How Things Once Were

Goku wasn't one to be easily upset or shocked. He had seen the impossible happen time and time again so his view on life was as broad as he could make it. Even so his son had managed to frighten him, shock him, unsettle him more than anyone or anything had ever done before.

His little innocent boy had reached the age of fifteen, started getting moody and even a bit sharp-tongued. Chichi just said that it was what typical teenagers behave like but Goku wasn't so sure. He hadn't been around when Gohan was this age so he didn't have a frame of reference. To him it just seemed that the close bond they had built over the years was falling apart. The thing that hurt him the most though was the secrets his son was keeping from him and he had to find out the hard way.

Goku had just gotten home from dropping his wife off at her father's house where she'd spend a few days with the ageing man. He was sad to miss Chichi for a while but excited to have a few days for only Goten and himself. They could sleep under the stars, fish for breakfast, hunt for lunch and dinner and catch up on old times.

When he stepped into the hallway of his son's room however everything was dark but two unusually high powers were illuminating from behind the door. He froze when he heard the voices. They were strained, out of breath. He couldn't make out words though. Only groans, heavy pants. There were whispers, there was soft laughter and even moans.

Goku was beyond wondering if they had felt him come home because he was convinced they hadn't. Not if they were doing what he thought they were doing. He went outside, came back in and slammed the door shut behind him. Complete silence. Goten didn't come out of his room that night and Goku didn't call for him. He could feel Trunks fly away only minutes after he had closed the door. That little fucker, he found himself thinking.

Goku was never one to curse and he rarely got truly angry, but he wasn't used to getting lied to secrets of his loved ones being kept from him and he wondered why Goten would. Didn't he trust his father enough? Did Chichi know about this? Did Gohan know? What about Bulma and Vegeta? He was dying to clear the air but he had no idea how to handle it.

Trunks was around their house a lot and Goku couldn't help but stare at the boy who had corrupted his once so sweet and innocent son. He blame everything on the violet haired prince. It was the only explanation. What other reason could there be for his little boy not to spend time with his father if not the spawn of Vegeta manipulating him?

Goten was an angel. There couldn't be any other explanation.

"Daddy? Daddy are you awake?"

It was only as loud as a whisper but Goku had already felt his nine year old son come down the hallway. He quirked open and patted the empty side of the bed next to him. Goten climbed in, relief showing in his face. "Gohan hasn't come home yet," he whispers.

"He's fine," Goku said and let his son rest on his arm. "He's with his friends in the city."

"What about mommy? She's all alone now."

"She has grandpa with her."

"But grandpa isn't strong enough to fight the Buu-monster..."

"The Buu-monster wont come back. Mommy will be fine, she'll be back before you know it."

"I miss her."

The little boy curled up against him and Goku turned onto his side. He wrapped an arm around his son and pressed a kiss onto this hair. "I'm sure she misses you too. She wouldn't be happy to see you sad."

Goten sniffed and his little fingers clutched onto his father's shirt. "I'm happy you're with us, daddy."

"I'm really happy about that too, sweety," he smiled and gave his son another kiss.

Goten used to look up to him, he used to adore him. Now he barely wants to lock eyes with him. Why? Chichi said that it was just hormones. He was just growing up and trying to be independent. There was no point in trying to explain it, she said, it was just what teenagers did.

Goku didn't want to believe it. He wanted to believe that there was something he could to to get his little angel back and the only reasonable option seemed to be that Trunks had to die. Now, Goku was no murderer but the idea wasn't unsatisfying. It'd probably start a world war though, so he decided against it. Man,he hated Trunks.

"Maybe we should go for a trip. What do you think, Goten? Escape the heat for a day and go to the South Pole to throw snowballs!"

"Sounds like fun. I can't stand this weather, you know-"

"Your mom won't allow it," Goku cut in, but soon felt guilty. "Not unsupervised."

"Why not? We've gone on trips before," Goten frowned. "I'll just ask her then."

"It's fine. We can ask Gohan to come with us."

"Gohan has work," Goku reminds them.

"Maybe Videl-"

"She has Pan."

"Fine," Goten then said and the annoyed look on his face didn't sit well with Goku. "Let's just go for a swim in the lake."

He had to admit it felt like a victory. Until he remember that like him, Goten liked swimming naked.

"I'll go with you," he then said. "I wanted to go fishing anyway."

"I forgot," Trunks then said. "I had to do something at home for my mom. Will you come with me Goten?"

That little liar. That little filthy liar! He was pulling out all these tricks to get into his little boy's pants right in front of him! But Goku was stuck. It was impossible for him to forbid him to go to Capsule Corporation without a very good argument. He had lost this round.

"What are you moping around about?" Chichi asked as she slid into bed. "You've been like this for a while now. Still obsessing about Goten?"

"Something is really wrong, Chichi," he sighed. "I don't think Trunks is a good influence."

Chichi seemed surprised. "You're serious? It really can't be that bad. They're not drinking, they're not on drugs and I haven't found any tattoos on either one of them just yet. And you know how they just love to run around here naked."

"Chichi, I need to tell you something but you have to promise not to tell anyone and you can't say anything to Goten about it either."

"This sounds serious," she said looking worried. "What is it?"

"When you were with you father...when I came home Goten and Trunks were in Goten's room. They were...you know."

"No."

"I don't know what they were doing exactly obviously but it sounded a lot like...you know."

"Maybe they were just wrestling or-"

"Pretty sure they weren't."

"But... it's Goten. He's still just a baby, how can this even be on his mind?"

"I blame that purple haired freak. Pure evil, if you ask me."

"Just...just let them be for now. I'm sure it's not too serious. It still could have been anything."

Goku wasn't convinced.

