25- Sweetness
Early Winter
"Hey, Panna."
Pan smiled as she finished up his present and turned around to greet him. A small shriek escaped her lips as she looked at him, and he blinked in surprise.
"You cut your hair!" She gasped. Trunks' hair was as short as it had been when they first met. "I haven't seen it this short since we first met!"
Trunks smirked as he walked over to her. "My Eomma has been chasing me with scissors since Summer. I figured it was time."
Pan grinned and reached up to run her hands through his silky locks. "This brings back memories of when we first met," she giggled. "Do you remember?"
"Of course," he nodded. "I saved you from slipping off those rocks, and you were charmed by my quick reflexes and strong muscles," he smirked.
Pan snorted as she removed her hands from his hair. "Happy birthday," she leaned up on the tips of her toes to kiss him. "I have a present for you," she told him.
She walked over to her sewing machine, where she had been working and picked up the bracelet. It was a dark leather bracelet that had two thin strips that were wound together tightly. Four little lava stones rested in the middle of it. Pan reached out and grabbed Trunks' right hand before tying the bracelet around his wrist.
"It's said that lava stones are for strength, protection, and courage. If given to you by someone that cares about you, then it will work even more," Pan smiled as she finished tying the bracelet.
"Wow," Trunks raised his wrist to look at the bracelet. "We don't have these kinds of stones on Vegeta-Sei," he said with a soft smile. "Thank you, Panna-" he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Do you have plans tonight?"
"No," she shook her head.
"Would you like to have supper with my family tonight?" He asked softly. "My Appa and Radtiz, Endou's Appa, won't be there, but my Eomma, Bulla, and Endou will be."
"I would love to!" Pan grinned. "But you know, I still haven't met your Appa," she pouted slightly. Tonight would be the third time she visited Vegeta-Sei, and she still hadn't met the king.
Trunks let out a small chuckle. "Does that bother you?"
Pan's pout deepened. "Everyone says you look like your Appa, so I'm curious," she mumbled.
Trunks laughed and shook his head as he leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Trust me, once you meet him, he'll become the biggest pest you know."
Trunks honestly wasn't sure how he ended up in this situation. Pan had come with him to Vegeta-Sei to eat supper, and the meal had been excellent. His Eomma and Bulla didn't share any embarrassing stories thankfully. After supper, Trunks offered to walk Pan around for a little bit, and before he knew it, they were in his room.
The two times Pan had been on Vegeta-Sei before Trunks had been careful not to bring her to his room. It wasn't that he didn't want her in there; he did, and that was the problem. He had had too many dreams of them in his room and especially on his bed.
So the sight of Pan wandering around his room as she looked around and smiled was sending Trunks' heart almost into overdrive. It was as if the universe was giving him a present on his birthday, and he shuddered slightly.
No, he would behave. He would always behave when it came to Pan.
"Why do you keep grinning?" Trunks asked Pan curiously. She was looking at his room like she had entered some type of wonderland, and it made Trunks' gut twist.
"I've never seen your room before," she gave him a smile that made his heart drum in his ears. "It's just amazing seeing it. It's just how I imagined," she giggled.
Trunks blinked and glanced around his room. "Really?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Mhm," Pan nodded. "You have swords hanging on your walls and a cabinet full of training gear," she grinned. "It's exactly what I imagined."
Trunks felt his cheeks growing warm. Pan walked around more and reached his canopy bed. Trunks swallowed hard as her fingers traced the dark wood of his bed frame before stroking the silk of the black canopy lace that hung down to the end. Trunks was going to lose his mind soon if he didn't stop watching her. He let out a small sigh and quickly stepped over to his couch to sit down. He placed his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.
"Trunks?" The spot beside him shifted, and he could smell Pan sitting down beside him. "Are you okay? Do you not feel good?"
Trunks could feel his leg jiggling. Wild thoughts of Pan raced through his mind. Trunks straightened his back and looked a Pan. She was looking at him with a curious expression. Her wide eyes were so dark that Trunks felt himself getting sucked into them.
He was kissing her before he even realized he was doing it. His hand held the back of her head as his fingers threaded through her silky hair. She gasped against his lips in surprise before returning the kiss with fever. Her hands found his shoulder as he leaned closer to her and deepened the kiss.
