So, I was wrong in my last author's note—this story ran away with me in tow, and the things I mentioned are in the next chapter. In THIS chapter, more wer'kha awesomeness, and something that is going to make yall some very, VERY happy readers.
Usagi noticed for the tenth time when Trunks subtly leaned against her as they both worked sitting side by side, their hands constantly in motion as she finished the first boot and he made holes in a piece of fur that he refused to tell her the purpose of, stating that it was a surprise. "You know I'm gonna figure it out by the time I see where you're making the holes," she giggled.
"Well, then I guess I'll just have to stop and finish it while I'm gone," he countered smoothly, not even looking up from his project, at least not until she stopped moving and he felt her joy rolling through him. "Hm…? What are—oh! You finished one, great job, Usagi!"
"Try it on!" She urged him. "I want to see if it fits!"
Pushing aside the remnants of his supper, Trunks was more than happy to oblige and stuck his already bare foot in the fur boot, nodding in approval at the fit and the extremely comfortable feeling of fur on his skin. "Very nice, Usa! It feels great! I swear, I'm going to be the best-dressed Saiyan on this planet by the time you're done with me!"
Beyond pleased by his praise, the princess couldn't stop smiling as she started right in on the second boot, determined for him to wear them before he left in two days. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you're warm while you're gone. I can probably finish this one before lunch tomorrow, and I'll have you a shirt made by supper!"
"You really need to make yourself some boots, too, Usa," he reminded her, flattered by how she insisted on making his first even though her shoes were far worse off than his. He didn't need the shirt as badly as she needed a coat, either; since he could warm himself with his ki, her clothing needed to be the priority, but she'd rebuffed every attempt he'd made at convincing her to take care of herself first… which was why he was making her a long skirt.
He'd noticed that she hadn't changed pants yet again, so he knew that she was running low on clean clothes. And since the other pair he'd seen her in was just as stained in wer'kha blood and guts as his fatigues were, he thought he'd make her something that would keep her warm without impeding her movement. But since he couldn't borrow the pattern he'd cut for her to make pants without giving himself away, he'd guessed at her waist size, went four inches wider, and had plans to run a fur drawstring through the snow white pelt he was using so that it would fit her right. I hope she likes it as much as I like the boots she's making me.
Isn't it sweet? You're already exchanging courting gifts with her.
Aw, shuddup, he rumbled right back at his beast, doing his best not to get defensive since it had a point. Fuck it though, he was making her this skirt, and then he was going to start in on her coat, since he knew without a doubt that she'd be too busy trying to make him something else before taking care of her own needs.
Speaking of her needs… "Usagi, do you have anything that you can use as a weapon? You know, just in case you need one. I know you're not going to go down to the ground, but I'd still feel better if I knew you could defend yourself."
"Actually, I have one of Rei's bows in here," she realized, fetching it from her subspace immediately to present him with a bow made of black Martian hardwood.
Emitting an impressed whistle, Trunks took it carefully and admired the make of it, knowing from his battles with the Martians that their bows shot straight and true, and that even an amateur marksman shot better than his peers if he was using a Martian bow. "Well, I definitely don't need to leave you my sword, then," he chuckled as he handed it back. "And I'm surprised that Rei parted with that."
"I'm surprised she didn't ask for it back, honestly," Usagi murmured as she stared at it in confusion, recalling the day that Rei had been teaching her how to shoot because they were bored. "Setsuna was with us and I remember her telling me to store it so it wouldn't get lost, that her and Rei needed to talk… and then Rei just never asked me for it back. She probably forgot about it, too, honestly; she has lots of bows."
"Arrows?" Trunks wondered.
"Yeah, I had a couple of quivers full of them while we were practicing, and they were really expensive so I put them up, too," she answered as she dug around and found them, setting them with the weapon.
"Thank the gods for Setsuna," the prince murmured as he picked up the small computer. "If not for her forgetfulness, we wouldn't have had this, either. Here, I programmed it so the alarm will go off on the third morning. I should definitely be back by then, and if I'm not, I'll be back really soon. It's got a countdown and everything on there."
"Heh, I almost forgot," Usagi giggled as she left that screen and went to the main calendar. "I found this last time and Setsuna's got all our birthday's programmed in. I meant to add yours to it so she'll make that disapproving face she's famous for when I give it back and she finds it."
Trunks laughed at that and nodded; she'd told him about that face and how it was a joke even with her mother and her outer Senshi that Setsuna's disapproving frown seemed to be her resting face. "Mom said that it's November second on the Solarian calendar… huh, that's next week," he added with interest as he looked over her shoulder. "I didn't realize my birthday was already creeping up, what with the war and the switching between planets. Gods, I'll never get over the change in dates between worlds, it always confuses the hell out of me. For example, it's something like September on Five, and it's June twenty-second back home."
Usagi could only laugh at that and grin. "Well then, my birthday's next week on Vegeta-sei. Looks like we'll turn twenty together, Trunks. Mine's on the thirtieth."
"Really? Mine too!" He exclaimed in surprise. "I mean, it's really November on your planet, but on my homeworld it's the same date as yours. That's actually pretty cool, Usa."
"It is… in fact, when you get back, I'll have a birthday present for you," she decided. "I don't know about you, but ever since the war started, we haven't really made a huge deal about birthdays. The only one that we really celebrated was my eighteenth, and even when Mom gave me part of the crystal on my seventeenth, we only had cake afterwards."
"Shit, we don't even get cake!" Trunks laughed. "Father just sort of slaps me on the back and tells me he's surprised that I survived another year without him killing me!"
Absorbed in the feeling of his mirth, Usagi couldn't help but join in on the laughter. "Oh gods, Rei tells me the same thing!"
"We really need to put those two in a room when we get back!"
"Gods, I know, right!? We could get a couple chairs and some popcorn and watch the fireworks!"
"Takes bets on how long it'd be before they killed each other!" Trunks added, cackling at the mental image.
