p class="MsoNormal"A small frown formed on the heir's face. It was so rare to wake up without Goten. Even more so if Goten had not told him where he was off to first thing in the morning. Sure, there were times he was called in last-minute to help out at the farm, but even then, he would let Trunks know where he was headed./p
p class="MsoNormal"He reached over and sighed as he noticed that Goten's side of the bed was already cold. How early did Goten leave? Not really in the mood to think on it, Trunks decided it was best he got up as well. No use moping about his ridiculous abandonment issues./p
p class="MsoNormal"He paused. Now that he really thought back on it, he had never felt that way about Mai. In fact, there were times where he just never went to see her despite agreeing to do so. Always hyper-focused on his latest project. That also worked the other way, where he would leave before she woke up to spar with Goten or his dad. That was perfectly normal behavior for him, but he was losing those habits. Instead, Trunks had slowly righted his unhealthy habits. He started sleeping on time and eating better meals as he tried his best to match Goten's schedule. That desire to always be with Goten was new. Even as best friends, Trunks was (embarrassingly) usually too busy to hang out with Goten for too long. So, what changed?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Well, his mood certainly did. Lately, Trunks had felt like Goten was slipping away. As though he would just disappear while Trunks was away. emLike this morning/em…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks splashed cold water over his face to clear his mind. Just when did he start having abandonment issues? He had no problem as a child when his parents were literally too busy to even care when he first turned super saiyan. A feat that Trunks had practically ignored until he caught his father off-guard. He also had no problems just doing his own thing about a month ago. Just what changed?/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, morning, Ten." Trunks blinked as he noticed his boyfriend in the kitchen area./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten grinned as he set the table. "Morning, Trunks! I made pancakes. Want some? There's also eggs, bacon, sausage, and I can whip up some waffles with fruit."/p
p class="MsoNormal"That was another thing that changed. Trunks should have been able to smell the food. Hell, he should have been able to feel Goten's energy, but he missed it. His anxiety had blocked him, emagain/em./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh, nah. That's fine. You've made plenty."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" Goten glanced at the spread. "This is barely enough for two." His eyes widened at that point and Trunks knew he messed up. "Have you been skipping meals again?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not really." Trunks looked away. If anything, he ate more now that he had lunch and dinner with Goten every day. Breakfast was usually rushed, though./p
p class="MsoNormal""You totally have." Goten crossed his arms to show his disapproval. "Get your butt in this chair and start eating! I'm gonna make those waffles."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Seriously, Ten. That's not necessary!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The two continued to argue with Goten as the inevitable victor. Triumphantly humming as he served Trunks a new plate of food./p
p class="MsoNormal"Despite Trunks' internal turmoil, he noticed that Goten remained unchanged. Usually, Goten slept in whenever he could. Since, at his place, his mom would wake him up to help out at the farm. A fair trade for the "I'm never going to college" bomb he dropped on her. Trunks still went to school without him, but would try and coax Goten to at least visit the Briefs family home with him. Goten had started to spend the night more frequently, but his attitude never changed. He was still Trunks' best friend, emand that's all/em./p
p class="MsoNormal"The only obvious change in his boyfriend was the dark bruise on Goten's neck. The first time it started to fade, Trunks had felt quite depressed for some reason. Almost as if Goten would no longer be his if the mark disappeared. A ridiculous notion that he was embarrassed to have felt, but strong enough that Goten had noticed. It was then that Goten agreed to let Trunks darken it any time he felt it was fading. So, it remained, but Trunks was noticing it was fading faster and faster. At least, it emfelt/em like it was./p
p class="MsoNormal"He had tried to keep the passion going during those times. He was confident that Goten enjoyed the reclaiming. His moans were very clear evidence of that. However, as much as he wanted to keep going, he could feel Goten's hesitation. Trunks knew Goten was naturally less sexual. After all, Goten had admitted that he and Valese had never done anything outside of holding hands and kissing. Even if the kissing got a bit heated, Goten was always the one to slow things down again. He had done that to Trunks a few times, and Trunks knew he should have been fine with that. emShould/em. There was some part of him that was starting to worry if maybe Goten regretted being claimed by him. If maybe he was being too much for Goten. If maybe…Goten would emnever/em claim him./p
p class="MsoNormal"The excuse was always the same: Goten hated the idea of the other keeling over if one of them died. He said it was unfair and that he would rather Trunks start a new life without him. Not that it really mattered with the dragon balls and senzu beans so readily available. Still, Trunks tried to reassure Goten that he would never try for a new life without him. Claim or not. That had failed spectacularly. Goten either got mad or brushed him off. Saying that the claim was messing with his head./p
p class="MsoNormal"After all, Trunks had been romantically involved with someone else, and Goten pointed out that nothing would have changed if he were out of the picture./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks drank some orange juice to wash down his breakfast. "Hey, Ten. How about we—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh! Look at the time! You're gonna be late!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks narrowed his eyes at Goten. He was usually rushed out. Goten shoved him out the door every time Trunks tried to skip class or was running seriously late, but he never interrupted Trunks. Ever. Still, he sighed. "Alright. I'll see you later, man."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Bye!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"That awkward wave and forced smile were seriously red flags. What was his boyfriend planning?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten let out a sigh of relief after shutting the door. While it was common for him to stay at the dorm while Trunks was at school, he was feeling particularly nervous about it that time./p
p class="MsoNormal"He had a plan./p
p class="MsoNormal"His face heated as he glanced at the bedroom. He was still embarrassed to admit it, but the claiming felt emreally good/em. Enough so that he always became flustered and panicked. Stopping the make-out session that always occurred afterwards. Goten was still so new to the sensations that came with dating Trunks. Aside from feeling complete and satiated with his company, Goten noticed that he also felt eminsatiable/em. Mostly by the insane amount of arousal he felt whenever Trunks touched him./p
p class="MsoNormal"Even just remembering it had Goten wanting to curl up in on himself./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks was openly sexual. That much was clear, and he had no issues displaying how much he wanted Goten, but the younger of the two was absolutely clueless when it came to sexual activities. He knew he emwanted/em Trunks to keep going, but the fear that Trunks would make fun of him—or worse, be disappointed by him—caused Goten to panic and pull away. This time, he would make it right./p
p class="MsoNormal"After noticing that Trunks had been a bit down recently, Goten decided to do some research on his own. While his phone provided some emcolorful/em ideas, he knew there was one person who would never judge him for this. Even if it was crazy embarrassing. It was Videl who had offered up a romantic dinner, and had even reassured him that Trunks would never be disappointed in Goten's inexperience. Pointing out that some guys actually found it somewhat endearing. "Most importantly," she had said, "you need to relax. If you're tense, then you'll end up panicking again. Take your time, and trust that Trunks knows enough to guide you. And, don't push yourself!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"emRight/em. Getting everything ready for a specific purpose already felt like he was pushing his comfort level, but the thought of seeing Trunks smiling again made Goten smile. The image of Trunks blushing made Goten blush, and the idea of what came after made Goten collapse to his knees. Maybe he should just let things play out on their own./p
p class="MsoNormal"He got up to make the bed. Rose petals was definitely off the table. Not only would it be hard to pull off last minute, but Goten knew for a fact that Trunks would make fun of him for such a tacky decoration. Goten certainly would. Candles were a safety hazard. If Trunks' horror stories of how hard their house could shake at night was any indication…emmaybe we should do this out in the middle of nowhere/em. He felt himself burn at the thought. Again, he decided to just let things play out. Bulma could pay for any damages, and Goten could fix most anything himself anyways. He shook his head. emJust take things slow, damnit!/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"As he was smoothing out the comforter, Goten caught sight of the nightstand and frowned. By then, all of Mai's presence had been removed from Trunks' dorm. That included the outfits she had bought him for their dates. Goten was ashamed to admit it, but he had been a bit too happy to see Trunks cleaning out his closet. The only thing that remained with her in it was a graduation picture. She, of course, was not the only one in the picture. Goten and Bulla were standing next to Trunks in the picture while Mai's friends were standing next to her. It was one of very few photos taken that day. So, Goten understood why it remained intact, but it still bothered him. It was subtle, but Trunks was closest to Mai in the image. A clear reminder that they were dating at the time./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten felt his jealousy start to bubble up in him. An ugly side to him he hated, but one he noticed was all too present lately. Leading to the appearance of a strange new occurrence./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark him./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten gasped and took a step back. The voice had appeared almost as soon as he and Trunks started dating. In fact, Goten knew it had actually been there since Trunks first claimed him. At the time, Goten had been too scared to do anything about it. Whatever told him to claim Trunks was invisible and never really hurt anyone. So, what could he even do about it to begin with? His father certainly could never punch it. All he could do was ignore it, and he did. For years, Goten had lived with it in the back of his head. Relatively quiet and out of the way. Then, all of a sudden, it came back./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten growled. "I won't do it."/p