She had the sweetest, most addicting taste. Trunks could only focus on the way her lips were moving against him that he hadn't even realized he was pushing them down onto the couch until Pan gasped in surprise. He leaned up on his elbow, hovering over her. Pan was laid underneath him. Her dark eyes were hazed, and her lips were swollen from him. It was a sight that sent his heartbeat low into his groin, and he fought back a moan.
Pan swallowed hard and placed her hands on Trunks' chest before she moved them to wrap around his neck to pull him down to her. Trunks swallowed hard as he realized that one of his knees was between her legs, and he almost felt himself trembling. This was not good. Trunks had to end things now before he did things to Pan that had only happened in his dreams.
"It's getting late," he whispered. "I should be getting you home."
He leaned up, and Pan, who still had her arms around him, came up as well. He forced himself to smile even though he saw the flash of disappointment run through her eyes. Half of his mind was cursing him. But he wouldn't let their first time- he shivered at the thought- whenever that may be, be something because he couldn't control his hormones. He wanted it to be special for her, and he wanted to make sure she was ready.
Slowly, Pan let her arms down from around his neck and gave him a smile he knew she was faking. "Yeah, it is getting late," she told him gently. "Mama's probably waiting for me to return."
That was another good reason for Trunks not to go any further. He let out a heavy sigh. Things had to get easier because they couldn't get any harder for him.
Trunks let out a small sigh as he held Pan's hand and rubbed it while she slept. She was resting on a bed in Dr. Brief's office, sleeping. The day before, she had started to feel feverish, and when Trunks arrived in the morning, she was on bed rest from the doctor. She had only woken up briefly to see that he was there and reached out for him before going back to sleep.
He had seen her sick before, but not quite like this. And now he knew of her illness. It wasn't fair that such a kind and beautiful person like her had to suffer from sickness as she did.
Dr. Brief's doors creaked open, and Trunks turned his head and expected to see the old doctor. Instead, he saw a young man walk in. He had shoulder-length black hair, and there was something familiar about the coldness of his blue eyes.
"Ah, you must be Dr. Brief's grandson that I've heard so much about," the man said.
Trunks didn't respond as he narrowed his eyes. Why did that man look so familiar?
"My name is Lapis. I am the royal advisor for the King. I was simply checking up on the Princess."
Trunks tightened his grip on Pan's hand. He had heard about this royal advisor from Pan. She didn't like him, and that alone was enough for Trunks not to like him either.
"As you can see, she's sleeping," Trunks said.
"That she is," Lapis mused. Trunks didn't like the way he eyed Pan as if she was something distasteful. He set his jaw to stop himself from muttering anything. "How is yours and the Princess' courtship?"
"Is that any of your business?" Trunks narrowed his eyes.
Lapis laughed and shook his head. "No, I suppose it isn't. Well, the Princess seems to be in good hands. I'll go now."
Trunks glared at Lapis until he left the room. There did seem to be something strange about that man.
Pan started to stir, and Trunks turned his attention to her. She seemed to be having a bad dream as she thrashed and shook her head. "No-" she moaned.
"Panna?" Trunks called as he squeezed her hand. "Panna, I'm here," he said as he leaned over her.
She gasped and opened her eyes to look at him. "Trunks?" She whispered. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Hey," he caressed her cheek with his free hand. "I'm here," he told her gently. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Tears continued to swell up in her eyes, and she nodded slowly.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked quietly.
Pan closed her eyes, and a few tears rolled out. Trunks wiped them up quickly as she shook her head. "You're not going anywhere, are you?" She whispered.
"No, of course not," Trunks said.
"You won't leave again?" She asked as she opened her eyes to look at him.
Trunks was silent for a few seconds. Did she still think about that? Did she still worry that he would leave her again? It made guilt churn inside of him uneasily.
"Panna, I'm never leaving you again," he promised.
She let out a small sigh and nodded her head. "Good," she whispered.
Trunks watched her fall back asleep, and he let out a small sigh and kissed her knuckles. "I'm not leaving," he whispered.
"They say lavender softens anxiety, and I wonder whether I can plant a garden so dense in your mind that knots in your chest unravel and never tighten again."
-Jasmine Kaur