Disclaimer: The characters of Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z are not mine. They belong to their respective owners.
A/N: Oh my gosh what is this, an update already without three months going by? I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, so I'm hoping to have updates every 2-3 weeks if not more frequent. Anyway, this story is probably a little bit more than half over with at this point. I have notes up to the end, and I have about three different kinds of endings I'm jumping around with and can't seem to decide which one I want T_T.
Hotaru Tomoe Fan: Yes, I have read Dimensional Disaster and I loved it. I think she discontinued the story, but that story is one of my favorites. Lydia: I don't know about writing the type of story you requested at this time. Ripple Effect kind of has my plate full at the moment with being a full time student and working part time. It's been a struggle just with this, but feel free to PM me in the future if you're still interested and I will let you know one way or another!
Edit 3-31-13: Fixed a little mistake that a reviewer mentioned, was a minor name confusion which is now hopefully fixed XD. Should not rush these chapters apparently!
Ripple Effect
Chapter X: Defensive Measures
When Hotaru informed Trunks of the reason that she believed she was being sought for, the reaction she received was not unexpected. Initially, Trunks treated Hotaru's theory with some skepticism—a trait was no doubt the result of being raised up in a scientific household—and he seemed to have a degree of difficulty wrapping his mind around it all. For this, Hotaru couldn't exactly blame him; when talking about suffering present consequences for something that occurred in a very distant past teetered on the edge of improbability and impossibility.
Trunks's skepticism was short-lived, and soon after he went into protective overdrive. He convinced a very reluctant Hotaru to return to her family and tell her everything that she had just told him, to forget what had occurred that morning and move on past the argument that had been had. Of course Hotaru tried to fight him on this at first—she just wasn't ready to face her family quite yet, and it was possible that learning this theory would reiterate her family's belief that she should return to their home world—but Trunks was adamant, telling her that if she didn't go with him at that moment then he would drag her along while he talked to them. Not long after that declaration, Hotaru yielded.
Haruka and the others were quick to accept Hotaru's theory, immediately putting into place protective measures to make certain that someone was with Hotaru at all times. To Hotaru's surprise, the Outer Soldiers believed that sending Hotaru back home no longer seemed like a feasible idea; the Outer Soldiers were essentially powerless back in their home universe, and if the enemy were to pursue Hotaru there, there would be nothing at all they could do but helplessly observe. On this Earth, in this universe, Hotaru not only had the Outer Soldiers to protect her but the Saiyans as well, and the help of the latter was almost immediately offered up with little resistance from the Outer Soldiers. Haruka and the others would protect Hotaru at home, while the Saiyans would protect her while she went to school.
There was no longer any place for pride and no longer any hope of upholding this universe's integrity. It was obvious now that there were things between the two universes that caused them to be bound together.
After almost a week of these measures being put into place, Hotaru was nearing the end of her patience of it. She had always been an intensely private person, so the requirement of someone being in her presence at nearly every second of the day was making her feel weary. Too often did she have to remind herself that her family and friends only meant well out of the desire to protect her, but these protection details seemed like a bit much to her.
Hotaru only wondered how everyone would react if she even suggested that ending her life would be a simpler solution. Her death wasn't exactly an alternative that she preferred, but as much as she felt like everyone was intruding on her personal life, she felt even guiltier about the fact that she was troubling everyone. Although she wasn't much interrupting the other Outer Soldiers, it was Trunks and the others' lives that she felt this whole protection thing was being awfully intrusive with.
"It's such a nice day!"
A small smile worked its way to Hotaru's lips at Mara's exclamation, turning her head to look at the curly-haired brunette that sat on the grass beside her. Gym was being held outdoors that day due to the mild temperatures and sunny skies, making Hotaru's least favorite class somewhat more tolerable with the change of scenery. The boys of the class—which included Trunks—were sent over to the baseball diamond that was located not far from where Hotaru and Mara sat stretching out on the grass, while the girls of the class were to play volleyball.