p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark/em/strongem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" him./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." He grumbled. "You can't make me do it." He glanced at a mirror on the wall and was taken aback by his own reflection. His eyes were now a strange yellow, almost cat-like. Trunks' eyes had changed similar to that. Every time he darkened the mark, Goten noticed his eyes flash strangely. Goten figured it had something to do with the claim, but he never would have imagined emhe/em would be affected by it as well./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark what's yours./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""He's em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em mine!" Goten slammed a fist into the wall next to the mirror. Earning a startled scream that was immediately followed by heavy cursing from the neighbors. He pulled away from the wall with a huff. "Damn it. Look what you made me do!" He turned and had just managed to take a step when the voice came back. Taunting him./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"There are others./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"The logical side of Goten's mind was hard at work. Reminding him that while there were other saiyans nearby, none of them would actually be after Trunks. The youngest of the bunch were not only uninterested, but Bulla was his sister, and Pan certainly treated Trunks like a brother. Then there were Gohan and his dad. Both of which were happily married. Vegeta was also married, but better still he had already claimed Bulma. Not to mention the obvious fact that they were father and son. So, that only left one saiyan. The saiyan that neither of the best friends had met: Broly. It was safe to assume that the man would never want Trunks, but that did little to reassure Goten's instincts./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"T liked Gohan. T is Trunks. Gohan is a threat./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"A threat?/em Goten scoffed at the thought. "T might like Gohan, but Trunks doesn't."/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"T kissed you. He wanted Gohan. T wants Gohan. strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"Trunks/strong wants Gohan./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-No." Goten wavered a bit. "You're just trying to confuse me. Trunks isn't like T. He likes em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"me./em Trunks—"/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Wants Mai./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten's eyes immediately shot over at the framed picture. He knew that claims were eternal. Vegeta had stressed that much. Which meant that Trunks was bound to him forever, but that never confirmed that Trunks had actually em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wanted/em Goten. It was one thing to claim him out of jealousy, it was another to claim him out of desire. If Trunks felt obligated to be with him, then…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Then, he needed to talk to someone./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Claim him. Mark what's yours. There are others./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gods! You're as bad as my mom!" Goten screamed before grabbing his keys, locking the door, and blasting off./p
p class="MsoNormal"He needed answers./p
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p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta flinched. The energy coming at him was at once familiar and entirely foreign. He had never thought Goten capable of such anger./p
p class="MsoNormal"Noticing his tension, Bulma swiveled in her chair and arched a brow at her husband. "What's bothering you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Instantly, Vegeta shot up and was next to Bulma. A protective hand in front of her as he kept her nearby. "It's Goten."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Goten?" She gave him a quizzical look before relaxing to a smile. "He's probably looking for Trunks. I'll go tell him—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." Vegeta's frown deepened. "The boy can sense power levels. He knows Trunks isn't here. Even if he were looking for him, there's something off about his energy. He's dangerous right now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?!" Bulma loved Goten as much as she loved her own children, but knew she held very little power to calming him down. Even Chi-Chi had issues calming his tantrums from time to time. It made Bulma worry. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Should I call someone? Maybe Goku?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""May—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""VEGETA!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The two winced at the volume. Bulma having to cover her ears with a pained expressing in an attempt to muffle the scream. "What did you do to him?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nothing!" Vegeta grumbled. "Wait here." With that, he left his wife and moved to the front door. Annoyed to find Goten already inside. Waiting. "I believe it's rude amongst earthlings to trespass."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You know there's no prison that can hold me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta narrowed his eyes in warning. It was very unlike Goten to be so bold in front of him. He was usually very careful not to annoy Vegeta, but now he was almost asking for a fight. Vegeta huffed. "It's rare for you to call for me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You're not exactly a fan of mine. Figured it would be better to keep my distance." Goten answered simply. Displaying that fearsome anger that only saiyans were capable of. Vegeta had learned that humans were quick to snap when provoked. It was the same pathetic rage that had his son fighting Goten so often as kids. Saiyans, on the other hand, showed a calmer and more domineering wrath that stayed hidden under the surface. The same threatening heat that had Piccolo so obsessed with Gohan's hidden potential./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten peeled away from the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Still, you care about Trunks, and you know about saiyans. I had to talk to you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What about?" Vegeta noticed the strange lighting to Goten's eyes and could tell it had something to do with the claim./p
p class="MsoNormal""When Trunks first claimed me, a voice appeared."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A strange look came over Vegeta's face. One Goten was almost too scared to name. "I've only heard about the call, but I've never experienced it." He glanced up to really look at Goten. "Perhaps it's because you're both saiyans."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Call? What are you talking about?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sit." Vegeta motioned for Goten to follow him into the living room. "A claim can only be completed if both saiyans claim each other. Otherwise, it will begin to call for completion. The more you desire the other person, or the longer you wait, the stronger the call is. Until it gets loud enough that you can't think of anything else, and the only way to silence it is to give it what it wants."/p
p class="MsoNormal""So, it wants me to claim Trunks."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't see why you're so against it." Vegeta crossed his arms. "I thought you two liked each other."/p
p class="MsoNormal""emLove/em." Goten corrected with a frown. He let out a frustrated sigh when Vegeta refused to give in. "I know it makes sense to mark him. It's 'the saiyan way' or whatever, but it's not that easy—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""'Here on Earth'." Vegeta huffed. How many times had he heard emthat/em? "It's not about saiyan ways or Earthly ways. The fact is you were claimed. Trunks won't stop trying to get you to claim him, and the claim itself won't stop calling for the same. If you consent to being his, then there's no need to fight it. Is there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Slowly, Goten shook his head. emNo, there's not, but…/em "If I die, there's no kids for Trunks to look after. He'll die too. For no other reason than because I did. That's…scary."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thinking back on his own insecurities, Vegeta understood why Goten was so cautious. Now that he was no longer against his own heart, Vegeta was able to admit how much Bulma meant to him. She was a much larger part in his life than he had noticed, and it was already too late for him when he did. He was more than willing to put his life in her hands, and that included letting her end it, but he could tell he was lacking when it came to protecting her. As shameful as it was, Vegeta knew that his rival had saved her more times than he had. Goku had always been Earth's defender, and Vegeta could hardly even compare when they first started their alliance. Still, what really made him feel inferior, what broke him to his very core, was the fact that Bulma never relied on him when trouble sprang up. She always called on Goku./p
p class="MsoNormal"The same could be said about Goten. Since he and Trunks worked as a pair, they hardly ever saved each other. Always reliant on one of their dads to go and save them. Even Piccolo had to pull them out of danger a few times, or Gohan. If they were ever separated, even Vegeta had a hard time imagining it would end well for them. They were a great team. An absolutely perfect combination, but they were far too green to fight on their own./p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta sighed. "You're both strong on your own. That much is obvious by how powerful Gotenks is. Of course, fusion boosts your abilities, and you don't have to worry about getting in each other's way, but you're not utterly helpless on your own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A small smile flashed on Goten's face before he dropped it. "N-No. I know. As saiyans, we're pretty sturdy, but—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not as saiyans." Vegeta corrected. He gave Goten a sly smirk when he glanced up. "As warriors."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The amazed shock was evident on Goten's face. Vegeta very rarely praised anyone. Even Bulla, "daddy's little princess", received minimal praise. So, it was a huge shock for Vegeta to not only praise someone unrelated to him, but to praise Goku's almost identical son. "Warriors, right. Still, we've got nothing on you or dad. You guys only seem to get stronger but we—emI/em—just get in the way." Goten may have never seen T in action, but he had heard stories. Gohan had witnessed a few battles, and their dad had been impressed by T's ability to turn a Spirit Bomb into a sword. Goten knew that the same potential was in his beloved, but what could Goten do? Aside from fusing with Trunks, there was nothing Goten could really say "see? I'll be just fine"./p
