The meeting with the King was not as formal as the earlier ceremony. There were numerous officials and guards and such though, so appearances had to be maintained. Now that Trunks was of age, he could attend things like ribbon cuttings and ship christenings that the King didn't have time for. The prince's events for the week were summarily planned out for him, and then they were dismissed.
Trunks couldn't exactly object to any of it, none of it sounded extremely strenuous anyway. He hadn't thought that of the initial ceremony either though, and had been proven wrong there... Really, Trunks' biggest concern, now that he was of age, ran along completely different lines. Like being let in to a greater degree on what was happening with the King's efforts against the Purists.
That was a conversation that had to wait. Trunks knew better than to bring up topics as sensitive as that in front of the court functionaries. It wasn't until hours later, after they'd all been excused from dinner, that Trunks worked up the courage. He hoped that if he knocked on his father's door soon enough after the meal, that he wouldn't be interrupting anything. The most sure-fire way to piss off the King was to 'inconvenience' him.
"Gohan... I don't mean to offend you... But I think there's a better chance of him giving me an honest evaluation if I'm alone..." Trunks said before he set out. His eyes pleaded with Gohan to understand. The taller male brushed a thumb over Trunks' cheek.
"Don't even worry about it. You know it's fine, Trunks" Gohan gave him a smile.
"I'll just end up telling you everything anyway, I'm sure" the prince said with a sigh.
"It's ok, you don't have to. I trust you to tell me what I need to know to keep you safe, but that's it" Gohan contradicted him. "There may be things that your father wants to stay between only the two of you, and he needs to be able to trust you with that."
"...Do you do that with Bardock?" Trunks asked, a bit of his keen intellect showing through.
"Sometimes" Gohan blushed gracefully, "But he isn't my prince. If you ordered me to, I'd obey and tell you." The simple honesty in Gohan's face gave Trunks a sense of peace. It was good, because he'd need it.
"Here, since I'm your bodyguard and all, I'll walk you over...I'm headed that way anyhow" Gohan said with a bow, extending his arm to Trunks. The prince smiled and accepted, walking with him arm in arm over to the King's rooms. Gohan left him there, and continued on down the hall. He heard Trunks knock, then the door open and close, so he knew the prince was admitted entrance.
Following the bend of the hallways, Gohan didn't stop until he was in front of the door to Bulma's lab. Spur of the moment, when Trunks had told him he was going alone, Gohan had decided to seize this opportunity. There were very few times throughout the day that he and Trunks were outside each other's company. That was kind of the point of being his guard though. For right now, if Trunks wasn't safe in the King's own chambers, he wasn't safe anywhere.
Gohan knocked firmly on the door, waiting for Bulma to allow him in. At least, he hoped she'd allow him in without Trunks here... The smooth surface slid open a moment later though, and Gohan breathed a sigh of relief. He kept moving through several more doors, until he reached the section Bulma was currently in.
She actually set down her experiment and looked over to him, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.
"What are you doing here like this?" she asked, referring to the fact that he was without the prince.
"I don't mean to be rude, but there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about alone, and I suddenly had some free time come up..."
~/~
"I was wondering if you would show up tonight" Vegeta said in a semi-amused tone. "So, what is it that you want now that you've 'come of age', brat?" the King asked, looking him up and down.
"I want to know what you're doing about the Purists" Trunks said evenly, deciding to roll with his father's supposed prior knowledge of this visit.
"Hn. Of course you do..." Vegeta scowled, but it didn't have much force behind it. "Kakarot, go to bed, I'll be there in a minute" he ordered. The King's bond mate gave a tip of his head and then headed out of the room obediently.
Apparently Trunks had been right to leave Gohan behind after all.
"We're keeping an eye on them" Vegeta said hesitantly, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. He looked as if he was still trying to gauge how much to tell Trunks to begin with.
"And by we, you mean Bardock?" Trunks asked. Vegeta nodded.
