The next morning Trunks woke up on his bed to a loud banging on his door. Hoping it would go away, he covered his head with a pillow and closed his eyes with a smile as the knocking stopped.
Suddenly he found himself knocked off his bed and onto the ground on his back, which really woke him up. Looking up from the floor, he saw his father standing above with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.
"If you didn't want to train this early Trunks, I didn't have to waste my time flying over here. Your mother would have been a better training partner."
Trunks got off the floor and faced his father. "I don't need to know what you and mom do in your spare time, and I'm up now so I'll meet in my new gravity room."
"All right but hurry up."
Trunks made his way inside the gravity room to see his father stretching before they sparred. Trunks did the same thing. When they were both ready, they took their stances and moved towards each other, ready to show each other what they got.
After a few hours of sparring Trunks was wiped out as he lied up against the gravity room wall, trying to catch his breath while his father looked as worn out as he was but there was not trace of exhaustion on his face.
'Some things never changes,' Trunks smiled.
"I heard that."
"So, how do you like the gravity room father?"
"It's fine son, but I'm wondering about something."
"What is it?"
"Well back when my planet was still standing, one way a saiyan courted someone they were interested in mating with is by finding a way to always be close by even when they were not."
"And your question is?"
"Is that what you're doing here Trunks?"
He couldn't hide anything from his father. "Yes but at the time I moved in here I wasn't so sure Goten was interested in me in that way."
"What changed?"
"I made the first move, and he responded to me. I let him know I wanted him, that I love him, and that I wanted to be with him forever."
"Trunks, that's a lot to put on him right now."
"I know, especially with that creep lurking around, his issues with his dad and his mom."
"Right now I think it's important to be his friend Trunks. You don't want to push him to be with you because you might damage him further. I know it's hard, but you have to put your only feelings aside. He'll let you know when he's ready to be with you."
Trunks was surprised once again by his dad. He never ceased to amaze him. "You know you give great advice father," he sighed, "I just could have used that in the beginning."
"Me to son but I wasn't ready then. I was still in shock that I had managed to find someone who loved me, and having a child with her."
"It's all in the past now. It's time to move towards the future. Whatever that may be." Right now he would be a best friend to Goten. That's what he needed.
Vegeta helped his son out of the gravity room.
Goten had just gotten home from his job at the pet store, came into the kitchen, and sat down at the table while his mother was cooking dinner. The tension between mother and son was clearly in the room, but Goten decided he wanted to make peace with his mother since he was living back home.
"Hey mom, do you need any help?"
"Put out the dishes, it will be just you, me and your father tonight."
"All right sure no problem." As he set the table, his father had come through the door from training in the fields with a smile on his face. He came over and kissed his wife on the cheek, ruffled Goten's hair, and made his upstairs to shower and change into clean clothes. "Dad's certainly in a good mood."
"I think he's just glad we're all together again," she smiled.
"Me to mom," he smiled at her. "Can we talk later?"
"Sure sweetie. Now help me with the food."
After everything was set, the son family sat down around the table and began to eat. Goten watched his parents talking and laughing together, and he couldn't help but think he wanted to be happy with someone the same way his parents were happy with each other. An image of Trunks on top of him, looking into eyes made him feel happy, wanted, and lo—'No way, no! That can't happen. He's my best friend that's all.' For some reason this didn't sit well with him but it would have to.
"Goten," said Chichi.
"Huh? Oh sorry mom what were you saying?"
"How was living at the Briefs?"
There were so many words for it. The only thing he could think about clearly was how nice Bulma was to him. "Well Bulma sure knows how to make me feel welcome and it was nice spending time with Trunks and Bulla."
"I hear Bulla's seeing Uub, and that it's pretty serious."
"Yeah, but only Trunks and I know. Bulla's trying to figure out the best way to tell Bulma and Vegeta."
"I can only imagine Vegeta's reaction," said Goku as he laughed.
"Poor Uub I would not want to be on the end of that," said Goten.
"So Goten I heard about what happened between you and Valese," said Goku. "I'm sorry son."
"Thanks dad."
"Don't worry sweetie there are plenty of other girls out there," said Chichi.
The sinking feeling came back into him like it was a fresh feeling. 'This talk needs to happen right now.'
So when dinner was done, dishes were washed, and everything was put back in their place, Goten and his mother were left in the kitchen. "Mom, we need to talk."
"What is it sweetie?"
"We need to get something clear. I don't want you to help me find someone to be with. That's my job. It's my life, and I want to be happy. Even if it's not with someone you choose for me. I know you think you know what's best when it comes to your children, but you don't know what's best for me anymore. I love you mom. Can you stay out of my love life?"
Chichi nodded as Goten smiled and went up to his room to relax. What he didn't see was a look of hurt on her face.
The sun was setting as Goten watched from a grassy hill. He knew he had hurt his mother by telling her to let her control go from him, but he knew it was the right thing to do. All his life he had let his mother run his life much like she ran his brother Gohan's life. It felt good to tell her what he wanted for the first time in his life. For a moment he felt relaxed and at peace. There was just something about nature that calmed him.