p class="MsoNormal"Annoyed, Vegeta cursed under his breath before forcing Goten's attention back on him. "You keep thinking that way and you'll never surpass that brother of yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gohan?" Goten remembered all the changes that came when Gohan finally started training again. A sad smile pulled at his lips. "Yeah, guess you're right."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta grit his teeth. "Tch. I didn't say that to put you down!" He walked over to Goten and knelt in front of him. Surprising the young man a second time. "Piccolo may be too obsessed with your brother to see you boys, but I've watched over you two. If you'd stop fooling around, you and Trunks could easily beat everyone. Maybe even your father and I."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Really? You think so?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta gave a mischievous grin. "That's only if you stop playing. I don't plan on letting you catch up that easy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"New hope blossomed in Goten. If he could get as strong as his dad, or even stronger like Vegeta suggested, then there would be no reason to worry, right? He would be able to survive most any attack after that. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"And Trunks would be fine/em. He grinned. "Thanks, Vegeta!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hold on!" Vegeta stopped him before he could leave. "I'm glad you feel better, but now I've got some questions for you. How long ago did the voice appear?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Pretty much right after he first claimed me, but it went away for a few years. Then it started up again about the same time we got together. Why?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The panicked confusion on Vegeta's face was impossible to ignore. "It went away? For emyears/em?" Vegeta repeated. He ducked his head as he pondered on it. "That's not right. Claims can't fade." em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Unless./em He studied Goten. "What were you feeling when the voice faded?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Feeling?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""For Trunks. What were you feeling for Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten blushed. "Uh, I don't think I had a crush on him that far back, but maybe I did? I don't know, it's kinda been a while."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I see." Vegeta put a hand to his mouth as his thoughts began to connect a few dots. "And the voice came back?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, but this time it keeps getting louder. It was easy to ignore at first, but now it's driving me crazy." Then, his eyes snapped into focus. "Wait, you said the claim can only be silenced if I gave it what it wanted. How come it stopped even though I never claimed Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Now you notice." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Usually, saiyans go insane after a week of ignoring the call. If they don't make a decision by then, their minds break, but you're saying you lasted a whole month." Goten nodded despite there not being a question. "Must be your human side. Anyways, you're right. Most saiyans silence the claim by following through, but others reject it." He glared pointedly at Goten./p
p class="MsoNormal""I-I've never rejected him, though! That's why Trunks and I are dating."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Which means nothing to the claim." Vegeta pointed at the fading bruise on Goten's neck. "You have until that thing fades to make a choice. If I'm not mistaken, the first claim happened during a fight of yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal""How did you—"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta tapped his nose. "Trunks began to smell like you. I thought he was too young to make a claim. So, I figured it was because he was always around you. Since it disappeared shortly after, I didn't pay attention, but you rejected him that time. Didn't you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Y-Yeah. I was really mad with him and shouted something about not being his best friend anymore. I was pretty mad for a few days after too, but when the mark was gone I was fine. I think I was just mad that I couldn't ignore Trunks because of that mark, or something."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hearing about his son's failed claim was less than ideal, but Goten had a point when he first spoke: Vegeta did care about his son. It was precisely embecause/em he cared that he needed to know what the hell Goten was thinking. "You hated that he left a mark on you. That's the same as a rejection. Still, he marked you again, and now you have until this new one fades to make a choice."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, right." Goten looked down despite not being able to see it. "I was gonna let Trunks darken it again today."/p
p class="MsoNormal""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Again/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten was shocked by the awed disbelief that crossed Vegeta's face. "Uh, yeah. It happens every week or so. Trunks gets a bit sad. So, I let him darken it and he feels better again."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta fought his urge to punch his son's boyfriend. "You're as moronic as that idiot father of yours. Well, that explains why you haven't gone insane within a week, but it's just as dangerous to reclaim someone over and over."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dangerous? But I feel fine!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not you! em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Trunks!/em The more he claims you without a proper response, the more depressed he'll get and the less effective the claim will become. It could get to the point where you're stuck hearing the call, but you'll never be able to claim Trunks."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He refused to admit to anything, but Vegeta knew he was at fault for that massive oversight. He assumed Trunks would have talked Goten into claiming him after a private conversation, or that Goten would have claimed him on his own after hearing the call once it appeared. Vegeta had never even thought that his son would be repeatedly rejected, only to be given new home right after. Not that Goten was aware of his actions. As influenced by the Briefs family as he was, Goten remained as naïve as his father./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you won't claim him, reject the claim, and free him. Let the mark fade away on its own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten touched his mark. Knowing Vegeta, Goten really had no choice in the matter. Trunks was seriously going to be in trouble if Goten continued to half-ass the claim. Still, he felt like knowingly rejecting the claim was the same as rejecting Trunks. Which he had no intention of doing. Goten loved Trunks. More than he knew how to process, but the claim felt so em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"final/em. Like they might wake up the next day with regrets, but no way of escape. Such a suffocating and binding thing like that…/p
p class="MsoNormal"…felt a lot like his parents' marriage./p
p class="MsoNormal"He sighed. "You're right. I'll put a stop to this, I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Something in his voice was off, and Vegeta was quick to pick up on it. "Take it slow and talk about it with your mate. Trunks is stubborn, but he softens when you're the one suggesting."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's true. Why else was Trunks so ready to take on a sister despite wanting a brother to spar? It's because emyou/em said it would be fine." Once again, Vegeta surprised Goten by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Claims are terrifying. They're eternal and there's no way to break them once they've been completed, but it wouldn't be calling to you so strongly if it wasn't compatible. The call is strong because your feelings for him are as well. Sometimes, even saiyans have to listen to their hearts."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoa, Vegeta. I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Now, get out of my house." Vegeta shoved him out the door and slammed it closed. Locking it to make sure Goten would be somewhat deterred from reentering. Not that it mattered. He had a copy of every key Trunks did, which meant the brat had full access to 90% of Capsule Corp. "Damn brat." Vegeta grumbled./p
p class="MsoNormal""What was that?" Bulma finally came down the staircase. A knowing smirk on her face. "Seems like Trunks isn't the only one that's soft on Goten."/p
p class="MsoNormal""If you ever mention any of this to anyone, I'll leave you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You'll be back." Bulma laughed as she walked over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist. "You always come back."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta smiled and hugged her back. "I could never leave my mate for long."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hmm. You're not gonna go suicidal on me just cause Goku won't accept you as his only sparring partner, right?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta blushed. "Of course not! That only applies to lifemates!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is that so? Then, it's a good thing I'm not a saiyan. I would've been long gone with how hot-and-cold you were about our relationship in the beginning."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, please. As if you'd try to claim me more than once. You may be human, but that damn ego of yours sure is saiyan."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma smiled brightly. "How else was I supposed to charm the almighty prince?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"A mischievous hand trailed down her back. Stopping only to massage the ass he practically worshipped. "This part of you works wonders in charming me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is that so?" Bulma pulled far enough away to face him. Loving the way his black eyes darkened further in obvious lust for her. It made her reflection in them all the more apparent. A show that she was all he saw. "Why don't we pick up from where we left off last night?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"emHe's gone/em. Trunks frowned as he put his backpack down. He assumed Goten would be gone. He did have his own life, after all. Even if Goten no longer went to school, there was sparring, the farm, cleaning, and any of his hobbies that Trunks never participated in. Still, a part of him wished Goten had been there when he got home. emHome/em. Trunks sighed as he sat down. He needed to look for a bigger place. Somewhere only for him and Goten./p
p class="MsoNormal"A hard knock at his door had Trunks on his feet immediately. He tried to guess who it was, but the energy was so low he had a hard time focusing on it. Was Goten trying to surprise him?/p
p class="MsoNormal"No./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yo, tell that friend of yours not to put holes in the fucking wall! I can't afford to fix that shit!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks forced his public smile. "Sorry about that. I'll be sure to talk about him. Don't worry about the wall. I'll pay to get that fixed."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The neighbor walked off grumbling about Goten's temper. That had Trunks' anxiety on edge again. What temper? Goten was the most patient person Trunks knew. Seeing what dorm the guy walked into, Trunks knew where the damage was: the bedroom. He made his way over and mentally slapped himself as he saw the fallen picture frame. It bothered Goten. emOf course,/em it did. The fist-shaped dent in the wall was proof enough./p