With the lavender-haired boy on her thoughts, Hotaru's gaze sought him out across the campus and soon found him, standing at the pitcher's mound as he was apparently jesting with a few of the other boys on his team. Like Hotaru, Trunks did not particularly like gym class either, but his reasoning was far different from Hotaru's own—that she hated it because she was simply not that athletic. In gym, and in any other sport that Trunks found himself having to take part in, Trunks had to hold back his strength as much as possible so as to not rouse suspicions or cause unintentional harm to others. Unfortunately, Trunks was also an extremely competitive person that absolutely hated to lose, so at times he would push the boundaries of what was "normal human strength" just enough to end up on top.
Perhaps he sensed the weight of Hotaru's gaze upon him, or maybe thoughts of her just happened to cross his mind at the same time thoughts of him crossed hers, as Trunks's attention was suddenly diverted from the boys around him to focus on Hotaru. His eyes locked with hers, and a wide smile worked its way to his lips as he nodded to her in acknowledgement.
Mara stared at Hotaru for a few moments before following the violet-eyed girl's gaze, a sly smile working its way over her glossy lips as she realized who it was that was the focus of Hotaru's attention. "It's amazing how much Trunks Briefs has changed since you transferred here. I think everyone was convinced that the Ice Prince's heart simply couldn't be melted."
A wave of embarrassment came over Hotaru as she pushed herself up from the ground to stand, dusting off the blades of grass that had become stuck to her bare pale legs. She was wearing the typical gy uniform of the Academy, which consisted of a white t-shirt with the school emblem over the upper right side of the chest and a pair of simple black shorts. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mara."
"Oh, puh-lease, it's so freaking obvious to everyone that you two have a thing for each other," Mara informed the other girl, standing up on her two feet as well and stretching her arms high above her head. "I mean, he's with you all of the time and if he's not, you can damn well bet he will be before long. I'm not even gonna get into the way how you two look at each other."
To be honest, Hotaru hadn't thought that their "relationship" was so obvious that even uninformed onlookers could tell that something was going on between the two of them. Truthfully, nothing was going on between Hotaru and Trunks, and it had been that way for almost a week now. With the complete lack of privacy, there were only a few rare occasions that Hotaru and Trunks found themselves alone with each other, and those times were usually at school. With the constant need of people around her to make sure that she was protected and a curfew to be home by, there was simply no opportunity for the two teenagers to explore a relationship.
The whole relationship thing with Trunks wouldn't be nearly as frustrating for Hotaru if the boy knew how to keep his hands to himself. Being the introverted person she was, public displays of affection were things that made her embarrassed just by thinking about them, yet the lavender-haired boy did everything he could to do just enough that he couldn't get in trouble for it and, at the same time, it just wasn't enough for Hotaru to relish it. When passing in the hallways in-between classes, Trunks would either stand just a bit too close or brush the back of his hand against hers while they walked. On more than one occasion, Trunks had grabbed her hand to give it a quick squeeze as they walked home, before releasing it before Goten or anyone else could observe it.
There was far more than that going on in the terms of brief and chaste touches, and regardless of what it was that Trunks did, he was successful in driving Hotaru closer towards frustrated madness. It was like having but a taste of the sweetest fruit; not enough to fully indulge in the flavor of it, but enough to give an idea what it tastes like. Unfortunately, Hotaru was given tastes of this fruit in the smallest and most sporadic of doses, and it was never adequate enough.
Teenage hormones were an infuriating thing. It was difficult in moments like those for Hotaru to stop thinking about the way that she and Trunks had kissed in her bedroom. Although only a week had passed, it had been long enough for the memory to somewhat fade, making it far less vivid in her mind than it had in the day immediately afterward. She wanted her breath to be stolen away by him again, and she wanted him to make her feel things that she never had felt in her entire existence.
"We're not together Mara," Hotaru suddenly admitted to the other girl with a slightly sad tone. "Things are kind of at a standstill between us at the moment. The timing is kind of bad."
Mara stared at Hotaru, her eyebrows raised up in confusion and interest. "Who the hell cares about timing? If you're in love, you're in love. Besides, from where I'm standing, labels are probably just a formality at this point for you two. He already looks at you like you're the only girl in existence. You're so lucky."
