an early bar crawl.
As soon as the sun rises, that man is AWAKE. The first thing to infiltrate my usually peaceful dreams is his booming voice giving Super Saiyan speeches. I start DREAMING about my dad as a Super Saiyan God. As soon as my mind recognizes that this is not quite right, I reluctantly tear into consciousness.
"And Kakarot still to this day talks about that fight with Golden Frieza!"
Is that the tv or is it my dad?
"Well, you remember how powerful I was once I first became a Super Saiyan!"
Are we taking a DEAFENING stroll down memory lane this morning, father?
"The boy? Please. He hasn't trained in weeks! You've completely brainwashed him with your schooling. He's probably weaker than his sister!"
Yes, because I wasn't in the Gravity Room JUST YESTERDAY, WAS I? But thanks for paying attention.
"Bulla shows an interest in martial arts. She's younger AND stronger than that quarter-Saiyan brat she's become so fond of."
First of all, Pan is exceptionally strong. And Bulla is EIGHT. But you bet she can do no wrong in my dad's goddamn mind. He's coddled her since the day she was born. Probably because her birth was actually planned, unlike my infamous surprise of a pregnancy.
"Has the boy done his studies? I haven't seen him doing work! He's probably slacking off like he tends to do."
Oh, NOW you care about my schooling?
"If that second spawn of Kakarot comes around one more time unannounced, I will blow up his house."
That's my best friend, and he's always invited. K.
"Bulma, after breakfast we should retire to our chamber for an hour or so.."
THAT'S IT! THAT'LL DO! I'VE HIT MY LIMIT!
"I can hear EVERYTHING YOU SAY!" I yell from my bed, trying to fall back asleep, but already too horrified to succeed.
"Tch! I'm surprised he's even awake before noon."
Oh. My. Kami.
I get up from my bed and slam my bedroom door. Sure, I'm 22 acting like a teenager again, but I've just about had enough of his noisy ass. I can still hear some muffled bitching from downstairs, so I click on my tv and blast the volume. Finally, I can drown him out. Unfortunately at this point, I'm awake with no hope of going back to bed.
By 7am, my father has retreated to the GR and I'm finally able to go downstairs. Mother is still drinking her coffee before she goes to work. My first class doesn't even start until noon, so I have some hours to kill.
"Mom, I have about had it with him waking me up every morning!" I rant, tired from being up obviously too late the night before.
"Hey, it's the only time of the day I can get your father talking that much. I personally enjoy it." My mom blows on her cup before giving me the side-eye and adding, "You better watch that attitude of yours. You're still living in OUR house."
"YOUR house, mom." I correct angrily.
She glares at me some more. "Your dad contributes to this house in so many ways, I can't even count! It's his house, too."
"Hey, Trunks! Let's skip school today and watch those Marx Brothers movies again! Duck Soup is my favorite!" Bulla is always attempting to deflate the tension in the mornings. But I can't help that listening to him talk shit about me every morning throws me into a fit of rage.
"That can wait until tonight, sis. You need to get to school." She always makes me smile. I wonder if I was that sweet at 8.
"You know, Vegeta has a point. I haven't seen you do a ton of homework OR training lately. We just want to make sure you have your priorities right. Have you even started on that paper you have due soon?" Mom gives me that awful look that all mothers have. The one that makes you feel guilty immediately. You know the one.
"Ok, you're stressing me out! I have a test tomorrow and you're just giving me more anxiety! I'll get it all taken care of, just leave me alone."
Sometimes I feel like I'm going through a second puberty.
I exit my house quickly and typically fly off to Goten's. He's also still living at home while in college in order to "save money". I'm living at home because I dare YOU to try and move out of Capsule Corp. That place is lit. I mean, if I ever find a girl who wants me for more than just my last name, I'll probably just build a home within the Capsule Corp. complex, if we're being honest. I always tell my mom it's so I can be close to her, dad, and grandma. It's really for the maid service and pool.
Don't get me wrong, I do want to be close to my parents. I want to spend as much time with my mother as possible, considering she's only an Earthling.
Truth be told, I always assumed that my dad will outlive me. Being pure Saiyan, he retains his youth longer than a human, but I've never been certain on their life expectancy. I don't think my dad even remembers since his race was wiped out when he was so young. Will I live longer, too? Or will my father have to watch as his entire family grows old without him?
Recently, I decided to do some research on Saiyans after having this thought process. Naturally, I can't find anything out. Instead I go to the only person I know who's smarter than I am: my mother.
"Trunks, I've been monitoring your father for a few years now in comparison to human aging." My mom tells me, chewing disgustingly on a pen. One of HER habits that I despise. "I have found out quite a bit. Although it's true that Saiyans look younger and are generally healthier and stronger for a greater period of their life, his body still shows internal signs of aging. By the research I've done, it seems a Saiyan shouldn't live much longer than a human. They'll just spend more of it in great shape. This is all just speculation, but I think I'm on to something."
I hold my head down for a second, processing what my mom is telling me. I've always known what every young adult knows, that they're going to eventually have to live without their parents. But I've always just assumed that it would be that way with only my mom. She's human, and she spent so many years chain smoking, which is what eventually got my grandfather: lung cancer. I worry she won't hold out as long as I would like. But I have come to terms with this as most adults do.
Never have I thought that I'd outlive that fucking brick of a man, Vegeta.
My mom puts on her creepy mother-sensors and immediately picks up on my mood change.
"Why so interested in the Saiyan aging process? It seems Gohan has been aging more like a human. Maybe you'll be like that, too. But that's not what you're worrying about, is it?" She raises a hand up to my shoulder.
I stay silent. I've been through my dad's death once before. It was hell. I just always assumed he'd live forever, he and Goku both.
"We all talk a different language sometimes, don't we? And I don't mean your father's literal alien tongue." Mom starts, pulling me into a hug. "We're all mortals, Trunks. These are all things that are a part of life. That's why you have to appreciate the little things in the living years."
I'll never forget that conversation.
That day, I waltzed into GR (set at 700x gravity...child's play to my dad). He sensed my ki automatically.
"Oh, now you want to train? Sorry boy, but I'm training alone today. Don't need any weaklings holding me down." Dad sends a punch into an oncoming bot.
I ignore him, marching right up and leaning down to hug him. He's a tiny man, and I practically engulf him in my embrace.
"What the hell are you doing?! Do you have a death wish?!"
I'm surprised he's not blasting me into the next dimension.
"I love you, dad. I know we don't see eye-to-eye. But you're the best dad for me." I grunt, ignoring his squirming. If he really wanted to break free, he could have. He just has to put up a fight to act like he doesn't care.
"Tch, sentimental brat." He places a hand on my back, almost as if he was returning the hug before grabbing the back of my shirt and yanking me off of him. "Get out before this gravity crushes you."
Not quite a hug back, but close enough.
The next morning, I find I am once again a hostage to his ear-splitting morning ramblings.
"I can HEAR you!" I yell, per usual. "But I love you!" I add quickly before shoving a pillow over my head.
Someday, I might actually miss that voice.
Might as well enjoy it in the living years.