p class="MsoNormal"He picked up the frame and sat on the edge of his bed. He could guess what Goten saw. It was subtle, but obvious enough that Trunks and Mai were dating at the time. For anyone who never knew them, Trunks was confident he could pass it off as a close friendship, but Goten knew. Still, the real reason Trunks kept that picture was for a very miniscule detail: it was the only picture where Goten had his full tux on./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks had tried to talk him into taking more pictures with it on, but Goten was done. He argued that one was enough to prove he wore the damn thing at all, and immediately slipped away to change into much more comfortable clothing. His usual jeans and hoodie. That was what he had on all the other pictures of the graduation ceremony. Including the picture Trunks used as Goten's contact ID./p
p class="MsoNormal"As much as he loved seeing Goten in the suit, Trunks was regretting keeping the picture. He should have just cut Mai's side out or folded it. Regardless of how much he used to care for her, Trunks had a hard time forgiving her for what she said when she left. He really had no reason to keep her in his memories, but his OCD would have bothered him over an incomplete image. Especially when he knew there was more to it. emBut was that really worth bothering Goten?/em No. Obviously not, but it was too late now./p
p class="MsoNormal"He opened his nightstand drawer and placed the frame face down towards the back. Could that be enough? Just until he got Goten back in a suit. emMaybe on a date/em./p
p class="MsoNormal"The doorhandle to the dorm rattled and Trunks poked his head out his bedroom. A bright smile lighting his eyes as he saw Goten walk in. He had never seen Goten just walk in. The guy was too polite for that, even if Trunks had given him a spare when he first moved into the dorms. Seeing Goten actually use that key (even if he had before while Trunks was away) solidified their new relationship for Trunks. "Hey, Ten!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks!" Goten jumped. It was obvious he had been expecting the dorm empty. His voice went up an octave and his eyes darted to literally everything that was emnot /emTrunks. "Y-You're here early! C-Classes canceled?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Worried, Trunks made his way over to him. "Ten, I don't have afternoon classes today. It was just projects, but I really wanted to see you." That made him pause. Since when did he set projects aside for his dating life?/p
p class="MsoNormal""O-Oh. Right. Um, cool. W-Wanna play games?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ten, you're acting weird."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" His voice went up again. "N-No way! Just, uh, a little tired. Flying exercises."/p
p class="MsoNormal""emFlying/em?" Trunks raised a brow. "That's like, super easy. What are you hiding from me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-Nothing, I promise!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ten." Trunks' voice was low in warning. "We don't keep secrets from each other. What is it? Can I help?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-No."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Your eyes just fucking twitched!" He felt a migraine coming on. "Ten, you're the emworse/em liar I know. What is it?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""D-Don't get mad—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then tell me what's wrong—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""—I can't let you mark me again."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks froze. "What?" He hardly recognized his own voice. It was almost too soft to hear. He tried to fix himself. "N-Not that i-it's bad but, uh, why? I mean, just curious."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten sighed. "I know you're not okay with it, Trunks. You always get in a much better mood after you claim me, but—just hear me out, okay?" Trunks was only able to nod as Goten led them to sit on the couch. "I can hear a voice."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's the claim. Your dad said that—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You talked to my emdad/em before emme/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten felt that same prick he felt every time Trunks went super. An instinct that urged him to follow with. To challenge Trunks and show who was really the superior fighter, but it had a different meaning now. Now, Trunks was hurt. Now, Goten felt defensive. "H-Hold on! I only talked to him because he knows about all this saiyan stuff. I figured it had something to do with the claim, and we obviously don't know anything about it. So, it just made sense to ask him—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""But you could've still talked to me! emWe/em could've gone together! Damnit, Goten. What the emfuck/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Oh yeah. Trunks was emreally/em hurt./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks, I'm sorry. I-I panicked! I didn't—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You never fucking think." Trunks spat out. "Does anyone in your family think before they act?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey! That's not fair!" Goten stood up at that. "What about you?! Who the fuck keeps a picture of their ex emon their nightstand/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks bit his tongue. "It's not just her."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But she and you are the main focus." Goten crossed his arms. "It's a picture of emyour relationship with her/em. Bulla and I are just in the background."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not true! You're right next to me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I always am!" Goten huffed. "I always have been, and that's also an issue!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because I can't protect you!" Goten finally shouted. He practically pinned Trunks to the couch with the energy he began to exude. "Ever since we were small, you were always one step ahead of me. Yeah, you're older, but that shouldn't matter! Your dad's emyears/em older than mine, and we both know who the better fighter is, but the same can't be said about us. At first, I thought it was great that we were equals. I was proud when you were better. I looked forward to seeing you grow into the Trunks from Gohan's stories. That future version of you that was stronger than Vegeta. Except you'd be better because your dad's so much stronger now, but what about me?" His voice lowered by the end of that sentence. "I can't keep up. You go to school, work on crazy inventions, and still manage enough time to train and get better. Even with all the training I do, you still win." His eyes crystalized then. "I-If we claim each other, I'll only drag you back."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoa, hey, no." Trunks got up and pulled Goten into a hug. "You've emnever/em held me back. We fuse all the time, Ten. That proves you make me better." He kissed Goten's forehead. "You always did. Whenever I tried to pull off a really nasty prank, you were always my voice of reason." He smiled when Goten managed a small laugh in response. "And you helped me love my baby sister even when I wanted a brother."/p
p class="MsoNormal""She still managed to kick your butt during training."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks laughed. "She sure did. I think a little brother might've never been able to." He softened his smile and let his thumb trace Goten's cheek. "More importantly, Ten; you've always chose me first. Even when you had the chance to go train with Whis and your dad, you chose to stay with me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That was one time, Trunks." Goten shook his head. "That doesn't count."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It does. To me, it does." He let out a soft sigh. "Ten, you just don't know how much you mean to me. I promise it's not the claim. It's never been the claim. I want to give you my everything, Ten. That's why I don't want to live without you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." Trunks bonked their heads together. "I don't know where you got all those insecurities about what you can or can't do, Ten, but you're wrong. You're not going to die young, because this isn't about you protecting me or me protecting you. We're a emteam/em, Ten. That's how we work. That future me from Gohan's stories was cool, but he didn't have you. If he did, we'd have never met him."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whattaya mean? He came by to give dad his medicine."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because he couldn't handle the androids." Trunks reminded. "If that had been you and me, there's no way those androids could have won. With or without fusion." He stared at Goten until it looked like his boyfriend finally got the message. "So, don't give up on us, Ten. You've never been a coward. Don't let emus/em be the reason why you start."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gotcha." Goten smiled and relaxed into Trunks' arms. "But, there's still something I wanna test."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What's that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Your dad said that claims can be rejected, but that you can reclaim a person. Which is apparently what we've been doing this whole time."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Okay…" Trunks was trying not to focus on the hurt he felt from those words./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten shrugged. "So, we're going to let the mark fade. I'm going to reject you one last time."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?! Why?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because!" Goten pulled away with a frown. "Trunks, did you actually want to claim me? I mean, you did it during a fight over T. You were so jealous that I spent the night at Gohan's with him that you claimed me, but that doesn't—I don't—I…" Goten looked for what to say but was having a hard time shaping his thoughts. He grabbed Trunks' hands and gave a light squeeze. "I want to do it again. On our terms. No jealousy, no desperation, no fear. I just want it to be us choosing each other because we want to."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks hummed as he thought about it. "I don't know where you got the stupid idea that I claimed you against my will, but okay, Ten. We'll do it your way. I won't darken the mark, but if you reject me after this I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Never." Goten beamed as he pulled Trunks in for a kiss. "I love you, remember?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks chuckled and nuzzled into Goten's shoulder. "I love you too. You big dork."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Uhm, Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is it selfish if I want you to get rid of your graduation picture?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks let out a surprised laugh. "As if you could ever be selfish."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He reached over and sighed as he noticed that Goten's side of the bed was already cold. How early did Goten leave? Not really in the mood to think on it, Trunks decided it was best he got up as well. No use moping about his ridiculous abandonment issues./p