"Did someone tell you that?" the King wanted to know, implying of course Gohan.
"No, he's just the only one you'd trust enough to do it" Trunks shrugged. Vegeta's gaze shifted, acknowledging, but he said nothing.
"Just how bad is it, really?" was the next thing Trunks asked. The King sighed.
"Paragus, Tatoe, and Bega certainly try their best to rile up hatred, but as of yet, it's mostly just them and their direct supporters causing trouble. Among the masses, we estimate only about a sixth of the population is sympathetic to them."
"I see..." Trunks had an uneasy feeling, knowing so many had a problem with...well, basically, with him.
"Don't lose too much sleep over it, brat. At any given time, a third of our race thinks it would be preferable to go back to living in the caves too" Vegeta snorted and rubbed his face. "There's been no lack of volunteers for the program all this time either. I'm not trying to dismiss the threat of Paragus' little faction, but it's not as if it's something gaining significant traction among the populace. I think he's probably already swayed everyone he's going to. Saiyans follow power, and when they see how strong the half breeds are, they gravitate toward that."
Trunks nodded, accepting his father's evaluation of the situation.
"Do you plan on letting things just continue on then? I mean, even if he doesn't have a majority, there's still unrest being caused..." Trunks asked for clarification.
"Not at all. Things settled some after the crackdown a few years ago, but we're biding our time to lull them into a false sense of security. Then when they think it's ok to start causing trouble again, we'll swoop in and annihilate them" Vegeta growled a little while he talked about it.
Trunks didn't feel very reassured, but, he supposed that wasn't the way things worked anymore. The point wasn't to reassure him, it was for him to be informed. When he left the King's chambers shortly after that, he didn't presume he'd been told the whole truth though... Even if things had 'settled' as his father put it, statistics could be fudged. The truth of an incident could be covered up, played off as having different motives. Everyone knew that.
In the end, Trunks decided he wasn't going to change his view on what was happening in regard to the half breeds. They still needed a strong leader to identify with, and who would take heed of their problems. Trunks would try his best to be that for them, however he could.
~/~
"Do you really think he bought all that?" Kakarot asked after Trunks had left. Vegeta crossed his arms and gave a disbelieving grunt.
"Of course not, he's my son" the King said, as if his bodyguard was being extra dense. "I told him enough so that he could read between the lines and come to the conclusion to keep doing what he's doing."
"And what's that? I mean, what is he doing?" Kakarot asked. As far as he knew, Trunks wasn't making any active moves on this particular field.
"He's trying to be a good prince to his people..." Vegeta got up from his chair, and stopped by the window, looking out of it, "And be prepared for things to get worse."
~/~
"Even though I've learned quite a bit in my years here," Gohan started, "There's still a lot about human culture I haven't really had time to study."
Bulma quirked an eyebrow at him, motioning for him to have a seat. She was, of course, a very busy woman, but she could spare a few minutes. It seemed like it was going to be something important since Gohan had made the effort to come down here on his own.
"So, what do you want to know?" she asked, curious.
"Well," Gohan blushed, but there was no way to get around asking what he'd come here to ask.
"It's just... I love Trunks..." he managed to look up, meeting Bulma's gaze. He knew as a human she would understand about love, so he didn't feel he needed to explain that part of it.
"I want to make sure he knows that though, completely. So, I was hoping you could tell me some human ways to express love, ones that he would get."
Bulma raised an eyebrow, because in her mind, it had seemed like Gohan was about to ask her for Trunks' hand in marriage or something... She wasn't expecting something so sweet and almost innocent as his request.
"You just want to know how to tell him you love him? I thought you were about to tell me the two of you were getting married or something" Bulma chuckled.
Gohan looked taken aback.
"Married? Humans do that too?" Gohan was shocked. Bulma gave a spirited laugh.