Hotaru felt her cheeks quickly becoming hot. "He doesn't look at me like that," she attempted to deny in a mumbled voice, staring down at the ground just past her shoes.
"He does," Mara insisted as she reached over to set her hand on the violet-eyed girl's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. "But, let me give you some advice, sweetie. If you two really aren't together, you best be changing that fast. There are girls that go to this school that like Trunks Briefs for all of the wrong reasons, and don't think they'll step on a few toes to get to him—especially since he seems interested in dating now. If they learn that he's still technically available, they'll be like a predator on the prowl and don't you think for a moment that these girls wouldn't hurt you in the process."
A troubled look washed over Hotaru's face as she listened to Mara's words. Although she doubted that Trunks would be so easily swayed by the devotions of some lovesick teenage girls, she was certain that Mara was right about how those girls would behave if they learned Trunks was still on the market. Hotaru could not deny that simply watching girls throw themselves at Trunks's feet and smothering him with attention would hurt her, and she could only wonder other kinds of things they would do just to worm their way into Trunks's heart. Furthermore, Hotaru did not expect Trunks to be patient with her forever…
Forever; that was something that Hotaru did not have the luxury of. Lately, it was simply too easy to forget that she was an alien on this world and would eventually have to return to her own universe once the situation here had been resolved—and that was the best case scenario. It pained Hotaru more than she would care to admit that there just wasn't an outcome to this predicament that would allow her any sort of "forever" with Trunks. Either they would be separated at the end by space and time, or by her own death.
With an uncertain future that couldn't keep any promises, Hotaru could only rely on the present. Did she want to pursue a relationship with Trunks, regardless of the undoubtedly bleak outcome? At this point, Hotaru would be lying to herself if she said that was something that she didn't want. Trunks was the first person that she had ever found herself attracted to, and while the timing was unquestionably improper, did that mean she should allow the opportunity to pass her by so that she could only regret it later? Of course, that was assuming that she would even survive long enough to feel regret.
Hotaru didn't know if she could handle anymore regret. She had already sacrificed so much happiness in her countless many lifetimes for the sake of others. If she were to die tomorrow, Hotaru would rather know the feeling of loving someone and being loved in return than not having ever known it at all. The opportunity of that happening was now, and Hotaru had no way of knowing if that chance would ever again present itself. More likely than not, it wouldn't.
"What can I do?" Hotaru inquired to her brunette friend, her voice quiet and unsure. She was absolutely certain that she did not want to share the lavender-haired boy with anyone else, and at least while she was alive and present on this world, she wanted Trunks to be completely hers. Unfortunately, Hotaru hadn't the slightest notion on how to get the gears moving to make that happen.
"March right up to him and tell him that you want to go out with him," Mara offered matter-of-factly.
Hotaru shook her head swiftly, feeling her cheeks heating up considerably at the suggestion. "I'm not that forward, Mara."
"Right, right, let's see…" the brunette hummed to herself as she mulled what sort of approach Hotaru could take in this situation. After a few moments, Mara snapped her fingers and grinned as she looked to Hotaru. "For you, this might be the best course of action! Make a conversation about it and ask him what he thinks about your relationship. Build on that until he's the one who says, 'Oh, Hotaru, would you please be my girlfriend?'"
Hotaru's face fully flushed at Mara's words, feeling embarrassed that this sort of conversation was even taking place. Truthfully, this suggestion sounded much more favorable than the former one, but even this option would require Hotaru to be the one to start the conversation. She honestly did not believe that Trunks would reject her and keep the two of them as friends, but there was always the possibility that he had changed his mind over the course of a few days. That was what the typical teenagers did, wasn't it?
"At least talk to him about it, Hotaru," Mara pressed, pursing her lips as she gave her friend a sympathetic look. "You deserve to be happy, and you would be a fool to let him slip through your fingers."