p class="MsoNormal"He paused. Now that he really thought back on it, he had never felt that way about Mai. In fact, there were times where he just never went to see her despite agreeing to do so. Always hyper-focused on his latest project. That also worked the other way, where he would leave before she woke up to spar with Goten or his dad. That was perfectly normal behavior for him, but he was losing those habits. Instead, Trunks had slowly righted his unhealthy habits. He started sleeping on time and eating better meals as he tried his best to match Goten's schedule. That desire to always be with Goten was new. Even as best friends, Trunks was (embarrassingly) usually too busy to hang out with Goten for too long. So, what changed?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Well, his mood certainly did. Lately, Trunks had felt like Goten was slipping away. As though he would just disappear while Trunks was away. emLike this morning/em…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks splashed cold water over his face to clear his mind. Just when did he start having abandonment issues? He had no problem as a child when his parents were literally too busy to even care when he first turned super saiyan. A feat that Trunks had practically ignored until he caught his father off-guard. He also had no problems just doing his own thing about a month ago. Just what changed?/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, morning, Ten." Trunks blinked as he noticed his boyfriend in the kitchen area./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten grinned as he set the table. "Morning, Trunks! I made pancakes. Want some? There's also eggs, bacon, sausage, and I can whip up some waffles with fruit."/p
p class="MsoNormal"That was another thing that changed. Trunks should have been able to smell the food. Hell, he should have been able to feel Goten's energy, but he missed it. His anxiety had blocked him, emagain/em./p
p class="MsoNormal""Uh, nah. That's fine. You've made plenty."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" Goten glanced at the spread. "This is barely enough for two." His eyes widened at that point and Trunks knew he messed up. "Have you been skipping meals again?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not really." Trunks looked away. If anything, he ate more now that he had lunch and dinner with Goten every day. Breakfast was usually rushed, though./p
p class="MsoNormal""You totally have." Goten crossed his arms to show his disapproval. "Get your butt in this chair and start eating! I'm gonna make those waffles."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Seriously, Ten. That's not necessary!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The two continued to argue with Goten as the inevitable victor. Triumphantly humming as he served Trunks a new plate of food./p
p class="MsoNormal"Despite Trunks' internal turmoil, he noticed that Goten remained unchanged. Usually, Goten slept in whenever he could. Since, at his place, his mom would wake him up to help out at the farm. A fair trade for the "I'm never going to college" bomb he dropped on her. Trunks still went to school without him, but would try and coax Goten to at least visit the Briefs family home with him. Goten had started to spend the night more frequently, but his attitude never changed. He was still Trunks' best friend, emand that's all/em./p
p class="MsoNormal"The only obvious change in his boyfriend was the dark bruise on Goten's neck. The first time it started to fade, Trunks had felt quite depressed for some reason. Almost as if Goten would no longer be his if the mark disappeared. A ridiculous notion that he was embarrassed to have felt, but strong enough that Goten had noticed. It was then that Goten agreed to let Trunks darken it any time he felt it was fading. So, it remained, but Trunks was noticing it was fading faster and faster. At least, it emfelt/em like it was./p
p class="MsoNormal"He had tried to keep the passion going during those times. He was confident that Goten enjoyed the reclaiming. His moans were very clear evidence of that. However, as much as he wanted to keep going, he could feel Goten's hesitation. Trunks knew Goten was naturally less sexual. After all, Goten had admitted that he and Valese had never done anything outside of holding hands and kissing. Even if the kissing got a bit heated, Goten was always the one to slow things down again. He had done that to Trunks a few times, and Trunks knew he should have been fine with that. emShould/em. There was some part of him that was starting to worry if maybe Goten regretted being claimed by him. If maybe he was being too much for Goten. If maybe…Goten would emnever/em claim him./p
p class="MsoNormal"The excuse was always the same: Goten hated the idea of the other keeling over if one of them died. He said it was unfair and that he would rather Trunks start a new life without him. Not that it really mattered with the dragon balls and senzu beans so readily available. Still, Trunks tried to reassure Goten that he would never try for a new life without him. Claim or not. That had failed spectacularly. Goten either got mad or brushed him off. Saying that the claim was messing with his head./p
p class="MsoNormal"After all, Trunks had been romantically involved with someone else, and Goten pointed out that nothing would have changed if he were out of the picture./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks drank some orange juice to wash down his breakfast. "Hey, Ten. How about we—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh! Look at the time! You're gonna be late!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks narrowed his eyes at Goten. He was usually rushed out. Goten shoved him out the door every time Trunks tried to skip class or was running seriously late, but he never interrupted Trunks. Ever. Still, he sighed. "Alright. I'll see you later, man."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Bye!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"That awkward wave and forced smile were seriously red flags. What was his boyfriend planning?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten let out a sigh of relief after shutting the door. While it was common for him to stay at the dorm while Trunks was at school, he was feeling particularly nervous about it that time./p
p class="MsoNormal"He had a plan./p
p class="MsoNormal"His face heated as he glanced at the bedroom. He was still embarrassed to admit it, but the claiming felt emreally good/em. Enough so that he always became flustered and panicked. Stopping the make-out session that always occurred afterwards. Goten was still so new to the sensations that came with dating Trunks. Aside from feeling complete and satiated with his company, Goten noticed that he also felt eminsatiable/em. Mostly by the insane amount of arousal he felt whenever Trunks touched him./p
p class="MsoNormal"Even just remembering it had Goten wanting to curl up in on himself./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks was openly sexual. That much was clear, and he had no issues displaying how much he wanted Goten, but the younger of the two was absolutely clueless when it came to sexual activities. He knew he emwanted/em Trunks to keep going, but the fear that Trunks would make fun of him—or worse, be disappointed by him—caused Goten to panic and pull away. This time, he would make it right./p
p class="MsoNormal"After noticing that Trunks had been a bit down recently, Goten decided to do some research on his own. While his phone provided some emcolorful/em ideas, he knew there was one person who would never judge him for this. Even if it was crazy embarrassing. It was Videl who had offered up a romantic dinner, and had even reassured him that Trunks would never be disappointed in Goten's inexperience. Pointing out that some guys actually found it somewhat endearing. "Most importantly," she had said, "you need to relax. If you're tense, then you'll end up panicking again. Take your time, and trust that Trunks knows enough to guide you. And, don't push yourself!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"emRight/em. Getting everything ready for a specific purpose already felt like he was pushing his comfort level, but the thought of seeing Trunks smiling again made Goten smile. The image of Trunks blushing made Goten blush, and the idea of what came after made Goten collapse to his knees. Maybe he should just let things play out on their own./p
p class="MsoNormal"He got up to make the bed. Rose petals was definitely off the table. Not only would it be hard to pull off last minute, but Goten knew for a fact that Trunks would make fun of him for such a tacky decoration. Goten certainly would. Candles were a safety hazard. If Trunks' horror stories of how hard their house could shake at night was any indication…emmaybe we should do this out in the middle of nowhere/em. He felt himself burn at the thought. Again, he decided to just let things play out. Bulma could pay for any damages, and Goten could fix most anything himself anyways. He shook his head. emJust take things slow, damnit!/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"As he was smoothing out the comforter, Goten caught sight of the nightstand and frowned. By then, all of Mai's presence had been removed from Trunks' dorm. That included the outfits she had bought him for their dates. Goten was ashamed to admit it, but he had been a bit too happy to see Trunks cleaning out his closet. The only thing that remained with her in it was a graduation picture. She, of course, was not the only one in the picture. Goten and Bulla were standing next to Trunks in the picture while Mai's friends were standing next to her. It was one of very few photos taken that day. So, Goten understood why it remained intact, but it still bothered him. It was subtle, but Trunks was closest to Mai in the image. A clear reminder that they were dating at the time./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten felt his jealousy start to bubble up in him. An ugly side to him he hated, but one he noticed was all too present lately. Leading to the appearance of a strange new occurrence./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark him./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten gasped and took a step back. The voice had appeared almost as soon as he and Trunks started dating. In fact, Goten knew it had actually been there since Trunks first claimed him. At the time, Goten had been too scared to do anything about it. Whatever told him to claim Trunks was invisible and never really hurt anyone. So, what could he even do about it to begin with? His father certainly could never punch it. All he could do was ignore it, and he did. For years, Goten had lived with it in the back of his head. Relatively quiet and out of the way. Then, all of a sudden, it came back./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten growled. "I won't do it."/p
