Trunks woke up the next morning with Goten on his mind; the look in his friend's eyes was a look of shock. Trunks remembered he had taken off that night, so Goten wouldn't have the chance to say anything. He never looked back, but he still wondered what his raven-haired friend would have said if he stayed. He sighed. 'I'm such a coward. My father would be so ashamed,' he thought as he sat up and bed, stretching his muscles.

"Trunks," said a female voice.

He came from his thoughts to see his sister outside his room with luggage in her hands. "Did I miss something?" Trunks asked as Bulla frowned.

"I don't have to go if you need me here Trunks," she said, "but Uub invited me to meet his parents in India. I told you this last week."

"No," he smiled, "you should go. Don't worry about me I'm fine. Have a nice trip and make sure to keep in contact," he said as he got off his bed, and hugged his sister.

"I love you big brother," she cried.

"I love you to Bulla," he said as they separated.

"So I insisted that mom call the driver so mom and dad can stay here and make sure you're all right."

"Bulla, you didn't have to do that," he said as the car horn was blown.

"Well I have to go," said Bulla as she rushed down the hall and out the door.

Trunks watched the car drive off from his window as he sensed the presence of his mother and father behind him. "What's going on?" asked Trunks.

"So," said Bulma, "what happened last night?"

"I told him my feelings like dad suggested."

"And then what happened?" asked Vegeta.

"I—I didn't stick around to find out. He has a girlfriend and he met her parents, but I think he's having doubts of starting a life with her."

"Well, that's complicated," said Bulma.

"You know running away only makes matters worse Trunks," said Vegeta. "How do you know he doesn't feel the same way about you? If you had stayed—

"If I had stayed, I would have been rejected."

"How do you know that sweetie?"

"What can I possibly offer someone, huh? I'm the son of Bulma Briefs. Being with me means being no privacy and torn apart by the media. I would never want to hurt someone I love like that."

"All right now you are just making up excuses and you're starting to piss me off," said Vegeta as he grabbed Trunks by the neck and held him against the wall.

"Vegeta!" yelled Bulma.

"I'm not going to hurt him," he said, as he looked his wife in the eyes. He turned back to his son. "Stop hiding from your fears and face them head on. You're a man, you're a saiyan so start acting like it," he said as he dropped Trunks to the floor.

Trunks stood up from the floor. "You're right father," he said as he walked out of his room and into the hall.

"Uh sweetie you might want to get dressed first before you confront him," she said as Trunks laughed nervously.

"Uh right, that could have been embarrassing," he said, entering his room.

Goten had been watching his brother and niece fish at the lake as he lied on the grass, looking up at the clear, blue sky. He had hardly slept last night, and he knew why he was still awake. Trunks. He couldn't believe his best friend of forever had confessed his love for him.

'I know he wasn't lying but all this time he's been in pain because of me.' It was enough to overwhelm the 28-year-old saiyan as he sat up and took a breath in and then out. 'What do I do? I don't know what to do,' he thought in frustration as he turned around and faced the man that had been on his mind last night and right this moment.

"Trunks."

"I'm sorry I ran away. It was wrong of me, but I felt you had the right to know why I've been acting weird for a long time."

"It's all my fault," he said, guilt in his voice.

"No, it's not Goten. My feelings are certainly not your fault, and I couldn't very well tell you at the age of eight what I was feeling. It would have freaked you out. I know it scared me at the time."

"You're right. I wouldn't have understood. I—

"It's all right if you don't feel the same way Goten."

"I broke up with Valese last night in front of everyone."

"And people think I have guts," Trunks smirked. "How'd it go?" he asked as he sat down on the grass.

Goten joined him. "Terrifying but I knew in my heart I wouldn't be able to give her or her family what she wanted."

"You did the right thing Goten."

"I know and oh I almost forgot," he laughed, as he took something out of his pocket and handed it to Trunks.

"Whose number is this?"

"Mrs. Stone's," Goten laughed so hard that he fell on his back onto the grass.

"You're kidding," he laughed right along with his friend. "Wow, I can't believe it."

"So?" Goten sat up, "are you going to call her?" he asked with a smile.

"It depends," he smirked, "are you jealous?"

"No," he stood up, "it just seems that people, mostly woman gravitate towards you."

Trunks stood up beside him. He smiled. "It's too bad the only person I want to gravitate towards me is you," he said as he looked to the sky. He sighed. "You know it scares me. I've never felt this way about anyone else before."

Goten blushed. His words touched deep inside the raven-haired man, and it scared him to. "Promise we'll be best friends no matter what Trunks," he said as he looked at Trunks.

Trunks smiled. "I promise," he said as he took in the scenery. "So, what are you doing right now?"

"Well," he smiled, "I'm reconnecting with an old friend."

"Sounds serious," he smiled.

"It is, and I want him to know how much he means to be. I want him to be happy.

"Well maybe you can tell his friend that it's meant a lot to him that you've been in his life."