Usagi was beyond words at that, she was roaring at the hilarity of it all and leaning against him, and by the time the ringing sound of her laughter died down she had the hiccups and they both had tears streaming down their faces. She wasn't smiling anymore, though, she was wiping her eyes and looking up at him sadly. "I'm really going to miss you, Trunks."
Whether she meant when he took off for a couple days or when they were finally rescued, Trunks didn't know, so he just sighed and nodded. "You too, Usa. Don't worry, though… I'll find you. Promise."
Whether he meant when he took off or when they were rescued, Usagi didn't know, so she just leaned into him again and hugged him tightly. "And if you don't find me, I'll find you. I swear it."
Both of them were somber after that, but they continued to work by candlelight for a couple more hours since neither of them needed to be up super early in the morning. After all, they had a fireplace that seemed to be working just fine—Trunks had commented more than once about how surprised he was that it hadn't been damaged and how lucky they were that it worked perfectly—a roof over their heads, warm furs to sleep in, and plenty of food. They were safe from the wer'kha and any lesser predators that might bother them, so they knew that they could let their guards down and sleep deeply without worry.
When it came time for bed, Usagi did her business behind a sheet that Trunks had hung up for her, using a bucket from her subspace while the prince went up top to do the same over the railing, and he even went back up to dump her bucket over the side once he'd finished, giving her some privacy to change into a clean t-shirt and get under the covers.
"You know one thing I'll enjoy while I'm gone?" He chuckled as he took off his fatigues behind the curtain and put on the sweats she'd cleaned for him in the lake after they'd eaten lunch.
"You'll get to sleep naked," Usagi guessed knowingly. "And guess what? So will I. I don't normally do that, but I'll admit that I've been dying to slide around naked under all this soft fur."
The thought of her sleeping naked brought his beast to the surface, but Trunks wasn't sure if it was his primal side or the partial bond that made him speak as he imagined what she'd feel like against him, with no clothes to separate either of them from the other. "Usa, all joking aside, you're the only one bothered by nudity. There's no nudity taboo among my people, none at all, so if you feel inclined to sleep naked, you go right ahead."
"Nah, but thanks," she replied shyly as he came back around the curtain and slid into bed with her. "If I did, there's not a chance in hell that I'd let you snuggle me, and I honestly enjoy it too much to give it up in exchange for rolling around naked in fur."
Trunks couldn't help but puff up with pride over the fact that she enjoyed sleeping against him even more than the soft, luxuriously thick wer'kha pelt against her skin, and he responded by snagging her with his tail and dragging her to him. He grinned when she giggled and immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him, quickly getting comfortable and burying her face in his chest, lifting her head for the pillow when he drug it over as well.
Sharing sleeping space was completely different now that he'd partially marked her; there wasn't even a debate about cuddling or any attempts to sleep on opposite sides of the bed. To even suggest attempting such a thing would have made them both laugh since they'd craved each other's touch all day and had both been secretly waiting for the moment when they could get as close as physically possible without the other getting upset about it.
Even Trunks, with all his resistance and fighting of the inevitable, sighed in contentment and didn't hold back his purr when he buried his nose in her hair, his hands wandering her back as hers did the same. He felt her grin against him just as he sensed her happiness through the partial bond, and when she used a little of her light he chuckled and sagged in surrender. "Mmm… better than any sleeping pill, sweetheart."
A kiss to his chest surprised him, but Trunks decided not to comment and only returned it to the skin pressing against his cheek, smiling wryly when she giggled at the feeling of his lips on her throat. "En m'kor, Usa m'yo."
She couldn't understand his words, but she was fairly sure he'd said goodnight, so she just went with it, unaware of how he was mentally berating himself for using a possessive term on her. "Night, Trunks."
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Waking up tangled up in each other was a lot different than it had been the previous mornings, and Trunks was actually blushing at how hard he was beneath the covers and the level of temptation he felt to simply press his lips to hers and wake her with a morning seduction.
No, we should wait until she's awake for that, his beast chuckled. We love a challenge.
Usagi woke to Trunks fighting his instincts, too, stirring against him as he nuzzled her throat and even nipped at it. "Mmm… Trunks… what're ya doin'?" She murmured, reflecting that whatever he was doing, it felt wonderful.
"Fuckin' bond," he mumbled sleepily, letting out a soft, possessive growl that mixed in with his purr. "My beast is bein' an asshole."
Usagi giggled not only at that and the fact that she found Trunks annoyed tone to be absolutely adorable, but at the way his face was tickling her every time he nuzzled her throat and shoulder or nipped at her. "You need a shave, Trunks… it seems you grew a full beard overnight."
"Hm?" A small compact in his hand made him roll a bit, keeping her tucked tightly to him, and when Trunks looked inside he found that the stubble he'd developed over the last few days had finally erupted into what was officially a short beard and mustache. "Damn it… and I'll shred my face trying to shave with a knife, too… guess I could use my ki like Father does."
"I dunno, Grizzly Adams, I think it looks kinda cute on you," Usagi chuckled, still half asleep, her hand tracing his face and the quarter-inch lavender hairs coating it. "You could let it get long like your hair, maybe let me braid some little beads into it and AAAAAH! OH GODS STOP TICKLING ME!" She shrieked, flailing beneath the covers. "COME ON, PINK BEADS AND SOME BOWS WOULD LOOK CUTE— OH SHIT NOT THE KNEES! PLEASE NOT THE KNEES!"
The moon princess panted for air when he suddenly stopped, pinning her beneath the furs, his body resting on top of hers, and when she cracked open her eyes she found his eyes dilated and half-closed… and his lips precariously close to hers. "T—Trunks…?" She whispered, her smile fading as he only continued to breathe heavily, his warm breath ghosting over her mouth. "Trunks… are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She asked in an attempt to snap him out of it, half-wondering if he was fighting the urge to kiss her and wishing that she could find the courage to lean up and close the mere inch between them.
