Ok, I know I just uploaded Chapter 2 earlier but I couldn't resist giving you another chapter! I love this chapter so much! This one, taking a break from Trunks and focusing more on ChiChi's and Gohan's relationship with Goten. Enjoy!
Suddenly I am VERY confused. She hits me all the time, why is he—oh, I get it. Mr. Perfect over here was never beaten.
"You've been abusing him?" Gohan yells.
"He—he's just such a bad child!" Mom admits. "Nothing like you were, sweetie!"
"So you hit him in the face with a textbook?"
"I usually don't go so far, but I'm fed up with his nonsense!" she cries. She shoots me a furious glance. "Please, don't be angry with me!"
Gohan shakes her off, grabbing me by my wrist and taking me away from Mom, who is crying even harder now. He takes me into a bathroom, where he shuts the door behind us. He gestures for me to take a seat on the toilet while he shuffles around for a towel. He finally finds one, and runs it under cold water before crouching in front of me.
"How long has this been going on, Goten?" he asks with genuine care. He hands me the towel, which I press against my throbbing eye. It stings like a bitch for a few moments, but the pain is eventually replaced with pleasure.
"My whole life," I admit. Memories of countless beatings bounce around my skull, threatening to bring tears to my eyes. "She's never touched you, has she?"
There's a long silence between us, but he eventually does answer. "No, she hasn't."
"Yeah, I didn't think so," I sigh. I can't fight it anymore, so the tears come. I'll never be put on a pedestal like Gohan has, so I'll always be getting the short end of the stick when it comes to my family. I haven't seen my father in years, and Gohan's away with Videl all the time. All I'm left with is my abusive mother.
"Why does she do it?"
"Pfft. More like why doesn't she do it?" I joke. "She's always bitching about my grades, my laziness, the way I dress, hanging out with Trunks—"
"Trunks?" he asks. "I don't get that, he's a good kid. What's her problem with Trunks?"
"He was all bad when we were kids, so she eternally hates him," I explain painfully. "Makes my life suck even worse than usual. He's even offered to pay my way through college...why does she hate him?"
"He really offered that?" Gohan asks.
"Yeah, he did," I say. Memories of Trunks asleep on my chest, and last night when I cradled him against me and played with his hair. I feel myself blushing furiously.
There's a long silence between us. Gohan looks at me like he's surprised for a while, but then smiles. "You like him...don't you?"
"Of course I like him, he's my best friend."
"No, you don't understand," he says. "You like him, don't you?"
Fuck.
If possible, I feel myself blushing even more than before. "How did you...?"
"The way you always talk about him, the way you watch him when he walks, and just now when you blushed when you were talking," Gohan explains. My face gets even redder to the point I probably look like a ripe tomato.
"You can't tell anyone," I order. "Especially Mom. If she finds out, she'll kill me."
"For being gay?" he asks. I wince as he actually says it out loud. "Bro, don't worry about it. She's not like that."
"Not because I'm—" I pause. "—gay, just because I like Trunks."
Gohan nods. "I understand. Don't worry, bro. You need another towel."
I remove the towel from my eye, seeing that blood has soaked deep into the cloth already. Gohan hands me another one, which I promptly place against my eye.
"So what are you gonna do?" Gohan asks.
"About what?"
"Trunks, obviously," Gohan jokes. "If you like him, why not tell him?"
"Because he's straight!" I whine. "If I tell him, things will get all weird and he'll never talk to me again!"
Gohan tries to give some more "helpful" advice, but a loud banging on the door interrupts us.
"WILL YOU GET OUT OF THERE, I NEED TO PEE!" Vegeta roars. I stand up and follow Gohan out the door and into the hallway. Mom sits at the end of the hallway, still being comforted by Bulma as she weeps into a rag. Bulma shoots me a sympathetic glance, which I ignore.
"Where is Trunks?" I ask.
"Is it okay if he sees him?" Bulma asks my mom.
"I don't care, I give up!" Mom weeps. "That boy is helpless, I give up!"
