Bulma made her way down the hall and stopped in her tracks when she heard Vegeta and Trunks. She hesitated because she knew getting between them could put herself in danger. She didn't know how all this began, but she wanted to find out. While she was thinking about it, her fifteen-year-old daughter Bulla came walking down the hall with an alarmed look on her face.
"Mom, what are we going to do? This can't go on. I'm afraid they're going to do some real damage to the house."
"I know Bulla so stay here while I go and handle it." Before she could walk to the sliding door, Bulla grabbed her arm. "What is it?"
"I don't want you to get hurt mom."
"I'll be careful I promise."
Suddenly the ground shook as Bulma grabbed on to her daughter, bringing them away from the door to under the kitchen table. "Are they insane mom? Do they know what they are doing?"
"Sometimes anger gets the best of saiyans and so much so that they are blinded by those feelings."
"So you're saying they can blow up the house with us in it and not realize it before it's too late?"
She smiled sadly at her daughter. "I'm afraid so sweetie."
"We have to get out of here mom."
"I know. Come on and follow me."
Before they made their way down the hall again, the shaking stopped. They moved towards the door to see someone had intercepted the fight. Bulla sighed in relief as she hugged her mother. "Thank kami." They made their way outside to see it was Goten who had stopped the two from destroying the house.
Bulma was happy to see Goten. She just wished it hadn't been under these tumultuous circumstances. "It just doesn't make sense."
"Mom?"
"Your father and brother have always had a rocky relationship, but I thought they were on their way to fixing what was wrong?"
"What happened between them in the first place?"
"Trunks has always tried to get your father's love but everything he tried didn't work. I could see it was damaging your brother, but he would shake it off." She sighed. "Sometimes I'd hear him cry at night and I'd want to get out of bed and make him feel better but something told me that's not what he wanted. So I loved him the best I could but it wasn't enough. Your father wasn't ready to show Trunks just how much he cared. All your father's life the only life he had ever known was that of a saiyan."
"So dad needed to realize that you raised Trunks human and that part of him existed, not only the saiyan part of him."
"Exactly and when that day came I was so happy for both of them. Your father was really getting to know Trunks the half human being and not just his heir to his throne."
"Wow, Trunks never told me any of this."
"Well he's like his father in that way. He likes to keep things to himself."
"That's not healthy mom. That's probably one of the reasons why he and dad are having these altercations." Bulma nodded in agreement.
Goten looked at the two feuding saiyans who had standed down once he got in the middle of their spat. He couldn't believe what they were about to do, and he called them out on it. "What the hell do you think you two are doing? You just about destroyed your home with your family in it. Just what is going on between you two?"
"Don't involve yourself in things that are none of your business and I won't get involved in yours?"
"Goten what's he talking about?" asked Trunks, as he looked closer at his best friends to notice the bruises and the dried blooded wounds.
He turned his attention back to his father. "You sparred with Goten, didn't you?"
"The saiyan race needs to toughen up or when the time comes and the earth is in danger, we will all parish."
"Father, don't you think you're being a little dramatic? You need to trust in us when the time comes, that we will be ready to defend the earth with all our heart."
"You're fools." Vegeta turned his back on them and went into the house as Bulma and Bulla followed him inside.
Trunks felt Goten's hand on his shoulder. "Are you ok Trunks?"
"I'm just great. Things couldn't be better." He smiled. "It's good to see you Goten, and I guess I could have made an effort to see you. It's been hectic here as you can see."
"You're not completely at fault Trunks. I've just been so busy at college and I just got back home yesterday. The trip home wiped me out."
"How's being a freshmen working out for you?"
"It hasn't been easy, but I hold my own." He smiled. "So what have you been up to?"
"Besides working and arguing with my father?"
"Yeah, I wanted to ask about that. What's going on between you two anyway? Didn't you two just get to a point where getting to know each other better?"
"It has nothing to do with that and if you don't mind I'd rather not talk about it."
"You're still stubborn Briefs."
Trunks smiled. "And don't expect that to change any time soon."
"So what can you tell me Trunks?"
"Well I quit smoking and I've given up dating. And before you say it, it doesn't mean I've decided to commit to one girl."
"One night stands Trunks, really?"
"Why not? It's my life."
"Exactly and you only have one to live. You know you're going to get sick of that lifestyle and want something more. We may have been apart for a years, but I still know you."
"I know you to Goten."
"And what does that mean?"
"I know Valese cheated on you, but you're still hoping there's someone out there that you can spend the rest of your life with."
"What's so wrong with that? At least I wouldn't be going from one person to the other, feeling nothing at all, never finding love and eventually ending up alone. I don't want that, and you shouldn't either just because of what you've been through."
"Since when do you care about my love life?" Trunks looked amused.
"I've always cared. I just didn't voice it. I didn't think you'd care about what I said anyway."
"You're right Goten I don't care." He made his way to the glass door. "You coming with me?"
"Sure why not I'm exhausted from watching Uub and brother sparring this morning." Hearing Trunks's laughter at his comment made him feel good.
They were hanging out in Trunks's room, and the silence wasn't uncomfortable but pleasant. Goten closed his eyes but lifted them open as Trunks stared at him. He looked like he wanted to say something and before he could ask him, Trunks spoke.
"Hey Goten," he was hesitant, but he went on, "have you ever been in love?"
"Well I've only had one girlfriend so no. I wasn't even in love with her if that's what you mean." He was curious now. "Why? Have you?"
"No."
"You're lying Trunks. I can tell you know."
"And why would I lie to you Goten?"
"Well you always like to hide what you don't want other people to know."
Trunks smirked. "So, you got me all figured out then?"
"I used to be able to, but we've been apart for a while." Goten felt bad about it. He had college, but he had free time sometimes. Why didn't he visit Trunks?
Trunks could sense his best friend's guilt about being apart for so long, but the truth was it wasn't his entire fault. For a while he had strong feelings for Goten and it scared him. He wanted time to figure out where his feelings were leading him. When his father had discovered his secret, that's when the arguing began between the two.
"Trunks, TRUNKS!"
"Huh? Oh sorry what were you saying?"
"I was saying we should try to see each other when we can." Goten played with his fingers, looking down at his lap. "I just don't want to lose our friendship Trunks. You've always been there for me and man we used to have so much fun together." Goten smiled as he reminisced.
Trunks smiled. "Yeah we had some good times getting into trouble."
"That's your fault you know."
"Oh yeah because you're so innocent." He laughed.
"In a way I kind of was."
"And still are. Your face still looks like it did when you were seven."
"Is that a complement or an insult?"
"You can take it how ever you want Goten."
"So?" Goten smiled, "about this love interest of yours."
"I'm not telling you anything, so you might as well drop it."
"Why won't you tell me Trunks? I won't tell anyone if that's what you're worried about."
"That's not it. You wouldn't understand. It's much more complicated then you realize."
"You know I'm not an idiot Trunks despite how I acted as a child."
"I know you're not an idiot Goten, and I don't want to argue with you. I'm all ready arguing with my father. Can't you trust everything will be all right?"