He shifted slightly then, and Usagi's eyes popped as she felt him pressing to her bare inner thigh, long, thick and hard, but just as she thought he was about to finally kiss her, his eyes slipped shut and he drew back. "Sorry," he breathed, "I… the bond… I didn't mean to…"
"Trunks, it's ok," she assured him softly. "No harm done. Are… are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah, I just… sorry," he repeated shakily as he finally cracked his eyes open and his fingers tenderly stroked her cheek. "Sorry if I scared you. It's just the bond, that's all."
Oh… so he didn't actually want her, then. It was just the effects of the partial bond trying to draw them closer, trying to tempt them into completing it—it wasn't actually what Trunks himself wanted. Usagi was surprised by the disappointment that she felt in reaction to that knowledge, but she hid it well and managed a shy smile for his benefit, secretly wondering what in the hell was wrong with her. Did she want him or something? Was she falling in love with him, maybe? Or was it just the bond effecting her like it was effecting him? "You didn't scare me, Trunks. It's alright. Though… I think you need to pee," she added with a giggle, her face heating up at the feeling of the hot, soft skin wrapped around hard steel.
He was still pressing intimately to her inner thigh, and Trunks only noticed it as well, his cheeks as red as hers when he promptly rolled off of her. "Shit, Usagi, I'm sorry! Why didn't you say something sooner!?"
"I only just realized it," she replied, shrugging and quickly shutting her eyes, but not before she got an eyeful that made her feel inexplicably warm from head to toe. So, that's what a naked man looked like… holy crap, Mina hadn't been kidding about the sight being arousing!
"You're telling me that you only just noticed this against your leg?" Trunks laughed in embarrassment. "Damn, sweetheart, are you calling me small!?"
"I don't know… are you?"
"Oh. You've never seen a man before," he guessed, feeling strangely happy about that. Sure, he wasn't a virgin, but he was about as close as any Saiyan got. He'd been through three burnings since he'd turned fifteen and a skilled whore had taken care of him at Celes's whorehouse back home, but other than that, he hadn't been with a woman. Hell, there hadn't been time—he wasn't a prude like his father, but he was the leader of the Elite, and before that he'd been on the front lines of the fighting. War left little time for courtship or romance, even the Saiyan kind.
Her eyes were shut tight, too, her cheeks flaming red, and Trunks ignored his beast's suggestions to go over and press against her once more to let her get a better feel of him, but he couldn't resist the urge to tease her a bit. "Heh… do you want to look, little moon goddess? I'm Saiyan and shameless, so it's not like I mind."
Her mother had always said that her curiosity would one day be her downfall, but it was not just curiosity that opened her eyes—it was the feeling of his smug surety through the bond that she wouldn't rise to the challenge, and it irked her enough to take the bait.
"Oh," she gasped, exhaling in a rush at the sight of him bared and holding still for her inspection, his arms at his sides and his lips twitching up in a knowing smirk. "Um… very nice," she managed as she wrenched her eyes away from his morning wood and let them travel over the rest of him, admiring the muscles rippling beneath his tanned, scarred flesh. Her blue eyes finally locked with his, and she found them smoldering as he simply watched her admiring him, his smirk having faded within moments to a hungry look. "You're very beautiful, Trunks."
The simple compliment stunned him enough that he stopped thinking of inviting her to touch him as well, and the smug smirk was back as he turned towards the sheet and the chamber pot, giving her a nice view of his ass and his swishing tail. "Thanks, Usa. Some foreign women find the scars unsettling."
"Actually… I like them," she admitted shyly as she imagined trailing her fingertips over every single one of them while he told her how he got them. "There's a story behind every one of them, and they show that you've managed to survive an awful lot. It gives you character."
"Heh, how very Saiyan of you," he chuckled behind the curtain as he did his business. "You got any scars?" He wondered as he came back around, grinning when she quickly shut her eyes out of habit and buried her red face in her pillow.
"I've got a few from the battles," she told him, reaching back without opening her eyes to pull up the back of her shirt. "See? I'm actually kind of proud of that one, but don't tell Rei—once Mom had healed me, Rei screamed at me for hours about throwing myself between her and a ki blast from Broly."
"You survived a hit from Broly!?" Trunks exclaimed as he dove into the bed and quickly jerked her shirt up the rest of the way to admire the long, faint slash that crossed diagonally from her left ribcage to her right shoulder blade. "A glancing blow, but he definitely got you all the same," he said in plain admiration, his fingers tracing the length of it back and forth, making her shiver with pleasure. "Bitchin'."
"Did you see the one on my leg?" She asked, emboldened by his admiration. She had always thought her scars were ugly, but Trunks apparently thought that they were cool, and Usagi was beyond happy to have found a major common ground for the both of them. "Here, look," she said as she rolled over and shucked the covers back, careful to bare only herself. "I got that one from your father," she giggled, "and he wasn't too happy with me when I told him that he hit like a bitch."
"Bullshit. No way you actually told him that," Trunks snorted. "Unless… wait. Was that the battle on the far side of Uranus where he came home looking like someone had drug him through Hell and trampled him in the process?"
That was actually quite the accurate description, and Usagi giggled as she nodded. "Haruka wasn't too happy about me getting hit and we ripped him a new one when he tried to come back for seconds. World Shaking combined with my moon wand," she explained.
"You actually told him that… that he hit like a bitch?" Trunks choked out, recalling how unbelievably pissed off Vegeta had been for weeks after that particular fight.
"I know he's your father, but I was mad at him!" She protested hotly. "Look, see!? He burned the hell out of my thigh, and a ton of scars aren't exactly pretty on a woman!"
"Oh, shut up," Trunks huffed as he brazenly raked his eyes over her, making no attempts to discreetly check her out. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life, Saiyan or otherwise. And Usagi… scars are very, very sexy as far as I'm concerned. Like you said, they give character. They tell a story."
"You think I'm sexy!?" She squeaked, her cheeks blazing hot and her eyes wide. No one had ever called her sexy before! Beautiful, yes, pretty, definitely. But sexy!?