p class="MsoNormal"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark/em/strongem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;" him./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." He grumbled. "You can't make me do it." He glanced at a mirror on the wall and was taken aback by his own reflection. His eyes were now a strange yellow, almost cat-like. Trunks' eyes had changed similar to that. Every time he darkened the mark, Goten noticed his eyes flash strangely. Goten figured it had something to do with the claim, but he never would have imagined emhe/em would be affected by it as well./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Mark what's yours./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""He's em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"not/em mine!" Goten slammed a fist into the wall next to the mirror. Earning a startled scream that was immediately followed by heavy cursing from the neighbors. He pulled away from the wall with a huff. "Damn it. Look what you made me do!" He turned and had just managed to take a step when the voice came back. Taunting him./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"There are others./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"The logical side of Goten's mind was hard at work. Reminding him that while there were other saiyans nearby, none of them would actually be after Trunks. The youngest of the bunch were not only uninterested, but Bulla was his sister, and Pan certainly treated Trunks like a brother. Then there were Gohan and his dad. Both of which were happily married. Vegeta was also married, but better still he had already claimed Bulma. Not to mention the obvious fact that they were father and son. So, that only left one saiyan. The saiyan that neither of the best friends had met: Broly. It was safe to assume that the man would never want Trunks, but that did little to reassure Goten's instincts./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"T liked Gohan. T is Trunks. Gohan is a threat./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"A threat?/em Goten scoffed at the thought. "T might like Gohan, but Trunks doesn't."/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"T kissed you. He wanted Gohan. T wants Gohan. strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"Trunks/strong wants Gohan./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-No." Goten wavered a bit. "You're just trying to confuse me. Trunks isn't like T. He likes em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"me./em Trunks—"/p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Wants Mai./em/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten's eyes immediately shot over at the framed picture. He knew that claims were eternal. Vegeta had stressed that much. Which meant that Trunks was bound to him forever, but that never confirmed that Trunks had actually em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"wanted/em Goten. It was one thing to claim him out of jealousy, it was another to claim him out of desire. If Trunks felt obligated to be with him, then…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Then, he needed to talk to someone./p
p class="MsoNormal"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Claim him. Mark what's yours. There are others./em/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gods! You're as bad as my mom!" Goten screamed before grabbing his keys, locking the door, and blasting off./p
p class="MsoNormal"He needed answers./p
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p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta flinched. The energy coming at him was at once familiar and entirely foreign. He had never thought Goten capable of such anger./p
p class="MsoNormal"Noticing his tension, Bulma swiveled in her chair and arched a brow at her husband. "What's bothering you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Instantly, Vegeta shot up and was next to Bulma. A protective hand in front of her as he kept her nearby. "It's Goten."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Goten?" She gave him a quizzical look before relaxing to a smile. "He's probably looking for Trunks. I'll go tell him—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." Vegeta's frown deepened. "The boy can sense power levels. He knows Trunks isn't here. Even if he were looking for him, there's something off about his energy. He's dangerous right now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?!" Bulma loved Goten as much as she loved her own children, but knew she held very little power to calming him down. Even Chi-Chi had issues calming his tantrums from time to time. It made Bulma worry. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Should I call someone? Maybe Goku?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""May—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""VEGETA!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The two winced at the volume. Bulma having to cover her ears with a pained expressing in an attempt to muffle the scream. "What did you do to him?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Nothing!" Vegeta grumbled. "Wait here." With that, he left his wife and moved to the front door. Annoyed to find Goten already inside. Waiting. "I believe it's rude amongst earthlings to trespass."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You know there's no prison that can hold me."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta narrowed his eyes in warning. It was very unlike Goten to be so bold in front of him. He was usually very careful not to annoy Vegeta, but now he was almost asking for a fight. Vegeta huffed. "It's rare for you to call for me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You're not exactly a fan of mine. Figured it would be better to keep my distance." Goten answered simply. Displaying that fearsome anger that only saiyans were capable of. Vegeta had learned that humans were quick to snap when provoked. It was the same pathetic rage that had his son fighting Goten so often as kids. Saiyans, on the other hand, showed a calmer and more domineering wrath that stayed hidden under the surface. The same threatening heat that had Piccolo so obsessed with Gohan's hidden potential./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten peeled away from the wall and uncrossed his arms. "Still, you care about Trunks, and you know about saiyans. I had to talk to you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What about?" Vegeta noticed the strange lighting to Goten's eyes and could tell it had something to do with the claim./p
p class="MsoNormal""When Trunks first claimed me, a voice appeared."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A strange look came over Vegeta's face. One Goten was almost too scared to name. "I've only heard about the call, but I've never experienced it." He glanced up to really look at Goten. "Perhaps it's because you're both saiyans."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Call? What are you talking about?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sit." Vegeta motioned for Goten to follow him into the living room. "A claim can only be completed if both saiyans claim each other. Otherwise, it will begin to call for completion. The more you desire the other person, or the longer you wait, the stronger the call is. Until it gets loud enough that you can't think of anything else, and the only way to silence it is to give it what it wants."/p
p class="MsoNormal""So, it wants me to claim Trunks."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't see why you're so against it." Vegeta crossed his arms. "I thought you two liked each other."/p
p class="MsoNormal""emLove/em." Goten corrected with a frown. He let out a frustrated sigh when Vegeta refused to give in. "I know it makes sense to mark him. It's 'the saiyan way' or whatever, but it's not that easy—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""'Here on Earth'." Vegeta huffed. How many times had he heard emthat/em? "It's not about saiyan ways or Earthly ways. The fact is you were claimed. Trunks won't stop trying to get you to claim him, and the claim itself won't stop calling for the same. If you consent to being his, then there's no need to fight it. Is there?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Slowly, Goten shook his head. emNo, there's not, but…/em "If I die, there's no kids for Trunks to look after. He'll die too. For no other reason than because I did. That's…scary."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Thinking back on his own insecurities, Vegeta understood why Goten was so cautious. Now that he was no longer against his own heart, Vegeta was able to admit how much Bulma meant to him. She was a much larger part in his life than he had noticed, and it was already too late for him when he did. He was more than willing to put his life in her hands, and that included letting her end it, but he could tell he was lacking when it came to protecting her. As shameful as it was, Vegeta knew that his rival had saved her more times than he had. Goku had always been Earth's defender, and Vegeta could hardly even compare when they first started their alliance. Still, what really made him feel inferior, what broke him to his very core, was the fact that Bulma never relied on him when trouble sprang up. She always called on Goku./p
p class="MsoNormal"The same could be said about Goten. Since he and Trunks worked as a pair, they hardly ever saved each other. Always reliant on one of their dads to go and save them. Even Piccolo had to pull them out of danger a few times, or Gohan. If they were ever separated, even Vegeta had a hard time imagining it would end well for them. They were a great team. An absolutely perfect combination, but they were far too green to fight on their own./p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta sighed. "You're both strong on your own. That much is obvious by how powerful Gotenks is. Of course, fusion boosts your abilities, and you don't have to worry about getting in each other's way, but you're not utterly helpless on your own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"A small smile flashed on Goten's face before he dropped it. "N-No. I know. As saiyans, we're pretty sturdy, but—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not as saiyans." Vegeta corrected. He gave Goten a sly smirk when he glanced up. "As warriors."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The amazed shock was evident on Goten's face. Vegeta very rarely praised anyone. Even Bulla, "daddy's little princess", received minimal praise. So, it was a huge shock for Vegeta to not only praise someone unrelated to him, but to praise Goku's almost identical son. "Warriors, right. Still, we've got nothing on you or dad. You guys only seem to get stronger but we—emI/em—just get in the way." Goten may have never seen T in action, but he had heard stories. Gohan had witnessed a few battles, and their dad had been impressed by T's ability to turn a Spirit Bomb into a sword. Goten knew that the same potential was in his beloved, but what could Goten do? Aside from fusing with Trunks, there was nothing Goten could really say "see? I'll be just fine"./p