I am already a fool, Hotaru thought sadly as her eyes traveled back over to the baseball field. A small smile dared to crawl across her lips as she watched Trunks successfully strike out the batter at the mound, sending him back to the dugout. Even from such a distance, Hotaru could distinguish that familiar arrogant smirk that she had come to see on his face most frequently. Trunks's blue eyes watched eagerly as the next unfortunate soul stepped up to the plate, the newest batter as unaware as the last that he was soon to be toyed around with by the half-Saiyan.
I'm such a fool for even letting things progress to this point.
X
Mara's advice continued to weigh heavy on Hotaru's mind throughout the day, leaving Hotaru distracted from her classes as she internally debated what exactly she was going to do. There was one thing that she could not deny, which it was extremely unfulfilling to leave things as they were. The chaste and subtle touches were becoming a bit much for her to bear, and it felt more as if her emotions were toying with her as she was entirely uncertain what exactly she was to Trunks. Constantly she debated whether squeezing Trunks's hand back when he grabbed it was the right thing to do, or if she should allow him to touch her face as tenderly as he did and be passive about it.
Hotaru needed a definition on things, to find out where things truly stood between the two of them. She needed to know what the boundaries were, and she needed to know what he wanted from her out of this. Not knowing was causing her far too much confusion and it was obvious to her that she was wasting far too much time on something that would likely seem petty to others with all else considered. Perhaps if Hotaru finally got some clarity about what she was to Trunks, then she could focus her thoughts and energy on keeping herself out of enemy hands.
After school seemed like the perfect time to get things figured out, and Hotaru fully intended on bringing it up to Trunks then. Unfortunately, there was one small problem that was likely to get in the way, and it was that one little problem that would challenge her courage in bringing the subject up to Trunks.
That was Trunks's best friend and Hotaru's other escort from school, Goten.
"I totally blew my government test," Goten sighed dejectedly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his black pants. "I mean, I don't understand the big deal about government anyway. I live out in the freaking mountains for crying out loud! Mom's word is law in those parts…"
Trunks couldn't suppress his laugh. "If you want to integrate in society and stop being a mountain hermit, you might want to study a bit more. Then again, I think Gohan robbed all of the brains out of the gene pool and left absolutely nothing for you."
"I take offense to that," Goten grumbled, wrinkling his nose as he shot a half-hearted glare at Trunks. "And I don't have time to study. Too many girls want a piece of me, and what kind of guy would I be if I didn't oblige them?"
Hotaru, lingering a few steps behind the two chattering boys, couldn't help but roll her eyes at Goten's statements. While the two of them got along unquestionably well, it was sometimes hard to believe that Goten and Trunks were best friends. Goten was so completely different to Trunks; he didn't care about his grades in the slightest, he chased after every pretty girl in the school, and he never took anything at all seriously. There was a certain charm about Goten that gave Hotaru some understanding as to why the girls seemed to run to him in droves, but she couldn't imagine herself ever being attracted to the ebony-haired boy.
Still, Hotaru couldn't help but feel badly that she wanted nothing more than Goten to go away for a little while. She appreciated that he agreed to tag along with her and Trunks in order to protect her from the unseen dangers that were lurking about, but she just really needed to talk to the blue eyed boy and preferred to do so without the presence of his womanizing friend. Unfortunately, a wave of awkwardness washed over Hotaru each time she thought of asking Goten to grant her and Trunks some privacy. He always made such a big fuss about their relationship…
Wait, Hotaru thought suddenly as her eyes opened wide in realization. Maybe she was approaching the subject of getting rid of Goten entirely wrong. There was one other way to get the ebony-haired boy to make himself scarce, and this way had absolutely nothing with Hotaru. Perhaps this was something that could be more easily done by the best friend in this situation?
Hotaru fished her phone out of the pocket of her blazer and began to type a text message. Why hadn't she thought of this earlier? Goten had a tendency to do anything that Trunks asked him to, and while it was likely that Goten would fuss a bit, eventually he would do what the other boy said. Admittedly, Hotaru still felt a little guilty for resorting to such measures to separate the two best friends, but Goten didn't need to be present for this conversation.
I have to talk to you about some things. Is there any way you can get Goten to head off without us?