"Don't let it go to your head, princess. You'll never be as sexy as I am," he teased as he fished around under the covers and located his pants, turning from her to study them in confusion. "I don't remember ever taking these off, either."
"Huh… you're right. You went to bed with them on," Usagi confirmed, half glad and half disappointed that he was no longer focused on her with those hazy blue eyes.
You kicked them off in your sleep, dumbass. No, don't you dare blame me, if I'd done it I would have owned up to it, his beast laughed.
"Oh. Heh… my beast says I did it in my sleep. Guess I got tired of wearing them." He shrugged them on under the covers and buttoned them up, and when he was done he found Usagi's pants for her and handed them over before going to start a fire, needing some space from her before he did or said something that would cross the line.
Trunks hadn't meant to admit that he thought she was sexy, but it had flown out of his mouth unbidden. And she hadn't reacted badly to it, either, if anything she'd been flattered… and maybe even interested? The way she'd looked him over earlier had definitely hinted at interest, and it only made it even harder for him to resist her charms.
And the fact that she was starting to go into heat wasn't going to help matters. Thank the gods he'd be leaving for a few days.
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"We should gather stuff before winter sets in. Just in case," Trunks added when Usagi lifted a brow in surprise. "Don't give me that look, Usa. I just… I've got a really bad feeling suddenly. Really, really bad."
Usagi was quiet for a full minute before nodding, studying him silently as she thought. "You shouldn't ignore a gut feeling like that, it's usually accurate. I just… I don't want to believe it, that's all. I can't help but hope that rescue will come, and soon."
"I know, I do, too. But… I got a really bad feeling a few minutes ago, Usagi. I think something happened that's going to keep us from being rescued, and even my beast is uneasy. I feel an urgency to go ahead and go, like I'm needed somewhere, and at the same time I feel the urgency to make sure we're well supplied," he finished softly, deeply worried about the sinking feeling he'd felt in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
"Did you want to leave right now?" She asked softly. "If you feel like you need to, Trunks, then you should go. I can hole up a day early, so long as you're back in two or three days."
"I…" He contemplated the idea for a minute or two before slowly shaking his head. Not only did that not sit well with him, but her heat wasn't strong yet and he wanted to wait so that the worst of it would synch up with the time he was gone. "The idea of leaving you early makes me feel even worse, so no. Let's finish eating lunch, and then we'll need bags from your subspace. We're going to go into the woods and pick it clean of nuts and berries and store them away for later, and any herbs or vegetables we find, too."
"Sounds good, but… what about the wer'kha?" She asked anxiously. "I thought we were going to stay out of their territory."
"I'll give them the ox'ana I killed this morning for the leather. You still get your leather, they get some meat—we have plenty, anyway—and we get a free pass into the woods for the day. Hell, they'll probably be better inclined to us in the future if we just start leaving them food once in a while, so I'll try and do it once or twice a week since we'll need the extra fur."
"Just once or twice?" Usagi asked incredulously. "Trunks, they're huge. That matriarch could easily eat that deer-thing you killed and four more just like it!"
"Yeah, but it's the gesture that counts. They're not dumb, you know that. They'll see the gift for what it is—an attempt to make friends—and regular gifts will solidify the truce. We'll be a lot less likely to find visitors beneath our treehouse in the spring, and they'll just let us be when we're in the forest, so long as we respect them," Trunks explained. "They can be reasonable… at least that's what I've heard from Saiyans that prefer to live alone in the wild."
"We've witnessed it ourselves," Usagi agreed. "They have a very strict code of honor that we don't wholly understand, but it seems that if we follow their rules, they'll coexist with us." She pulled out a cloth bag then and handed it over, as well as a pink backpack for herself and nodded towards the trees. "That's where they usually come from, right? Do we leave it there or further in?"
"Right there's good." He took the lead, smiling as he walked, enjoying the feeling of the fur boots that she'd finished only an hour ago. Trunks had made a huge deal out of them, too, much to her joy, exclaiming over how they were the best boots he'd ever owned and how he couldn't wait to wear the shirt she was making him, either.
Usagi had worked hard on that afterwards and it was already halfway done, and Trunks was nearly finished with the skirt he was making her and would give it to her that night, as well as something special he'd made while her attention had been completely focused on his shirt.
"Right here," Trunks said, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder and nodding towards the grass, waiting for her to pull the deer-like creature from her subspace before he called out in his native language.
"What'd you say?" Usagi asked softly once he'd finished and he'd pulled her back several feet, gesturing for her to get behind him.
"I said that we brought the matriarch a gift and a peace offering in exchange for safe passage in the forest, and that we were sorry for all the trouble between us since our arrival. That we'd never meant any disrespect towards her or her people and that we'd like to be friends," Trunks explained.
"You barely said anything," she giggled, "and you said all of that? Really?"
"The Saiyan language is pretty short and sweet," Trunks replied. "You know a few words, but I'll teach you more if you'd like. It's not hard. Like… when the matriarch comes out, say 'eh', it means hello."
Speak of the devil, they heard the crunching of leaves just before the giant wer'kha stepped out of the trees and dipped her head in greeting, then sniffed at their offering. "Eh," Usagi said softly, lifting her hand in greeting.
"Don't bare your teeth when you smile," Trunks said quickly, "showing your teeth's considered an angry expression."
"Oh. Um… mah'ni," Usagi managed, proud that she'd remembered a word in his language as she tried again. "Eh," she repeated. "Um… au en?"
Apparently her words had surprised the female, because she just blinked and stared at Usagi like she'd grown a second head, finally chuffing in what sounded like amusement. "Eh," the matriarch replied, the sound coming out like a cross between a throaty growl and a purr.
"They can talk?" Usagi said brightly as she fought the urge to come out from behind Trunks to run over and start a conversation. "You didn't tell me they could talk, Trunks, that's so cool!"