p class="MsoNormal"Annoyed, Vegeta cursed under his breath before forcing Goten's attention back on him. "You keep thinking that way and you'll never surpass that brother of yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gohan?" Goten remembered all the changes that came when Gohan finally started training again. A sad smile pulled at his lips. "Yeah, guess you're right."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta grit his teeth. "Tch. I didn't say that to put you down!" He walked over to Goten and knelt in front of him. Surprising the young man a second time. "Piccolo may be too obsessed with your brother to see you boys, but I've watched over you two. If you'd stop fooling around, you and Trunks could easily beat everyone. Maybe even your father and I."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Really? You think so?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta gave a mischievous grin. "That's only if you stop playing. I don't plan on letting you catch up that easy."/p
p class="MsoNormal"New hope blossomed in Goten. If he could get as strong as his dad, or even stronger like Vegeta suggested, then there would be no reason to worry, right? He would be able to survive most any attack after that. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"And Trunks would be fine/em. He grinned. "Thanks, Vegeta!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hold on!" Vegeta stopped him before he could leave. "I'm glad you feel better, but now I've got some questions for you. How long ago did the voice appear?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Pretty much right after he first claimed me, but it went away for a few years. Then it started up again about the same time we got together. Why?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The panicked confusion on Vegeta's face was impossible to ignore. "It went away? For emyears/em?" Vegeta repeated. He ducked his head as he pondered on it. "That's not right. Claims can't fade." em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Unless./em He studied Goten. "What were you feeling when the voice faded?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Feeling?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""For Trunks. What were you feeling for Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten blushed. "Uh, I don't think I had a crush on him that far back, but maybe I did? I don't know, it's kinda been a while."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I see." Vegeta put a hand to his mouth as his thoughts began to connect a few dots. "And the voice came back?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, but this time it keeps getting louder. It was easy to ignore at first, but now it's driving me crazy." Then, his eyes snapped into focus. "Wait, you said the claim can only be silenced if I gave it what it wanted. How come it stopped even though I never claimed Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Now you notice." Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Usually, saiyans go insane after a week of ignoring the call. If they don't make a decision by then, their minds break, but you're saying you lasted a whole month." Goten nodded despite there not being a question. "Must be your human side. Anyways, you're right. Most saiyans silence the claim by following through, but others reject it." He glared pointedly at Goten./p
p class="MsoNormal""I-I've never rejected him, though! That's why Trunks and I are dating."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Which means nothing to the claim." Vegeta pointed at the fading bruise on Goten's neck. "You have until that thing fades to make a choice. If I'm not mistaken, the first claim happened during a fight of yours."/p
p class="MsoNormal""How did you—"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta tapped his nose. "Trunks began to smell like you. I thought he was too young to make a claim. So, I figured it was because he was always around you. Since it disappeared shortly after, I didn't pay attention, but you rejected him that time. Didn't you?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Y-Yeah. I was really mad with him and shouted something about not being his best friend anymore. I was pretty mad for a few days after too, but when the mark was gone I was fine. I think I was just mad that I couldn't ignore Trunks because of that mark, or something."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Hearing about his son's failed claim was less than ideal, but Goten had a point when he first spoke: Vegeta did care about his son. It was precisely embecause/em he cared that he needed to know what the hell Goten was thinking. "You hated that he left a mark on you. That's the same as a rejection. Still, he marked you again, and now you have until this new one fades to make a choice."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, right." Goten looked down despite not being able to see it. "I was gonna let Trunks darken it again today."/p
p class="MsoNormal""em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Again/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten was shocked by the awed disbelief that crossed Vegeta's face. "Uh, yeah. It happens every week or so. Trunks gets a bit sad. So, I let him darken it and he feels better again."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta fought his urge to punch his son's boyfriend. "You're as moronic as that idiot father of yours. Well, that explains why you haven't gone insane within a week, but it's just as dangerous to reclaim someone over and over."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dangerous? But I feel fine!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Not you! em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"Trunks!/em The more he claims you without a proper response, the more depressed he'll get and the less effective the claim will become. It could get to the point where you're stuck hearing the call, but you'll never be able to claim Trunks."/p
p class="MsoNormal"He refused to admit to anything, but Vegeta knew he was at fault for that massive oversight. He assumed Trunks would have talked Goten into claiming him after a private conversation, or that Goten would have claimed him on his own after hearing the call once it appeared. Vegeta had never even thought that his son would be repeatedly rejected, only to be given new home right after. Not that Goten was aware of his actions. As influenced by the Briefs family as he was, Goten remained as naïve as his father./p
p class="MsoNormal""If you won't claim him, reject the claim, and free him. Let the mark fade away on its own."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten touched his mark. Knowing Vegeta, Goten really had no choice in the matter. Trunks was seriously going to be in trouble if Goten continued to half-ass the claim. Still, he felt like knowingly rejecting the claim was the same as rejecting Trunks. Which he had no intention of doing. Goten loved Trunks. More than he knew how to process, but the claim felt so em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"final/em. Like they might wake up the next day with regrets, but no way of escape. Such a suffocating and binding thing like that…/p
p class="MsoNormal"…felt a lot like his parents' marriage./p
p class="MsoNormal"He sighed. "You're right. I'll put a stop to this, I promise."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Something in his voice was off, and Vegeta was quick to pick up on it. "Take it slow and talk about it with your mate. Trunks is stubborn, but he softens when you're the one suggesting."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's true. Why else was Trunks so ready to take on a sister despite wanting a brother to spar? It's because emyou/em said it would be fine." Once again, Vegeta surprised Goten by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Claims are terrifying. They're eternal and there's no way to break them once they've been completed, but it wouldn't be calling to you so strongly if it wasn't compatible. The call is strong because your feelings for him are as well. Sometimes, even saiyans have to listen to their hearts."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoa, Vegeta. I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Now, get out of my house." Vegeta shoved him out the door and slammed it closed. Locking it to make sure Goten would be somewhat deterred from reentering. Not that it mattered. He had a copy of every key Trunks did, which meant the brat had full access to 90% of Capsule Corp. "Damn brat." Vegeta grumbled./p
p class="MsoNormal""What was that?" Bulma finally came down the staircase. A knowing smirk on her face. "Seems like Trunks isn't the only one that's soft on Goten."/p
p class="MsoNormal""If you ever mention any of this to anyone, I'll leave you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""You'll be back." Bulma laughed as she walked over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist. "You always come back."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta smiled and hugged her back. "I could never leave my mate for long."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hmm. You're not gonna go suicidal on me just cause Goku won't accept you as his only sparring partner, right?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Vegeta blushed. "Of course not! That only applies to lifemates!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is that so? Then, it's a good thing I'm not a saiyan. I would've been long gone with how hot-and-cold you were about our relationship in the beginning."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh, please. As if you'd try to claim me more than once. You may be human, but that damn ego of yours sure is saiyan."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Bulma smiled brightly. "How else was I supposed to charm the almighty prince?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"A mischievous hand trailed down her back. Stopping only to massage the ass he practically worshipped. "This part of you works wonders in charming me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is that so?" Bulma pulled far enough away to face him. Loving the way his black eyes darkened further in obvious lust for her. It made her reflection in them all the more apparent. A show that she was all he saw. "Why don't we pick up from where we left off last night?"/p
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p class="MsoNormal"emHe's gone/em. Trunks frowned as he put his backpack down. He assumed Goten would be gone. He did have his own life, after all. Even if Goten no longer went to school, there was sparring, the farm, cleaning, and any of his hobbies that Trunks never participated in. Still, a part of him wished Goten had been there when he got home. emHome/em. Trunks sighed as he sat down. He needed to look for a bigger place. Somewhere only for him and Goten./p
p class="MsoNormal"A hard knock at his door had Trunks on his feet immediately. He tried to guess who it was, but the energy was so low he had a hard time focusing on it. Was Goten trying to surprise him?/p
p class="MsoNormal"No./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yo, tell that friend of yours not to put holes in the fucking wall! I can't afford to fix that shit!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks forced his public smile. "Sorry about that. I'll be sure to talk about him. Don't worry about the wall. I'll pay to get that fixed."/p
p class="MsoNormal"The neighbor walked off grumbling about Goten's temper. That had Trunks' anxiety on edge again. What temper? Goten was the most patient person Trunks knew. Seeing what dorm the guy walked into, Trunks knew where the damage was: the bedroom. He made his way over and mentally slapped himself as he saw the fallen picture frame. It bothered Goten. emOf course,/em it did. The fist-shaped dent in the wall was proof enough./p