"Sort of. I mean, it's not like how you guys do it. The subject happened to come up when I first settled in here. We were negotiating over how Trunks would be raised if the program worked. I remember telling Vegeta I saw no reason for us to actually marry, just because we were going to go through with having offspring. He gave me the funniest look, I swear. I guess you guys only do that when you're old and gray, right?" Bulma seemed to be getting a kick out of Gohan's current reaction too.
"Yes, if we live that long. Bond mates, or even breed mates sometimes, will marry in their old age. It's like saying publicly that you couldn't have done it, lived that long, without them" Gohan elaborated.
"Well, for humans, we usually do it when we're young. It's a future commitment kind of thing, saying you're going to spend the rest of your life working things out with that person" Bulma could almost see the wheels turning in Gohan's head.
"Does Trunks know about this though? I mean, would he view it in the human way?" Gohan's tail flicked back and forth behind him as he thought.
"I'm fairly certain he would, though, you'd have to ask him yourself to be sure" Bulma gave her son's bodyguard and bond mate a knowing wink. Perhaps she wasn't too far off from her original assumption about his request after all...
~/~
Back in his room that night, Gohan's head swirled with customs. Bulma had been happy to share details with him. Not too far into it though, he had realized that he and Trunks could never have a ceremony like she was describing. It would have to be an entirely saiyan affair, if it was going to be allowed at all. Gohan would have to do some research on the technicalities of it.
Saiyan weddings were very rare, as most didn't live to be of a respectable enough age to consider it. Gohan had never been to one. It felt right though, to think of sharing the love and commitment it meant in both cultures with Trunks. He hoped the prince would feel the same way too.
"Hey, the brats are gone, you can snap out of it now" Trunks' voice crept up in Gohan's ear. A pleased smile spread across the older male's face.
"Good" Gohan replied, leaning his head back against Trunks and nuzzling him. There hadn't been a night since they first came together that they hadn't at least fooled around. Tonight was no exception either. Every few moments during their lovemaking, Trunks would stroke Gohan's side and tell him how much he loved him. Having the prince in his arms like this was special every time, but this one even more so for it.
Gohan almost proposed when they were done. In the end though, he decided it was better to just drift off in each other's arms like normal. He would stick to the basics of the plan he'd begun to form earlier. Besides, he didn't have a ring yet.
It would be difficult to try and balance the human and saiyan aspects of something like this. Gohan knew Trunks would appreciate the effort though. Proposing wasn't a part of the saiyan traditions, but Bulma had indicated it was extremely important to humans. He would have to find a nice, yet subtle ring that could be worn under Trunks' gloves. Once he had that, he would feel more confident in bringing it up.
Gohan prepared himself over the next few days, not just in getting a ring, but mentally as well. He knew there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to actually have a wedding, for political reasons. Everything in him was sure Trunks would want to, but princes didn't always get to do what they wanted. It was the thought and desire, the proposal itself that might end up having to be enough for them.
When he thought about it like that, Gohan realized simply pulling Trunks aside in the hall one day to ask him was not going to cut it. Bulma had mentioned grand shows and expensive displays, but Gohan had initially ruled out things like that. Maybe he shouldn't have though... It would take some thought, and planning, but he was fairly sure he could pull off something meaningful, yet semi-private. He used his holocube to do a little more investigating on proposals.
Suddenly an idea struck him. He wondered if it might be a good 'bonding' experience for all of them, to get Trunks' attendants in on a surprise. The youngsters seemed to get along well, even though it had only been about a week. Gohan had caught Cumin staring more than he probably should have, but that was hardly an offense. If anything upsetting had been happening between them, Gohan was sure he'd be able to smell the unease.
In trying to evaluate if he should recruit the brats for helping, Gohan began studying them more closely. Katsu, the youngest, was equally willing to shadow either of the others, always letting them lead. It was fitting since he was the weakest.
Aaron seemed like he'd been instructed to be stoic, which Gohan could understand. In the power dynamic, he was by far the strongest of the three, but rarely asserted it.