"I'd heard rumors, but… I honestly thought that they were bullshit," the prince answered, dumbstruck by the newfound information. Maybe the wer'kha weren't just very smart animals… maybe they were actually sentient? "Au at'rot?" He asked slowly.
"G'in."
"Tapa m'eh… au at'rot," Trunks muttered in total shock.
Usagi was just as surprised, but surprise had never stopped her from trying to be friendly, and she beamed up at the matriarch, careful to not show her teeth as she pointed to herself. "M'eh Usagi. Au?"
The wer'kha looked just as floored as Trunks did for a long moment, but she finally stepped forward and dipped her head to sniff at the golden hair, surprised when the little female didn't draw back. No Saiyan or creature that had ever landed had once tried to introduce themselves to someone in her clan before, and even with her centuries of life experience, the matriarch wasn't sure how to proceed. Were these little predators now considered allies? They came offering meat in exchange for passage into her territory, and that was simple enough to understand. That was also a first for her when dealing with their kind, but now they were trying to converse? "She," she finally growled out as she sat down, regarding the little yellow-haired female curiously. This one that called herself "golden warrior" was not Saiyan, and she smelled like a cool moonlit night and her mate. She also smelled like she was in season for mating, but she smelled untouched as well, still pure despite the fact that she was mated. "M'eh She."
"The matriarch's name is She," Trunks explained just in case Usagi hadn't understood. "It means 'the female.' The queen, basically, though the word for queen is actually ve'sh… holy shit, I still can't believe that she can talk," he finished in awe. Trunks was about to say something else, but the newly-dubbed 'She' was sniffing Usagi's hair again, and then bumping her nose against the blonde's shoulder, staring at Trunks knowingly.
"What? What's wrong?" Usa asked curiously. "Why does she look pissed?"
"She's not pissed," Trunks explained, "she wants to know why I haven't mated you." Switching to Saiyan, Trunks gestured at the changing leaves and dared to step closer, moving slowly and deliberately as he dared to touch a large white patch in She's fur, reflecting that he was probably the only Saiyan to ever touch a matriarch in the history of his people. "This will be a bad winter," he said in his native language.
"G'in," She agreed. "V'nu ed."
"We didn't think it was wise to risk pregnancy when such a bad winter is coming. We'll wait for spring if we can resist the urge," he explained carefully as his beast rolled its eyes at him in annoyance, even though it kept silent.
"He put a little mark on me," Usagi offered, smiling as she pulled her top to the side to bare it, sensing Trunks's nervousness through the partial bond, wishing she could understand his words in Saiyan. "See? It's just a little one, but it's there."
"Ho tor'sha," She agreed before turning her head to nudge Trunks's shoulder, then looking to Usagi once more. "Osa Ge… r'et au f'ri tor'sha k'sha t'au."
Trunks couldn't hold back a laugh at that and shook his head. "Hahaha… she thinks your name is 'golden warrior,' Usagi."
"Oh. Hey, I kinda like that. What'd she ask me, though?"
"She wanted to know why you didn't bite me back," he chuckled before switching to Saiyan to answer the question for her. "Saiyans don't fully mark each other until we fully mate," he explained. "Usagi will bite me then. In the spring."
That was sufficient explanation for She, and the wer'kha grunted and dipped her head as she stood. The matriarch felt awkward—a rare emotion for her—conversing with the little warriors and wasn't sure how to proceed, so she decided that she would go back to the clan and discuss this new development with the other females and her new mate. Her word was always final, but some input from her daughters and sisters would be welcome, and a leader was always a good leader if she took others' opinions into consideration.
"Osa Ge…"
She had turned her head to Trunks and was regarding him silently, and the prince caught on quickly and nodded his head in respect. "M'eh Trunks."
"Trunks," she repeated, the word coming out sounding rough and throaty. "Au n'ta," she continued as she tipped her head towards the wood. "F'ai m'yo. Ed ra'dir, m'eh t'uh f'ai ih br'atu m'yo."
"What'd she say?" Usagi asked once She had lifted the carcass they'd brought her and disappeared into the trees silently.
"She asked us not to hunt in the forest, that with winter coming, she needs the meat for her children. With such a bad winter on the way—she confirmed that, too, it's gonna be bad—her entire extended clan's likely coming in from hundreds of miles around with meat to share before they all hibernate in one huge den," Trunks explained as he picked up his bag and started towards the trees. "Come on, let's hurry; she said we would be safe, but I'm pretty sure she only meant for the day. If we want to come back, we'll need to bring her something else as an offering."
"But I thought we were friends, now," Usagi said as she followed him, staying close behind him. "I mean, we had such a nice conversation with her, and something tells me she's never bothered to speak to anyone outside her clan before."
"Friends?" Trunks chuckled. "Gods, no, that'd be cool as hell to be considered a friend, but that… that was more like a negotiation. We're not allies or friends with them, but it doesn't mean we can't tolerate one another and coexist. She's probably just as confused and surprised by our little meeting as we are, and she'll need some time to decide what to do about us. She'll probably go back to her clan and ask them what they think," he finished as they broke into a clearing full of nut-bearing trees.
"How do you know that?" Usagi asked in surprise.
"Because it's what I'd do," Trunks answered simply. "Apparently they're as sentient as we are, so the matriarch will likely do what we'd do. She'll go and tell her people what just happened and ask their opinion."
#########################################
They'd managed quite the haul of nuts before it had started getting dark in the woods—six bags in all—and even two bags of berries that Trunks had assured her were safe to eat, and as they snuggled beneath the doubled-up fur, they both worried silently about the next day.
Trunks would leave and search for any signs that rescue had arrived, and they would be apart for at least two days. "I'm going to miss you," Usagi finally whispered as she gripped his back and gently tugged him closer. "Promise me you'll come back."