Hotaru looked over the text message one last time before taking a deep breath and hitting send. It was now or never. With this last obstacle out of the way, maybe things would finally be hammered out between the two of them, and they could either continue on as a couple in a relationship or—in the worst case scenario—just friends.
Hearing the buzzing of Trunks's phone in his pocket caused Hotaru's heart to thunder in nervousness, making her clutch the strap of the backpack that rested over her shoulder tightly. As the lavender-haired boy reached into his pocket to fetch his cellphone, Hotaru immediately regretted even sending the text message. Maybe he would think that it was rude for her to ask him to ditch his best friend? Perhaps he would become angry with her for even suggesting it—
"Goten," Trunks said as he suddenly stopped walking, sliding his cellphone back into his pocket. "I'll take it from here. You head on home."
Goten blinked his onyx eyes in confusion, halting in his steps as well. "What? But Gohan said I was supposed to walk with you guys until she got home-"
"Okay, maybe I didn't make myself clear," Trunks's voice sounded a bit agitated now as he narrowed his eyes at the other half-Saiyan. "Get lost. I'll take the hit from Gohan if he gets mad at you for ditching protection duties for today. I'm fully capable of taking care of Hotaru on my own."
At first, Goten seemed hesitant, not certain whether he should abide by his best friend's words or do as his brother had told him to. Eventually, Goten sighed, scratching the back of his head with a small smile on his lips. "Okay, okay, but if I get in trouble you're going to explain things to my big brother. Got it?"
"Sounds like a plan," Trunks agreed as his features relaxed, smiling at his best friend. "I'll catch you later."
"Bye Trunks, bye Hotaru," Goten bade, waving his hand at the two of them before jogging off. It wasn't long before the younger boy was completely out of sight, and Hotaru wondered if he was going to fly home right away or hang out in West City for the rest of the day. She still felt a little guilty for having made Trunks send him away, but at least the parting was on relatively good terms.
Trunks turned to Hotaru, holding his hand out to her before saying, "There's a park nearby if you want to hang out there while we talk."
"That sounds great," Hotaru told him, staring at his outstretched hand for a few moments before timidly reaching forward and grabbing on to it. As soon as she took his hand, Trunks gave it a firm yank, pulling the girl so that she was standing at his side. His fingers entwined with hers, squeezing them firmly before he began to lead the both of them towards the location of the park.
There were no words spoken between the two of them as they walked to the park, and that was perfectly fine. Walking with Trunks like this truly made Hotaru feel as if she was his girlfriend, and she very much enjoyed the feeling of his fingers entwined with her own. Of course her heart beat nervously in her chest and she prayed that condensation wouldn't form in her palm from her anxiousness, but overall the feeling of walking with him—hand in hand—made her feel peacefully connected to him.
They soon arrived at the park, and Hotaru was relieved to find that it was mostly vacant. There were a few students from various schools in the area that had made a detour to the park after they were dismissed for the day as well as a few elderly people who had gone to the park to take advantage of the nice day. Trunks continued to lead her away from where the concentrations of people were the largest, taking Hotaru to the large pond that resided in the very center of the park. He approached the shore of it before stopping, releasing Hotaru's hand and dropping down on to the ground.
"So, what's up?" Trunks asked in a tone that Hotaru could swear had an air of nervousness about it.
Now that she was here and all alone with Trunks, Hotaru felt the courage she had built up from earlier begin to crumble to a million little pieces. This was so very frightening to her, and the fear of rejection was forefront in her mind. At this point it seemed entirely foolish to believe that Trunks would turn away her feelings for him, especially considering that they just held hands the entire way here, but at times anxiety had a way of making a logical person believe things that were far from the truth.
Hotaru lowered herself to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and hugging them against it firmly. "I just…" she began before her throat closed off, not certain how exactly she should word her question to him. What would be the best way to start this conversation? She was never good with expressing her emotions and something like love—an emotion that was a rare experience for her existence indeed—was alien territory. Hotaru simply was at a loss as to how to proceed.