Cumin didn't mind stepping up and leading, but he shot Aaron wary glances sometimes. It was like he almost couldn't believe that the other male didn't want the authority, however small, that came with his strength.
Gohan made a point of watching the cubs spar occasionally too. You could tell a lot about someone by how they acted in a fight. Katsu was quite a bit more devious than he would have expected, even though he was young. Gohan suspected he was smarter and more observant than he let on.
It was watching Aaron and Cumin spar together that helped shed the most light on their personalities though. Aaron always won graciously, and even with always losing, Cumin put up as good a fight as he could. It also looked like the saiyan whelp would rather be getting a kiss than a hand off the floor when they were done. From the way Aaron blushed, he definitely noticed it too... The young half breed seemed uncertain on how to respond to it though.
~/~
He didn't say why he'd been watching, but Gohan pointed out his discovery to Trunks the next chance he got.
"You should talk to him then" Trunks said with a disbelieving shake of his head.
"Me? Which one did you mean?" Gohan frowned, "I'm not exactly a matchmaker."
"No, but you're in a position to offer a little friendly advice. And I meant Aaron. He probably doesn't know what he's supposed to do about it" Trunks mused.
"What? How could he not know what to do?" Gohan shifted from frowning to raising an eyebrow.
"His father is an ambassador that's off world a lot. Aaron's been raised almost entirely by his mother. Even though the humans here are surrounded by saiyans, it doesn't mean they magically know and pass on all the saiyan ways" Trunks pointed out. "Why would you think Cumin should be talked to?"
"Well, I was thinking he might be kind of confused by Aaron, even though he likes him" Gohan replied.
Trunks grinned and wrapped his tail around Gohan's.
"Did I confuse you?" he asked sweetly. Gohan rolled his eyes and managed to only blush a little bit.
"Not as much as you wish" Gohan said gruffly, but he squeezed Trunks' tail back with his own, and then kissed him.
"Maybe I should talk to Aaron, and you can explain half breeds to Cumin" Trunks suggested, knowing Gohan's upbringing made him able to understand full blooded saiyans' motivations quite well.
"Are we sure we should condone them 'getting together' at this age though?" Gohan wanted to know.
"We were kissing at thirteen."
"You were thirteen, I was eighteen" Gohan pointed out.
"Pervert."
"You were hard to resist" Gohan said with a sigh. The look in his eyes was loving yet playful as he went on. "It was more of an issue for us partly because of the age difference though... Cumin and Aaron don't have to worry about that. It's not like one with vastly more experience is taking advantage of the other."
"I would never have taken advantage of you, Gohan, I can't believe you'd even say that" Trunks said seriously. Gohan shoved his shoulder hard enough that Trunks actually fell over on the bed. It may have been all part of Trunks' ploy though. Even after all these years, Gohan could never assume he wasn't walking right into one of Trunks' traps for him. Since most traps, like this one, lead to them making out though, he didn't mind.
~/~
"So, is it just the power, or something else that attracts you to him?" Gohan didn't mince any words in addressing the issue with Cumin. The older male had pulled aside the younger for a little one on one instruction earlier. After a productive spar, and necessary shower, the two of them were getting dressed again. Gohan took care not to corner or even look at the teen directly, knowing he might be a bit confrontational about it. To his surprise, Cumin sighed, stopping his motion to dress.
"It's not just his power..." he admitted after a moment, "He has really nice eyes too..."
Gohan smiled. He knew all too well the pull of a pair of pretty eyes.
"I should probably back off though, you're right" Cumin said with resignation, rubbing his face.
"I didn't say that" Gohan put his hand on the teen's shoulder, since he seemed receptive to this talk. "Aaron can tell you like him, I'm sure, but, I don't think his lack of response means he doesn't like you" Gohan elaborated.
"What? He hasn't cornered me or tried to be alone with me at all, certainly never hit me like that" Cumin frowned.
"Ah, well...he may never end up hitting you, even if you do get together..." Gohan said cautiously. Cumin was reflective for a moment, then stole a glance at Gohan out of the corner of his eye.