He'd already vowed to, but Trunks knew that she just needed reassurance and he nodded into her hair, drawing in her scent and savoring the smell of her fertility, half-wishing that he could just give into the desire to roll on top of her, to kiss her and taste her, to hear her moaning with desire as he pushed inside of her. I really want to mate her, he realized. I don't think it's just because she's in heat, either. I think I actually like her… a lot. Maybe when he came back… no! No, what was he thinking!? Was he insane!? She was Lunarian, he was Saiyan, they couldn't possibly—
"Trunks?"
"Yeah," he sighed as his hold tightened on her and he nipped at her silky throat, purring despite himself. "I promise, sweetheart. I'll come back to you. I marked you, so I'll find you. In fact… do you want me to refresh it? I can if you want, if it'll make you feel better about me leaving."
Her eyes were emotional and scared as she looked up at him, and Usagi's fingers traced his face as he nodded. "Would you?" She whispered hopefully. "You don't have to, Trunks, I'm just afraid that you won't be able to find me, that the partial bond won't be strong enough."
He didn't answer, he was already pushing her tank top to the side and nuzzling the single puncture he'd left with his canine, his purr shifting to a hypnotic and seductive pattern as his beast vied for control and ground his hips into hers.
Usagi nearly returned that sexual movement with one of her own, but she knew that it was just his beast coming out of him at the thought of marking her, so she tried her best to breathe, and when he began to kiss the tiny wound and he drug his tongue over it lazily, she dug her nails into his back and whimpered with pleasure. "Gods… Trunks, please… please just do it…"
His only reply was something soft and possessive in Saiyan that she didn't understand, and when his teeth joined in with his tongue and the tickling of the beard on her bare skin, Usagi thought she'd burn up right then and there if he didn't refresh the mark soon. "Please," she begged, beyond thought as the words simply tumbled from her mouth in a desperate plea, "I need you, Trunks."
That last phrase undid him, and all four canines pierced her shoulder before he managed to stop himself. He'd come just short of fully marking her and he knew it as he felt her emotions loud and clear, along with the barest whisper of her thoughts invading the very back of his mind. A little more… just a few more teeth… and they'd be halfway pairbonded. "Gods damn," he breathed as he lapped at the blood trickling from the shallow punctures, his beast still riding high and in control as his hands slid to her hips and he ground into her once more.
"Trunks, I… gods…" Usagi was beyond words as his mouth slowly trailed from her shoulder to her neck, and when he began to lavish it with slow open-mouthed kisses and she felt his fingers bunch in her hair, she lost the ability to speak. She could only feel, and in that moment she felt wonderful. She wanted more of that warmth, more of the sweet, simple pleasure that had her curling her toes, and most of all, she wanted to finally know what it was like to be kissed.
She didn't even have to tell him that, he could feel it through the partial bond, the thrumming need and desire filling her, and Trunks's resistance crumbled when she shyly moved against him in reply to the previous motion of his hips.
Usagi's eyes cracked open when she suddenly felt his breath ghosting over her mouth, coming out in short, quick pants, his entire body trembling against hers as the hand in her hair tightened slightly and pulled her to him. "Trunks," she sighed in surrender, offering no struggle to his silent demand that she come to him the rest of the way.
The sweet, gentle melding of their mouths was everything she'd dreamed it would be, and Usagi let out a quiet moan just as he linked a leg with hers and began to rock in a lazy, purely sexual rhythm, a calloused hand slipping from her hip to the hem of her shirt.
To her surprise, he didn't try to remove her clothing, nor did his hand wander any further than her stomach when it crept under her top, but he did continue to kiss her even when he stilled his hips, his tongue flicking over her lips as he growled softly. Usagi opened to him instantly, gasping at the wonderful sensation of their tongues slowly mating, losing herself in the taste of him and the glorious feeling of her first kiss, hoping that he was enjoying it as much as she was.
"We need to stop," Trunks whispered after a few solid minutes of kissing, only for her to look up at him in confusion with hazy, aroused eyes, her fingertips trailing reverently over his scars. "Usagi… you're my friend, and what we're feeling is just because I bit you. We should stop before we do something we'll regret in the morning."
"But… but Trunks… I thought you…"
The desire in those crystal blue eyes was joined by disappointment, and the prince could feel her sadness at what she was interpreting as rejection. She was too overwhelmed by her desire and the effects of the refreshed partial bond to think rationally, and when Trunks scented her tears in the air he groaned in frustration. "Usa, sweetheart… please listen to me. Please. You don't want this, you really don't."
"B—but…" His words made sense, but Usagi wanted more of the warmth that she'd felt while she'd been kissing him, more of the feeling of completion she'd experienced as they'd touched and explored one another over their clothes. Sure, they'd kept their hands in safe areas, but it had felt so right, so perfect… almost like it was destiny.
A sweet kiss to her lips made her sigh happily, and her eyes slipped shut once more as she returned it, her hand cupping his jaw as she surrendered to the warmth again, but he was drawing back slowly and kissing the tip of her nose when she made a soft noise of protest. "Usagi… it'll lead to sex."
Dear gods, it was so hard to keep a level head and resist the desire to take everything she could offer him when she was looking at him like that! "Please, Usagi, it's just the mark. You don't want to wind up fully mated to me, do you?"
"I… I don't know," she whispered. "No?" She asked in confusion, fighting her way up through her heavy arousal so she could try and give him an intelligent response. "Trunks… could we maybe—"
"No," he chuckled as he fought the urge to kiss her again and lost, his soft laugh tickling her lips as much as his short beard was. "Kissing you is amazing, I'll admit it," he murmured as he pulled away again, "but if we keep it up much longer I won't be able to stop."
"I… ok," she agreed as she began to realize what was happening and her cheeks colored brightly. "It's just… I'd never been kissed before," Usa admitted shyly. "I liked it. I didn't want to stop, yet."
"Same," Trunks rumbled, tempted to kiss her yet again when she licked her lips and gazed up at him hopefully. "On both counts… Saiyans don't kiss on the mouth, as I'm sure you've heard."
"No, I didn't know that. You… you can kiss me again if you want to, Trunks."