p class="MsoNormal"He picked up the frame and sat on the edge of his bed. He could guess what Goten saw. It was subtle, but obvious enough that Trunks and Mai were dating at the time. For anyone who never knew them, Trunks was confident he could pass it off as a close friendship, but Goten knew. Still, the real reason Trunks kept that picture was for a very miniscule detail: it was the only picture where Goten had his full tux on./p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks had tried to talk him into taking more pictures with it on, but Goten was done. He argued that one was enough to prove he wore the damn thing at all, and immediately slipped away to change into much more comfortable clothing. His usual jeans and hoodie. That was what he had on all the other pictures of the graduation ceremony. Including the picture Trunks used as Goten's contact ID./p
p class="MsoNormal"As much as he loved seeing Goten in the suit, Trunks was regretting keeping the picture. He should have just cut Mai's side out or folded it. Regardless of how much he used to care for her, Trunks had a hard time forgiving her for what she said when she left. He really had no reason to keep her in his memories, but his OCD would have bothered him over an incomplete image. Especially when he knew there was more to it. emBut was that really worth bothering Goten?/em No. Obviously not, but it was too late now./p
p class="MsoNormal"He opened his nightstand drawer and placed the frame face down towards the back. Could that be enough? Just until he got Goten back in a suit. emMaybe on a date/em./p
p class="MsoNormal"The doorhandle to the dorm rattled and Trunks poked his head out his bedroom. A bright smile lighting his eyes as he saw Goten walk in. He had never seen Goten just walk in. The guy was too polite for that, even if Trunks had given him a spare when he first moved into the dorms. Seeing Goten actually use that key (even if he had before while Trunks was away) solidified their new relationship for Trunks. "Hey, Ten!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks!" Goten jumped. It was obvious he had been expecting the dorm empty. His voice went up an octave and his eyes darted to literally everything that was emnot /emTrunks. "Y-You're here early! C-Classes canceled?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Worried, Trunks made his way over to him. "Ten, I don't have afternoon classes today. It was just projects, but I really wanted to see you." That made him pause. Since when did he set projects aside for his dating life?/p
p class="MsoNormal""O-Oh. Right. Um, cool. W-Wanna play games?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ten, you're acting weird."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" His voice went up again. "N-No way! Just, uh, a little tired. Flying exercises."/p
p class="MsoNormal""emFlying/em?" Trunks raised a brow. "That's like, super easy. What are you hiding from me?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-Nothing, I promise!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ten." Trunks' voice was low in warning. "We don't keep secrets from each other. What is it? Can I help?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""N-No."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Your eyes just fucking twitched!" He felt a migraine coming on. "Ten, you're the emworse/em liar I know. What is it?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""D-Don't get mad—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Then tell me what's wrong—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""—I can't let you mark me again."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks froze. "What?" He hardly recognized his own voice. It was almost too soft to hear. He tried to fix himself. "N-Not that i-it's bad but, uh, why? I mean, just curious."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten sighed. "I know you're not okay with it, Trunks. You always get in a much better mood after you claim me, but—just hear me out, okay?" Trunks was only able to nod as Goten led them to sit on the couch. "I can hear a voice."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's the claim. Your dad said that—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You talked to my emdad/em before emme/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten felt that same prick he felt every time Trunks went super. An instinct that urged him to follow with. To challenge Trunks and show who was really the superior fighter, but it had a different meaning now. Now, Trunks was hurt. Now, Goten felt defensive. "H-Hold on! I only talked to him because he knows about all this saiyan stuff. I figured it had something to do with the claim, and we obviously don't know anything about it. So, it just made sense to ask him—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""But you could've still talked to me! emWe/em could've gone together! Damnit, Goten. What the emfuck/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Oh yeah. Trunks was emreally/em hurt./p
p class="MsoNormal""Trunks, I'm sorry. I-I panicked! I didn't—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""You never fucking think." Trunks spat out. "Does anyone in your family think before they act?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey! That's not fair!" Goten stood up at that. "What about you?! Who the fuck keeps a picture of their ex emon their nightstand/em?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks bit his tongue. "It's not just her."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But she and you are the main focus." Goten crossed his arms. "It's a picture of emyour relationship with her/em. Bulla and I are just in the background."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That's not true! You're right next to me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I always am!" Goten huffed. "I always have been, and that's also an issue!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Why?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because I can't protect you!" Goten finally shouted. He practically pinned Trunks to the couch with the energy he began to exude. "Ever since we were small, you were always one step ahead of me. Yeah, you're older, but that shouldn't matter! Your dad's emyears/em older than mine, and we both know who the better fighter is, but the same can't be said about us. At first, I thought it was great that we were equals. I was proud when you were better. I looked forward to seeing you grow into the Trunks from Gohan's stories. That future version of you that was stronger than Vegeta. Except you'd be better because your dad's so much stronger now, but what about me?" His voice lowered by the end of that sentence. "I can't keep up. You go to school, work on crazy inventions, and still manage enough time to train and get better. Even with all the training I do, you still win." His eyes crystalized then. "I-If we claim each other, I'll only drag you back."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoa, hey, no." Trunks got up and pulled Goten into a hug. "You've emnever/em held me back. We fuse all the time, Ten. That proves you make me better." He kissed Goten's forehead. "You always did. Whenever I tried to pull off a really nasty prank, you were always my voice of reason." He smiled when Goten managed a small laugh in response. "And you helped me love my baby sister even when I wanted a brother."/p
p class="MsoNormal""She still managed to kick your butt during training."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks laughed. "She sure did. I think a little brother might've never been able to." He softened his smile and let his thumb trace Goten's cheek. "More importantly, Ten; you've always chose me first. Even when you had the chance to go train with Whis and your dad, you chose to stay with me."/p
p class="MsoNormal""That was one time, Trunks." Goten shook his head. "That doesn't count."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It does. To me, it does." He let out a soft sigh. "Ten, you just don't know how much you mean to me. I promise it's not the claim. It's never been the claim. I want to give you my everything, Ten. That's why I don't want to live without you."/p
p class="MsoNormal""But—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""No." Trunks bonked their heads together. "I don't know where you got all those insecurities about what you can or can't do, Ten, but you're wrong. You're not going to die young, because this isn't about you protecting me or me protecting you. We're a emteam/em, Ten. That's how we work. That future me from Gohan's stories was cool, but he didn't have you. If he did, we'd have never met him."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Whattaya mean? He came by to give dad his medicine."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because he couldn't handle the androids." Trunks reminded. "If that had been you and me, there's no way those androids could have won. With or without fusion." He stared at Goten until it looked like his boyfriend finally got the message. "So, don't give up on us, Ten. You've never been a coward. Don't let emus/em be the reason why you start."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Gotcha." Goten smiled and relaxed into Trunks' arms. "But, there's still something I wanna test."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What's that?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Your dad said that claims can be rejected, but that you can reclaim a person. Which is apparently what we've been doing this whole time."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Okay…" Trunks was trying not to focus on the hurt he felt from those words./p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten shrugged. "So, we're going to let the mark fade. I'm going to reject you one last time."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?! Why?!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Because!" Goten pulled away with a frown. "Trunks, did you actually want to claim me? I mean, you did it during a fight over T. You were so jealous that I spent the night at Gohan's with him that you claimed me, but that doesn't—I don't—I…" Goten looked for what to say but was having a hard time shaping his thoughts. He grabbed Trunks' hands and gave a light squeeze. "I want to do it again. On our terms. No jealousy, no desperation, no fear. I just want it to be us choosing each other because we want to."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks hummed as he thought about it. "I don't know where you got the stupid idea that I claimed you against my will, but okay, Ten. We'll do it your way. I won't darken the mark, but if you reject me after this I—"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Never." Goten beamed as he pulled Trunks in for a kiss. "I love you, remember?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks chuckled and nuzzled into Goten's shoulder. "I love you too. You big dork."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Goten bit his lip. "Uhm, Trunks?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Is it selfish if I want you to get rid of your graduation picture?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Trunks let out a surprised laugh. "As if you could ever be selfish."/p