"You mean, because he's a half breed? Does it... Is it really that different?" he asked.
"It's not that being one is so different. I think, personally, it has a lot to do with the amount of animal in our instincts. Full saiyans are a lot closer to the rage of the oozaru...you know how it is. With half breeds, even though they still like to fight and all that, there's not so much underlying anger" Gohan explained.
"Yeah, I've noticed you guys aren't usually as aggressive" Cumin agreed. His wording of "you" made Gohan smile. Sometimes Gohan would forget and lapse into talking about half breeds as if he wasn't one of them. He supposed it was helpful to have both perspectives though.
"The assertiveness is still there though, even if it isn't as close to the surface. I wouldn't go around trying to piss Aaron off or anything, because he'll still pound you" Gohan advised.
"I don't mind at all, I didn't mean it like that" Cumin explained, "It's just, what am I supposed to do to find out if he likes me then?"
It gave Gohan hope to see the worry in Cumin's eyes and the nervous swish of his tail. He was perfectly willing to interact with Aaron, regardless of him being a little different. In fact, he wanted to interact with him a great deal more than he had been, apparently.
"Have you tried telling him that you like his eyes?" Gohan suggested.
"No... If he does like me, do you think that will help?" Cumin asked.
"It might. At the very least, it would get the conversation going."
"So I should talk to him about it, instead of trying to get him to attack me..." Cumin seemed to be taking in this novel idea with curiosity.
"Definitely. And once you do get talking, try to really listen. Don't let yourself get offended or angry without thinking things through" Gohan warned him.
"Now you sound like my dad" Cumin sighed and went back to pulling on his shirt, "He wants me to aim for being on the counsel too, but, I don't know..."
"It's sound advice to learn to control yourself, whether you want to woo someone or make a living out of it" Gohan added.
"Yeah... You know, I didn't think you'd be so...willing to help...like this" Cumin turned to Gohan and actually looked at him. "My dad's bond mate saw you fight in the tournament to be the prince's guard. He said you were really fierce, and like, crazy strong. After seeing you win, he decided he'd join the program" Cumin informed him.
"Really?" Gohan was more flattered than he knew how to react to, "He joined the program because of me?"
"Yeah, and his daughter is really strong too, even at five... I don't see her a whole lot anymore, but we were almost an even match last time we sparred" Cumin admitted with a sigh. "I guess it's a good thing though. If we were that strong, but still so close to animals, we'd probably end up destroying the universe or something" Cumin grinned and generally seemed to be in a much better mood now. Gohan laughed, and had to agree.
~/~
Trunks specifically arranged for Aaron to bring him lunch at an odd time the next day, so they would have a chance to talk alone.
"Can I ask you something?" the prince requested before his attendant could leave. Aaron's eyes widened a little, and he answered,
"Of course, your highness."
"I only ask, because it's a rather personal question" Trunks said, motioning for Aaron to have a seat. The younger half breed sat right away, nodding and keeping composed.
"What was your initial reaction, when you found out you'd been selected for this position?" Trunks asked casually.
"I was honored, your highness" Aaron said right away. Trunks smiled and nodded, then gave him a knowing look.
"And what was your real first reaction?" he asked again, "It was your father who put you up for the job, wasn't it? You couldn't have been entirely pleased about leaving home, even if there were others to watch over your mother" Trunks prompted him. Aaron's face seemed to fill with understanding as Trunks spoke, but he still looked hesitant.
"Actually, yes, your highness, I was uneasy about being away" Aaron admitted.
"Just from home in general, or from anyone in particular?" Trunks asked, giving a little extra inflection to his words. Aaron must have known exactly what the prince meant to imply, because he blushed immediately.
"Oh, uh, no... There's no one..." he said quietly, showing the first signs of fidgeting. Honey colored eyes rose to meet Trunks' briefly, but then Aaron looked down again right away.