"Gods… you have no earthly idea how tempting you are, atti," he sighed as he mentally chided himself for using that word and ignored his beast, who was encouraging him to get another taste of temptation. Just a little one, that's all it was asking for, but Trunks knew that a little taste would likely become a need for more… and more… until they were both naked beneath the furs and making love. "But no, ok? Just trust me, you'll thank me for stopping in the morning. We're friends, and I don't want to take advantage of you."
"Trunks, you wouldn't be—"
"Yes, I would," he pressed, cutting her off before she could come up with an argument that would destroy what little resistance he was grasping ahold of. "You trust me, right Usagi?" Her lack of hesitation when she nodded made him smile, and Trunks kissed the lightly glowing crescent on her forehead. "Then trust me right now and I'll make you a deal; in the morning, if you still want me to kiss you some more, I will. But for now, let's go to sleep and wait for the effects of the bite to fade a little. Alright?"
He'd gotten through to her with that, he could tell, and when she nodded with only a hint of disappointment, Trunks cupped her cheek and pecked her on the lips. "And in the morning, when you're embarrassed and you find yourself thinking that I didn't want you, I want you to remember that I enjoyed every moment of this," he added softly, surprising himself. "I just don't think it's a very wise idea, no matter how good you feel."
"You're probably right," Usagi sighed, suddenly weary as he looped his tail around her arm for the first time since they'd met—a huge sign of trust and deep affection—and they sagged into each other, both of them trying their best to completely ignore their mutual arousal. "You usually are. And Trunks…?"
"Hm?"
"Even if you're right and I don't want you to kiss me again in the morning… I'm really glad that I gave you my first one… and that you gave me yours," she whispered shyly, pressing her lips to a scar on his chest as she hugged him.
"I am too, sweetheart."
#######################################
"Was I wrong?" Trunks mumbled as he slowly woke to the feeling of a soft, feminine mouth pressing to his cheek.
"Yes and no," Usagi admitted, blushing hotly at the memory of how heated and wonderful his kisses had been after he'd renewed the partial mark. "I want to kiss you, yes, but… I realize that it's likely the mark that's making me want it."
"You mad about last night?" He wondered as he cracked his eyes open to find her red-faced and regarding him with that adorable shyness that he thought was cute.
"No… I'm still glad that you were my first kiss," she confirmed. "I really enjoyed it. Are you mad?"
"I honestly don't think I can get mad at you for anything anymore," he confessed. "You're too damn nice to piss me off."
That finally got a smile out of her, and Trunks was glad that she wasn't upset about the night before, purring softly to comfort her has he sensed her anxiety over him leaving at dawn. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get some breakfast, alright? Or… if you'd rather just get it over with, I can go now and eat while I fly."
"No," Usa said quickly, wrapping her arms around him tightly and snuggling into him, her head resting against his chest. "Stay for breakfast. I'll even cook while you pack some provisions. Alright?"
"Whatever will make it easier for you, I'll do it," he told her before slipping out of the bed to go do his business behind the curtain. He listened to her rekindling the fire as he used the pot, and once he was done he came out to let her have her turn… only to stop and manage a smile at the sight before him.
"Here," Usagi said softly, standing just outside the curtain with his fur shirt in hand. "I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep right away… so I finished it. Try it on," she urged him as she recalled the reason she'd woken; Trunks had been talking in his sleep in a mixture of Saiyan and Solarian, apologizing to his father over and over as he'd tossed and turned. And since his father was a subject that neither of them were comfortable discussing, she chose not to tell him what she'd heard. "It looks good on you," she said softly once he'd pulled it on. "Is it warm?"
"Very," Trunks confirmed. "In fact, it's a little too warm to wear inside out while I'm inside, I think. I'm already starting to sweat," he chuckled before kissing her forehead. "But it's perfect, Usagi. Thank you for thinking of me first when you need clothes more than I do. In fact," he added as he moved back to the bed and lifted the blankets they used as a thin pallet, "here. This is for you, Usa. I wish it could have been boots, but… I noticed that you don't have many pairs of pants that haven't been ruined."
It took the princess a long moment to close her mouth when he presented her with what looked to be a long skirt, and Usagi couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes as she took it from him to examine it more closely. "Trunks… you… you made this for me? I thought that you were making pants for you… but you made me a skirt instead…"
She was in his arms and hugging him tightly before he could answer her, and Trunks just smiled and kissed the top of her head when she thanked him, a choked sob making her voice catch. "You're very welcome, Usagi. If you promise not to cry anymore, I made you these, too."
"Oh… Trunks… they're beautiful," she whispered as she drew back to find him holding a pair of bone combs in his hand. "Where did you find the time to make these? I've never even seen you working on them."
They were simple enough, but even Trunks had to admit that he'd done a good job of them, and he couldn't help but smile at how nice they looked on her as he pushed her thick hair out of her face and fixed them properly in the golden locks. "You never wondered why it takes me over an hour to bathe every day since you started making clothes? And why I never gave you back those two pieces of sandpaper?"
Touched by such a thoughtful, useful gift, Usagi could only blush and shrug. "I just thought you wanted to be really clean," she giggled. "Or that you were enjoying the quiet. I know I talk a lot."
"Yeah, but if that bothered me I'd just tell you to shut up," he teased, stepping back to admire his handiwork. "You look gorgeous with your hair pulled back like that, Usa. And I'll bet you'll have an easier time without it in your face half the day. Try the skirt on, let me see that, too."
"Alright, hang on," she said, feeling a little shy as she went behind the bathroom curtain and did her business, leaving her pants on the floor once she'd finished so she could pull on the skirt. It was much too big on her petite waist, but just before she called out that it didn't fit, she noticed the drawstring he'd fashioned for her and smiled.
He'd weighted both strings with a pair of wer'kha teeth, and Usagi was touched by his attempt at making the skirt as pretty as it was functional. "Trunks, this is just beautiful," she said as she tightened the drawstrings and admired the snow white fur, reflecting on how warm it was even with the fur on the outside.