Trunks remained silent as he patiently waited for Hotaru to come up with the words for what she wanted to say. It made her wonder if he had some sort of idea what this conversation was going to be about, and knowing how her personality was, he was giving her enough time and space to articulate what she wanted to say to him. Of course, it was likely that he simply had no idea what this conversation was to be about, and he was just being respectful.
"Do you remember that night—when you snuck into my bedroom?" Hotaru asked him suddenly, hugging her arms around her legs more tightly to keep her anxiously trembling limbs from being apparent. The mere mention of that night made her face feel hot, recalling with crystal clear recollection of the kisses that had transpired in her room that night. It had been that night that started her downward spiral into madness for him, and it had been that night that made her long for him almost constantly.
Trunks was silent for a moment before he answered her in a voice that was just as silent as hers, "How could I forget it?"
Hotaru blew out a breath of air that she hadn't realized she had been holding. She had reached the point of no return and there was nowhere to go now but forward, to plunge herself further into the unknown. "Remember how I said that I wanted it to mean something?"
He answered her almost instantly, breathless, "Yes."
"Can…" Hotaru paused once more, again trying to find the words that would work the best for her. After a few seconds of silence, Hotaru swallowed the lump that had gathered in her throat and pressed onward, "Can it please mean something now?"
The question hung in the air as silence fell upon the two teenagers for several long and agonizing moments. Hotaru kept her gaze focused on the water of the pond before her, too frightened to spare even a glance at the boy beside her. She wondered why it was taking so long for Trunks to answer her, and the more time that passed without the lavender-haired boy uttering a single word in response caused Hotaru's anxiety levels to go through the roof. Doubt began to consume her, making her believe that maybe she had been a fool all along for having obsessed so much over Trunks and her feelings for him. Perhaps, after all, his feelings for her had been fleeting and nothing but momentary, and now his interests had moved on to someone far more deserving of them—
"Hotaru, it's always meant something to me."
The emotion in his word was unmistakable as was the conviction that he spoke them with, and the uncertainty that had so quickly amassed within Hotaru simply disappeared. Her breath became caught somewhere between her lungs and her throat, and she could almost hear her heart screech to a halt. This was really happening, wasn't it? Was the gap that had formed between the two of them being "just friends" and becoming something more finally about to be bridged? It seemed almost too good to be true, but Hotaru just could not disregard the heartfelt way that Trunks had just spoken to her. Even if she wanted to doubt what was going on between the two of them, she just couldn't.
Hotaru believed him, completely.
When Hotaru was finally able to find her breath once more, she hugged her legs more tightly against her chest, only now allowing herself to spare a timid glance at Trunks out of the corner of her eye. He had his head slightly turned toward her, his face revealing the nervousness he felt and his eyes staring at her in anticipation for what words she would speak next. Maybe this whole conversation—and the concept of stepping forward—was as thrilling and frightening for him as it was for her? While being in a relationship wasn't as new to Trunks as it was to Hotaru, it had been a long time since he had even entertained the idea of being with someone. After all, he had been burned so badly from Elsa and her reaction to his true identity.
"It has for me, too, Trunks," Hotaru told the lavender-haired boy as soon as she found the words she wanted to say. "I'm just ready for it to really mean something more. I've decided that I want to be selfish, that I want to be with you. I don't want to find myself regretting that I never at least tried to love someone, and especially someone as extraordinary as you. You've accepted me for all of my faults, for the person that I was and that I am, and even though you know that I'm dangerous. For some reason, beyond all of that, you still want to be with me."
"I've never once considered you as dangerous," Trunks admitted to her, sliding his body over so that he was sitting closer to her now, feeling much more confident than he did moments ago. "Like I've said before, I don't really care what you've done in the past or what you're capable of. I just don't meet people every day—and this goes for normal people and people like us—who cares so deeply about everyone else. You try to act tough all of the time, even though life has tried to beat you down again and again. There are not many people who are strong enough to endure that and still give a damn about others."
"You do," Hotaru pointed out.
A small smirk appeared on Trunks's lips. "I wouldn't say that I care about others in the way that you do. You are a self-sacrificing person that's willing to give up happiness for the sake of something greater. I'm not nearly so noble."