After that it felt like every time Goku blinked Goten drifted farther and farther apart. He was getting taller, bigger and Goku couldn't stop it from happening nor was he supposed to. Trunks was around less but so was Goten. They went to school in the city and he'd usually not come home until dinner time and leave again not long after to meet up with friends for class projects or whatever the thing was he was doing that particular week.

And then, three years after that terrible, terrible night, Goku was confronted with what he had always suspected was going on but still hoped was just his paranoid mind.

He came home after a long afternoon at Master Roshi's. The sun was setting behind the mountains and his stomach had been growling all the way. He passed Gohan's house and felt Chichi with them. They were getting dinner together, the family.

"Have you seen Goten around the house? He stepped out a minute ago," Chichi said.

"He's not far," Gohan murmured, his eyes shifting from hiss mother to his dad. "He'll be back."

It was the strange look that raised Goku's suspicion.

"I'll go look for him then," Goku said and watched Gohan shift uncomfortably.

"That's okay, dad. I'll go," he said. "Must have been a long day for you-"

Goku was already out the door. He heightened his senses and felt his youngest son at the edge of the cliff a few yards away from their house. He was not alone.

Goku went towards them and his paranoid side made sure he suppressed his power enough to not be felt directly.

They sat there, with their backs towards him. Their legs hanging over the cliff. Shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip. Their fingers we tangled up in each other and they were talking softly, a soft chuckle floating in the wind now and then.

Goku held his breath when Trunks moved in and pressed a kiss against his son's jaw. Goten snickered and turned his head, laughter dying when their lips met.

He expected it to be over quick, but it took longer, longer than a normal kiss would take.

When they finally broke apart Goten said something and Trunks laughed. They hugged and said their goodbyes. Trunks took off, came back for one last quick kiss and then left. Goten fell back, onto the grass. His eyes were closed and a smile was painted on his face.

Goku put his fingers to his forehead and reappeared in front of Gohan's house. They had forbidden him from appearing inside after the third broken table.

"Didn't you find him?" Chichi asked when he finally entered.

"Nope," he said. "But I'm sure he'll be here in a minute. Goten doesn't miss meals."

Goku felt his eldest son's eyes on him, without a doubt.

"Come on, Pan, come sit with grandpa," Goku said and lifted the little runt off the ground. He sat down at the table with his granddaughter in his lap. She was playing with one of her plushies, barely even noticing his presence, it seemed. Innocence.

"You guys didn't start without me, did you?" his youngest son's voice filled the hallway as the front door slammed shut.

"I think uncle Goten came home," Goku chuckled and Pan looked up, startled.

"Uncle Goten is a loud mouth," the girl huffed before jumping off her grandfather's lap and straight into her uncle's arms. Goten had entered the dining room, arms open for her.

"Are you taking good care of Carrotcake, Pan? He looks good enough," Goten said thoughtfully as he inspected the plush rabbit in the little girl's hands.

"He's my best friend," she said. "But since he was your best friend first, we can share right?"

Goku was a bit confused and Goten noticed.

"It was my plushy," he explained. "I gave it to the twerp just last week."

"Carrotcake?" Goku asked and was surprised at the slight blush colouring the young saiyan's cheeks.

"I couldn't really say 'Kakarot' when I was little so..."

Goku was about to say something when Gohan came through the door. "Help set the table, Goten."

"Right," the younger boy said and seemed relieved by the interruption. He took Pan with him, into the kitchen.

Gohan seemed to be feeling the air, to see what exactly had been going on before he interrupted.

"I saw them," Goku finally said. "You never told me."

Gohan sighed. At least it was out in the open now. "He didn't want me to. I couldn't betray his trust."

"I understand."

"Did you tell him?"

"Nope. Still hoping he'll tell me."

"He will. Are you mad?"

"I was mad three years ago when he was a kid. He's not small anymore, I guess. I don't have the right."

"Well...if it makes you feel any better...when I found out I kicked Trunks' ass pretty badly."

"That really shouldn't make me feel better."

"But it does, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah," Goku grinned and got up to give his eldest a pat on the back.

"Are you going to talk to him about it later?" Gohan asked. "I'm sure he'll be relieved."

"We'll see. Hey, what about Vegeta though?"

"What about him?"

"Does he know his son is gay or what?"

"He knew all along. He was the one to confront them out in the open. They were fighting for some reason and he put them in the gravity chamber and flipped it upside down. Something about shaking the sand out of their vaginas or something in that direction. You know how he can be."

"And I missed that?"

"You were gone for a while then, dad. You were with Uub that entire week-"

Goten and Bulma came it carrying pots and pans and a bunch of plates, dinner had started.

"What are you doing here? I don't have time for you," Vegeta barked when he found Goku waiting for him in Capsule Corp.'s regeneration room.

"Vegeta, I need to know something."

Vegeta ignored him but Goku knew the man well enough to know he was listening.

"When Goten was a baby, did you see him often?"

"Goten? Why would I be involved in your child's upbringing, Kakarot?"

"Well you are his prince or king or whatever after all. He's a Saiyan."

"Is that so? You wouldn't say it from his attitude. He's just as much a clown as his father."

"Did you give him the rabbit?"

Vegeta's face visibly hardened and Goku knew he was spot on. "It was one of Trunks' toys he never used and the woman forced me to bring a present."

"And was it your idea to call it Kakarot?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'd be surprised if the kid even knows your name is Kakarot. He's never been interested in his heritage."

"It's true he really didn't know what 'Kakarot' was up until Broly. I guess he was too young to remember what you told him and Carrotcake stuck."

"This is the most ridiculous conversation I have ever had with you."

"Thanks, I owe you one," Goku winked before he disappeared out of the Briefs' kitchen.