Good. At least they both knew what they were really talking about now.
"You know, if your father is half the jerk mine is, you were probably more than just 'uneasy' about what he'd done" Trunks mused. "Did you even know your name was in the running, or did he just spring it on you at the last moment?" Trunks smiled a smile of commiseration, and was glad to see Aaron return it wanly.
"He didn't tell me. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my older brother" Aaron admitted with a sigh.
"They're not all like that," Trunks said softly, "Just so you know."
Aaron met his eyes for much longer that time, and the nod he gave was slow.
"How will I know though?" he ventured to ask of the prince.
"Anyone who gives you the respect you're due, who makes an effort to meet you on your own terms, is worth giving a chance. No matter their breeding" Trunks said wisely. "Parents, you kind of just have to put up with though, I can't help you there."
~/~
Some time had passed, before Gohan finally went to approach the brats. He and Trunks had taken to calling them that more affectionately after a while. Unsurprisingly, since he had been watching for it, Gohan walked in on a telling scene. Cumin and Aaron were sharing the same side of a bench in the palace's massive mess hall, sitting closer together than normal. Their tails made gentle wisp-like motions in each other's directions, but hadn't truly wrapped together. Yet. Gohan was almost reluctant to interrupt their hushed tones. He had only a limited amount of time though...
Clearing his throat, he accidentally drew the attention of the kitchen staff as well, and had to wave them off. He sat down opposite from the teens at the table, and leaned in toward the center of it.
"Ok, I'm going to need both of your help, and Katsu's too" he said in a low, conspiratorial tone. Both their face's immediately piqued with interest.
~/~
Gohan's plan was actually pretty simple. He would have Cumin pick up the flowers for him from a market in the city. That would hopefully head off any rumors that might run ahead, if Gohan were to go get them himself. The special kind of trumpet lilies used in a marriage ceremony were hard to find, and kind of a stand-out purchase. The blood red coloring was highly visible, and saiyans didn't really have a whole lot of reasons for giving flowers.
Aaron's job was to acquire the ribbon, quite a length of it for Gohan's purposes. Katsu was assigned to watching Trunks, keeping tabs on his location, and running interference if needed while Gohan set it all up. Gohan himself had spent quite a few hours thinking and writing by starlight to prepare.
Trunks was not an unobservant male. He noticed Katsu following him around after not too long, but deemed it harmless. He did wonder in the back of his mind if the cub wanted something and was too shy to ask. The prince lead a busy life though, so he didn't have time to dwell on it. If it was important, Katsu would come forward. Until then, there was a routine to be maintained.
He didn't expect it to get disrupted quite like it did though.
Gohan still hadn't returned from his sparring session by the end of the day, so Trunks asked a guard if he'd been sent to the tanks. He received an answer in the negative. The prince assumed Gohan must have gone back to their rooms already then. That was kind of odd, but not ground shattering... He was probably studying on the holocube in his spare time.
Trunks absently reached for the doorknob to his room and found a note tied with a red bow around it. Part of the bow trailed into a longer string that lead inside, and the door had obviously been shut on it. He wasn't sure what to call the feeling that began to swell in his chest when he saw that. The smallest of noises behind him tipped the prince off to Katsu's continued presence. Trunks smiled. So that was the game they were playing.
Removing the note, Trunks opened it carefully, and was greeted by Gohan's careful script.
When I was six, I asked my sire why I learned to fight. He told me it was so that I could protect you.
The nameless emotion stirred stronger when Trunks read that. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he was certain Gohan knew how the simple words would affect him. His eyes landed on the bit of ribbon still closed in the door, from where he'd undone the bow. Grasping it, he then turned the knob, pushing the door open.
As if drawn by a magnet, his gaze followed along the red lifeline to where it was tied next. A pillow from their bed was sitting on one of the plush chairs, with a note stuck in where the ribbon wrapped around it.
I would have slept on the floor for a thousand nights, to earn your trust being rested in me.