"Well, let me see for myself!" He encouraged her, having moved to the fire to flip the steaks she'd laid out on a piece of metal he'd easily fashioned into a makeshift skillet.
Trunks wasn't disappointed when she stepped out; his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her in the white fur skirt and a clean white shirt, and while he knew it would be a waste of resources, he decided right then that he'd make her boots with fur on the outside as well as the inside. He knew without a doubt that she belonged in white from head to toe, and he was going to make it happen. "Gods, Usa… I can only imagine how stunning you'll be once I finish your boots and shirt."
She could only blush at that and shrug modestly, but when he twirled his finger in the air she obliged him by spinning slowly, her face hot at the look he was giving her when she came to face him once more. "Thank you, Trunks," she murmured as she joined him beside the fire, sitting carefully, more mindful of the fur than she'd ever been of her silk dresses just because he'd made it for her with his bare hands. "Really, I can't thank you enough for the skirt and the combs. They're beautiful."
"You're beautiful," he blurted out before he could stop himself, inwardly cringing at how cheesy he sounded. She didn't laugh at him, though, she only smiled and kissed his cheek, her lips lingering there a little longer than necessary. "Usa… the bond…"
"Yeah, me too," she confessed in embarrassment, overwhelmed by the desire to kiss him in earnest. "I… um… sorry. I didn't mean to. The partial bond's not going to make us all hot for each other for the rest of our lives, is it? Shit, that sounded so awful!" She giggled. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean it that way!"
"Phhht… I see how it is. You've got a handsome prince making your clothes and cooking you steak, and you've got a problem with him having the hots for you. My heart's broken!" He cried out, clasping his hands to his chest and dramatically flopping backwards onto the floor. "You've slain me with your icy rejection! Oh, my wounded soul! It cries out for your love!"
Between peals of hysterical laughter, Usagi was tugging at his shirt, but when he theatrically acted out a death scene with his tongue hanging out and his eyes rolled back, she flopped on top of him and shook him hard. "Oh, my Romeo! You've left me no poison!" She fake cried, pulling a plastic sword from her subspace. "Oh, happy dagger, I suck at acting and can't remember any of the lines, but I know I'm supposed to stab myself with you! May our parents think we ran off together when they find our bodies, I know it'll make Mother roll her eyes and cuss a blue streak! And thus, I die!"
The moment Trunks felt her sag on top of him and she gagged loudly, he couldn't hold back his laughter, especially when he saw her making the same horrible face he'd just made. "Hahaha, we both suck so hard at this!" He howled.
"At least we're entertaining!" Usagi giggled as she sat up and put away the toy sword. "You should have seen it when we did Snow White and the Seven Dwarves a few years ago. I was nothing short of a disaster! When we get back, I'll show you pictures—heeey, speaking of which!"
Trunks sputtered and shook his head when she produced a camera from her subspace, holding his hands up in front of his face. "Nope! Nope nope nope! My hair's a mess and I still need to figure out how to shave! Usa, I haven't even brushed my teeth, yet!"
"Oh, come on," she whined. "You look amazing as always, Trunks! Tell you what, I'll let you take a picture of me with this and with my polaroid, and you can keep the second one as blackmail or something when we get rescued."
"It's not blackmail when you look like Cha herself, come down from the moon to tempt unwary warriors!" He huffed, even though he was lowering his hands and sitting up so she could take her stupid picture.
"You need to smile, Trunks," Usagi goaded him. "Come on, give me that cute smile that probably makes all the ladies on Vegeta-sei melt—there we go, that's the one I'm talking about," she giggled as she looked at him through the viewfinder and snapped the photo. She stood then and produced her polaroid, and when he aimed it at her she gave him a soft smile and held still. "You want the digital camera, too?" She asked once the flash had gone off.
"Nah, but we should take one together and give copies to our parents to piss them off after we're rescued," he chuckled.
"Oh, that gives me a laundry list of horrible ideas, Trunks," Usagi purred as she programmed her camera on a thirty second timer, then hurried over to sit in his lap. "We should kiss in one of these," she continued. "Gods, I wish I could somehow email a photo of us kissing to Rei, she'd be so pissed off! Her head would likely explode when she saw it and—"
She was cut off by his lips pressing to hers, his hand cupping her face to hold her still, and just before the flash went off, Usagi's eyes slipped shut and she leaned into it, humming in approval as she felt that delicious warmth from last night filling her from head to toe. "I was half-joking," she chuckled when he broke away and grinned down at her sheepishly, "but I'll admit, that's going in the front of the photo album when I show it to my Senshi."
Relieved that she hadn't taken it as a come on and pressed for more—or gotten angry—Trunks just continued to grin as he looked down at the polaroid to find it fully developed, and when Usagi slid out of his lap he tucked it into the pocket Usagi had sewn on the skin side of his shirt. He wasn't going to mate her, no… but it didn't mean that he couldn't treasure that photo of her after they were rescued, as well as the memories they'd already made on Five in only a week.
Part of me almost hopes that I don't find anyone while I'm gone, he realized suddenly, feeling a pang of guilt at his own selfishness. He wanted more time with her, but once rescue came, they'd be separated, and that fact finally hit home for him, making him face the bitter truth. I don't want to be separated from her… I want her to stay with me.
"Trunks… you ok?" Usagi asked softly, sensing the odd mixture of sadness, anger and a touch of fear coming through the bond. Maybe he'd remembered the nightmare he'd had?
"No, I… I was just thinking that I need to get going. Come on, sweetheart, we need to hurry up and eat. The sooner I leave, the sooner I can come back."
It took me so long to find a good place to end this, and I hope yall are happy! They kissed! I shall now hang my head in shame somewhere, because I hadn't planned on it at ALL, but I could no longer resist the temptation! The shit I was talking about last chapter in the AN is going to be in the NEXT chapter, promise! Coming up: Trunks finds something that devastates them for weeks. He really does this time, I swear it!
R&R and I'll get started on the next one!