A pain erupts in my heart. She gives up? Sure, the two of us fight, but give up? How could she even say that?
"Trunks is at the end of the hall , last door on the right," Bulma directs. I bow, and turn to run towards Trunks. Gohan winks at me, making me blush again.
I open the door to Trunks' room, where he is sleeping peacefully in a hospital bed. I walk up as silently as I can, getting very close to him. His eyes flicker beneath his eyelids, proving that he must be dreaming about something. I wonder what about.
I crawl in bed next to him, setting his head to rest against my shoulder. The smell of laundry detergent fills me up, making me smile. And it's a true smile...one I haven't had in a few days. I look Trunks over, where I see that the damage I've caused him is very severe. One of his legs is bandaged but not broken, and one arm is in a sling, but the real problem is his shoulder. It's been bandaged like there's no tomorrow, and soaked through with blood. What did I do to him?
He mumbles in his sleep, making me have to stifle a laugh. I think I hear my name in there, which surprises me. Is he...dreaming about me? No, I'm probably just imagining things.
Trunks' eyelids open slowly. His soft eyes stare into mine, forcing a smile out of me. He closes his eyes again, pushing his head against my chest. He mumbles something under his breath before falling asleep again. What did they drug him with, anyway?
For about half an hour I just lay here, watching Trunks sleep. I feel like some sort of creepy stalker, but hey, he put his head on me. I just don't want to wake him up.
I hear yelling from the hallway again. I force myself out of bed, gently repositioning Trunks in his bed. I sneak over to the doorway, just barely poking my head out to the other side.
"I'm just fine with that," Gohan snaps at our Mom.. "I don't want him living with you anymore, Mother."
She regains her composure as she watches Gohan's every movement. My eyes wander to him as well, wondering just what the hell he's thinking.
"Gohan?" I ask under my breath.
"Gohan..." Mother sobs. "How could you say that to me?"
"You've been abusing Goten for years right under my nose, and I've been a fool not to see it!" he yells. "From now on, he can live with me!"
"You can barely support yourself and Videl, much less Goten!" she yells. "He has to stay with me."
"No, he doesn't," Bulma interjects. "We have plenty of money and extra space. He can stay here."
Mom's eyes get even wider until they look like they're about to pop right out of her skull. "Bulma, what are you saying?"
"To be perfectly honest, ChiChi," Bulma starts. "I'm not comfortable with you hurting Goten either. There's a fine line between punishment and abuse, and I think you crossed it a long time ago."
"Why are you two doing this to me?" Mom cries. She weeps again, making me almost regret all the "bad" stuff I've done over the years. Sneaking out with Trunks, staying over at his house without permission, going to R-Rated movies...the list goes on. And, for the first time, I actually feel kinda bad about it.
"Mom, don't think that this means I don't love you," Gohan comforts. "It's just...I think you two need some time apart. Dad and I had a whole year together in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber when I was a kid, but you two have been together every day of his life. He needs some space."
Mom pulls her face away from her rag, looking deep into Gohan's eyes. She doesn't smile, but she nods. Looks like I'll be living at Capsule Corp., living the good life.
With Trunks. Now there's a plus.
"Fine," Mom finally agrees. "I'll give him until the end of Summer. If Goten wants to come home after that, then he can. If not...then he can't come back."
I shudder, forcing myself back into Trunks' room. Do they know I was listening? I'm not sure how much of that I was supposed to hear—especially that last part. I spend the summer here with Trunks, but then what? I'll have to move back home, since Trunks will be leaving for college and my senior year will begin.
I sit at Trunks' bedside for a few minutes before Gohan enters. He explains that I'll be living here now rather than at home (which I already knew), and Mom's offer: I can stay the whole summer, but then I'll have to come back home or not come home at all.
I wonder which I'll choose?
It's official! Goten and Trunks are officially living together! I'll be uploading Chapter 4 in a couple of days, so don't worry! Please leave a review so I can improve my writing, and thanks for reading!