"That's right," Hotaru agreed suddenly, her tone amused. "You are a spoiled brat that always gets everything that you could possibly want. Even when I tried to keep on pushing you away, you just wouldn't listen to reason."
"I like living dangerously, what can I say?" Trunks grinned, leaning toward her to shove his shoulder against hers gently. "So, I guess this makes us boyfriend and girlfriend now, huh?"
Hotaru could feel her face becoming hot. Why did he have to point out what was already completely obvious? Of course this made them a couple now; that was the whole point of this conversation to begin with? "I…guess it does."
"I suppose going out to dinner and the movies is out of the question," Trunks surmised with a small sigh. "As much as I think I could take care of you well enough for a few hours, I could see Haruka pitching a fit at the prospect of me taking you out for anything other than academics. Hell, she'll probably be pissed knowing that I sent Goten off, knowing that I've had you all to myself."
"Probably," Hotaru agreed with a small laugh in her voice. She wondered how exactly this whole relationship between them was supposed to work with the current situation being so complicated. Hotaru didn't exactly find the idea of going on a date with Trunks with a chauffeur watching them ever so closely appealing, and there was only so much the two of them could sneak around before and after school without raising some sort of alarm. As much as Hotaru wanted to explore this relationship with Trunks, they had to be smart about it; there was no reason to put themselves or the future in jeopardy for the sake of being a couple and doing what couples did.
"Well, there is this thing that Capsule Corporation is having this weekend," Trunks stated suddenly. "Mom throws this formal company dinner for the staff and their families as a show of gratitude. Usually I don't have to go to the stupid thing, but since Mom's been getting more serious about me taking the reins of the company in the future, she wanted me to show up so that people could start getting used to seeing me around. She's invited Gohan and his family, so Goten is going to be there too, and Dad might be there unless he's able to find some way to disappear for the night."
Hotaru arched an eyebrow. "So are you asking me to go with you as your date?"
"I was going to ask you to go with me in the first place and I wasn't going to take no for an answer," Trunks informed her with a wide smirk. "I'm certainly not going to allow you to decline now that you're my girlfriend. You're going to come with me to the dinner, and I'm going to introduce you to everyone as my girlfriend."
"You do that, and I'm going to break up with you," Hotaru huffed. While she was certain that Trunks was jesting with her, she would most certainly be mortified if he went around at some dinner and bragged to everyone that she was his girlfriend. "In any case, I don't know if I can go to the dinner, anyway. I don't have a dress, and I don't see Haruka lending me any money so that I could buy something nice to wear so I could go to a dinner with you."
"I'll pay for it."
"No, you won't."
"Hotaru…" Trunks murmured her name with a pout in his voice. "You're not going to turn me down on our first date, are you? Come on, there has to be some other way. Maybe Michiru or Setsuna would be willing to help you out? They don't seem to have as much of a problem with me as Haruka does."
Hotaru sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. She could already see where this conversation was going, and Trunks was going to guilt her into going to that dinner with him before they were finished talking about it. There simply wasn't a way to convince the lavender-haired boy of anything else when he had his mind set on something, and Hotaru honestly didn't know why she was even trying to fight with him on this.
Besides, Hotaru couldn't deny that she actually wanted to go with him to that dinner as his girlfriend. She knew that going with him as such was likely to be an awkward affair, but there was something about being Trunks's girlfriend that made her swell up with the slightest bit of pride. As much as she believed that she wasn't exactly a prize to have on anyone's arm, Hotaru found the prospect of going somewhere with Trunks as his girlfriend to be more than appealing, making her hesitant to truly fight with him on this subject.
"All right," Hotaru sighed, trying to appear as annoyed as she possibly could that she was being made to go to this dinner. In all honesty, she felt a twinge of excitement go through her body when she finally allowed herself to be convinced to go. "I'll figure out how to make it work. Just tell me when and where, and I'll be there."
A/N: I was trying to hurry up and get this written before I went to work for the night, so I'm sorry if there are mistakes in the last part or if it seemed a bit rushed. I'll try to have the next chapter out as soon as I can!
~kusari~