Shit. Trunks' eyes welled up, completely outside of his control. He folded the note back up, pressing it and the previous one flat against the armor of his chest. Grappling for composure, he couldn't help but trace the line of the ribbon leading away from the pillow.
It ran over to the mirror, and another note was tied up with it at the corner. Trunks felt like he was walking through a dream while he went over and undid it.
The first time I saw your eyes, I thought they were pretty. The first time I saw your eyes filled with love, I thought they were perfect.
There was only one more spot the ribbon was tied to in here, and it was the knob of the door leading to their bedroom. Trunks' fingers were shaky as he opened the slip of paper.
I know being your bond mate is a commitment that lasts until we die, but a lifetime doesn't feel like long enough to spend with you.
When Trunks opened the door, he could barely see for the tears in his eyes. He managed to blink them away quickly, continuing to follow the ribbon. It's end was being held by Gohan, standing in the middle of the room. Trunks immediately noticed the bouquet of marriage lilies in his hands. Suddenly he felt light headed, and took a few deep breaths to steady himself while Gohan began to talk.
"Trunks, I want to tie knots with you..." Gohan said gently, feeling more emotional than he had been prepared for. Trunks gave a choked sounding sob, trying to stay quiet for him. Smiling through his own stinging eyes, Gohan went on. He didn't have too much left that needed saying anyway.
"I don't want to wait until we're old and at the end of life to show how much I love you" Gohan knelt on one knee, like Bulma had shown him, and held out the ring.
"Trunks, will you marry me?"
He welcomed Trunks moving into his arms, dropping the ribbon and even the flowers to accommodate him. Gohan held onto the ring though.
"You're insane" Trunks cried into his shoulder, holding him tightly.
"I know... But even if they won't actually let us, I wanted you to know, it's what I want. You're what I want, Trunks" Gohan held him close, rubbing his back.
"You're what I want too, Gohan. You know I'd marry you in a heartbeat" Trunks picked his head up from Gohan's shoulder, "In fact, even if we can't, I still want to wear your ring. To me, we will be" he said earnestly.
Gohan's heart melted all over again. He began to cry as well, tears mixed with laughter, as he pulled off Trunks' glove.
They both watched intently as Gohan fitted the ring on Trunks' fingers, trying a couple before he found one that it sat well on. Their kisses were salty with tears, but neither of them cared.
"I love you so much, Gohan, more than I know how to put into words sometimes" Trunks admitted.
"I love you too, Trunks, more than words could ever do justice."
~/~
Bardock wouldn't say keeping track of, gathering information on, and listening to the Purists was an easy job. He preferred it over waiting for the information to come to him though. At least in this manner.
"Easy there Fasha, he's not as young as he used to be" Toma nudged his bond mate in the ribs, joining in the teasing just a bit. These days, any reunion between their old team members was an excuse to poke a little fun at their former commander. Bardock usually took it in stride. They were all good warriors and friends, so he didn't mind the occasional jabs.
He had run a tight ship when they were an active unit. Of course there was some natural blow back since now they could. Some topics though, riled his fur more than others.
"Males can still breed well past his age though" Fasha waved a dismissive hand, smiling broadly, "I'm telling you, she looked amazingly good, all things considered. She could probably pop out another whelp no problem." Fasha winked at Toma, who couldn't help but chuckle.
"I'm not interested in training any more brats" Bardock said curtly, his arms crossed and tail making agitated motions.
It was that moment that Gohan and the prince walked onto the balcony, hearing only the end of Bardock's statement.
"Who needs training?" Gohan asked, making their presence known.
"No one" Bardock huffed.
"Oh please, you've got an amazing track record, training wise. Two out of three successes is better than most" Fasha snickered, and didn't specify which two she meant. The obvious assumption would have been those who were super saiyan, but Bardock was from the intelligence line...
"Fucking hell" the diminutive female raised an eyebrow as she noticed Gohan, "Who gave you permission to grow two feet taller while I was gone?"