The sun was gone and a pair of footsteps in back of Goten. He knew it was his best friend, but he wasn't sure he was ready to talk to him just yet. He was feeling a lot of confusion.
"Hey Goten, can we talk?" asked Trunks as he sat down beside him. "I know you don't want to so let me just talk." He looked to his raven-haired friend who nodded.
"I'm sorry Goten. I didn't mean to take advantage of you, especially what you're going through right now. We're best friends Goten, and I want to be there for you in any way I can. I just took it too far."
"I'm sorry Trunks."
"What do you have to be sorry about?"
"I gave into these stressful feelings, and I used you in a way that wasn't right. It's just sometimes when I feel like I'm drowning at home, I think about how you've been there for me in the past. You've always been this anchor I can hold onto. Maybe I just held on too tight."
"Well why don't we agree that we were both wrong and start over."
Goten smiled. "Sounds good to me Trunks. Anyway you like living out here?"
"It's great. It's so quiet that sometimes I wake up half expecting to hear traffic and then I remember where I am. I can really relax here you know." Goten looked at him questionably. "Oh, uh well there's got to be a time you felt relaxed here."
"When I was a kid. I didn't have anything to worry about. It just feels like being an adult is hard."
"Yeah," Trunks laughed, "it's tough but there are some good thing about being an adult."
"Oh yeah like what? Drinking alcohol, having promiscuous sex, and working in a place you hate?"
"No, those are the bad things about being an adult." His face grew serious. "What's good about being an adult is finding that one person you can spend the rest of your life with. Knowing there's always going to be someone sleeping beside you for the rest of your life is comforting to me."
Warmth spread inside Goten with his racing heart joining in. He could feel that's what Trunks wanted in his life, companionship. Not a different woman every night and to get drunk off his ass but someone to love him and he would love them back. Unconditional love, which is what Goten, had always wanted because he saw the way Bulma and Vegeta loved each other and their kids unconditionally. "Goten."
"That's what you want, isn't it Trunks? I think that's what you wanted all along."
"Yeah, it's just I'm not sure it's ever going to happen for me."
"Why do you say that Trunks?"
"I'll never know if someone's with me for my money or for the real me. Plus I can't just be open with anyone Goten." Sadness was sensed around him by Goten.
"Well we could both be single forever and just hang out with each other."
Trunks smiled. "Sounds good to me Goten."
Goten was in the middle of dreaming in his bed when he felt a spike in energy. He sat up in bed and traced the source to Trunks. Removing the covers from his body, he opened his window, flew out, landed on the grass in his bare toes, and ran over to his friend's house.
Standing in front of the door, he didn't think about knocking. Instead he used instant transmission to get into the house. The source of energy was coming from Trunks' bedroom. He became nervous as he opened the door to Trunks' room to see his friend was in the middle of a nightmare, tossing and turning in his bed.
"N—no I don't want to be a—alone anymore. Pl—please stay with me," Trunks said in his sleep.
Goten came over to the bed, sat down, and held his friend tight in his arms. "It's going to be all right Trunks. You'll never be alone. I promise." He felt awaken from his nightmare as he held on for dear life to Goten.
"Goten."
"You were having a nightmare but everything's ok now. I'm here now. I won't let anything like that happen to you."
Trunks came out of his young friend's arms to look at him. "I talk in my sleep. It's nothing to worry about. Sometimes I say things I don't mean."
Goten snorted. "Don't pull that bullshit on me Trunks. I'm not stupid. I know you're scared to be alone. I've known it since we were little. I didn't tell you because I know you pride yourself in being strong and independent, but I'm your best friend. I'm not just anyone."
"You think so highly of yourself," Trunks smiled, "but you're right."
"I know," Goten smiled but then suddenly frowned. "How long have you been having nightmares?"
"Remember the first time we slept apart when we were little?"
"Yeah you were one years old and my mom was concerned that you were growing too attached to me so she took me home."
"It's funny because my dad stopped having nightmares when he decided to sleep next to my mom. He's had good sleep ever since." He felt Goten's hand on his bare, sweaty back.
Goten smiled. "Then I'll stay here until you fall into deep sleep," he said as he lied down and Trunks followed suit.
Trunks grabbed Goten's hand in his own and looked into his eyes. "Thank you."
Goten then noticed he was looking at what he was wearing. "What is it Trunks?"
"Do you always overdress when you go to bed?"
"Hey it's winter and I'm very comfortable besides you wear too little."
"Try nothing at all," Trunks smirked as Goten blushed.
"Trunks as a guest in your bedroom, I demand you put on some clothes."
"No. And you're not a guest you're my best friend. It's different. Besides this is my bedroom and I'm free to wear as many clothes or no clothes as I want. Why does it bother you so much?"
Goten turned in the bed to face Trunks who was looking at him and without much thought Goten wrapped his arms around his blanket covered friend. "It doesn't. I just want you to be happy Trunks." Goten felt Trunks' strong arms around him.
"Thanks chibi I want you to be happy to."