"I didn't know I was supposed to wait for you..." Gohan said with a grin, rubbing the back of his head. Fasha looked him up and down, shaking her head.
"Damn, it's a good thing for the prince that I'm past my breeding years" she said, eyeing him with a swish of her tail, "Or I'd give you a couple whelps to raise myself."
Bardock rolled his eyes.
"Well, I guess you should get going, the brats here obviously have something they wanted to talk with me about" the elder male said with a sarcastic lilt.
"Actually, we just had some free time and sought out your ki signatures" Gohan was accidentally truthful before he realized Bardock was trying to use them as an excuse to get rid of Fasha. The look his sire gave him was an accusingly disappointed one.
"Is that what you were talking about? Breeding?" Trunks asked, eyeing Fasha wearily. He could tell from her scent that she was indeed past her breeding years. It still made him nervous though. Full blooded saiyans wouldn't even think of breeding at his and Gohan's ages. There was too much adventure to be had in life to be stuck raising a cub.
Around thirty or forty though, a female could basically lay claim to producing the offspring of any male she wanted. With a ratio of only one out of nine saiyans being female, they certainly had their pick. Trunks was not looking forward to the issue of producing an heir. It was different for him, being the prince, but he was sure it would be quite a headache.
"Sort of. I just dropped by to let an old friend know a few things, and mentioned that I happened to run into Rhuba the other day" Fasha was grinning from ear to ear. She was probably delighted to get to re-hash the whole thing again for the brats. There was a definite light of conspiracy in her eyes. Gohan took it to mean he was supposed to know who this saiyan was, but he had no idea.
"And who's Rhuba?" he asked, trying to sound casual about it.
"Ha! Somehow, I'm not surprised he never mentioned her" Fasha laughed.
"Rhuba is Kakarot's mother" Toma supplied with a knowing grin, patting Bardock's shoulder as if in sympathy.
"She's alive?" Gohan said in disbelief. The older saiyans all burst into laughter, even Bardock cracking a smile at that.
"Rhuba was one of the strongest females on the planet in her prime. She still might be... I'm not sure anything but old age can kill her. Why she took a liking to commander grumpy over here, none of us will ever know" Fasha almost giggled with mirth.
"We were all pretty shocked, I think you most of all" Toma added, watching Bardock's reactions.
"Yeah, well, it was more coincidence than planning on either of our parts" he admitted, "And when Raditz turned out to be an elite, she decided to come back for another." Bardock shrugged his shoulders and tried to play it off. The incredible mismatch between the strains of his and Rhuba's lines was pretty much laughable. He hadn't had a whole lot of say in it though. She was from a wildling segment, known for producing saiyans of pinnacle physical strength.
The majority of them lived on the fringes of saiyan civilization. They were usually more animal than was capable of getting along with others side by side in society. And that was saying something for their race. Bardock was just glad she'd shown no interest in raising the whelps, or the moon only knew what would have happened...
"You know, if you're not going to get all huffy anymore, that takes all the fun out of it" Fasha put her hands on her hips as if scolding him.
"Sorry to ruin your amusement" Bardock smiled sweetly.
"Whatever, I said my piece. I should head out now anyway" Fasha tossed her short hair in a manner that let them all know they were beneath her. She was a female after all. "I'll let you know if anything else comes my way" she said with a nod and a disinterested tone, then took to the skies.
"A lot of help you two idiots are" Bardock muttered to Gohan and Trunks after she'd left.
"Sorry, I didn't know..." Gohan looked sheepish. It was hard for him to imagine what Bardock's breed mate had been like, since he knew nothing about her.
"Did the two of them not get along?" he asked Toma, knowing sometimes a good match for your line trumped personality. His sire didn't look upset, but certainly didn't look like he'd be answering any questions about it.
"Ah, well... There's a saying about females like Rhuba" Toma said, grinning and looking askance at Bardock, "She could tie a male up in knots, but not a string."
