Raindrops

Chapter 16: No Right Way

A/N: I'm trying to update at least once a month, it seems like I'm still on track. Also, I got a puppy and I love her.

They kissed.

He kissed Marron and he regretted it. Not the kiss per se, but what happened afterward. A long, thick silence hung over them as he walked the blonde home, ensuring she was far from danger, she didn't talk and he knew why. He scared her, selfishly trying to claim her as his without the slightest bit of agreement, all in a fit of passion. Of course, Trunks wanted her, she was the sun after the rain and he struggled to come to terms with the concept that she may not see him that same way. Why else would she ask Goten, it was because she saw herself as family, a caring friend - he swore it.

Trunks sat in his bed with his head hanging low, making a feeble attempt to de-stress from that moment of intimacy. He allowed himself to feel for once, allowed himself to become totally enraptured in his emotions and in a single moment, all of it was snatched away. He recalled her gentle eyes peering into his short-lived lecherous ones, filled with the fire from his desire. He felt like a grotesque monster, preying upon her in such a delicate moment. If he couldn't control himself then, how would he later? Trunks wanted to feel as though he deserved her...and like a fool he rushed in. Unable to help the concept that he's fallen for her. He shouldn't have listened to Valese. All she did was worsen the situation.

"Kiss her tonight, trust me I'll make sure you'll get your shot."

A shot his ass! That advice ruined a perfectly good friendship. Trunks stood from the bed and walked over to the balcony pulling out a cigarette. He needed to feel the warmth of something as his heart's grown weary. As he fiddled with the lighter, he wondered what Marron thought of him. Wondering if she hated him, or if he had ultimately ruined whatever there was between them. Was this what he reduced their friendship to? Marron meant so much more to him than a kiss, and now he sees that it wasn't worth the trouble, all because of those few words her friend planted into his head.

He cursed Valese to an extent, her intentions seemed pure but at what cost? What did he gain from her encouragement? How could she possibly ensure that he could even kiss Marron? Those aren't the kind of things you plan for in advance, it's passion not some sort of algorithm.

What did she think of him? Just another guy that wanted to get at her? Trunks sighed as he lit his cigarette and let out a puff of smoke. This wasn't how it was supposed to play out, he didn't plan it this way. For as much as he liked to entertain the thought of holding the blonde close, feeling as his chest thrashed about in excitement at the prospect to hold her, he knew that was something unattainable...and tonight, he sealed his own fate. All he could do now is profusely apologize for ruining what was a kindred friendship with his own emotions.

But he couldn't help it, she illuminated his life in a dark period. A time where he couldn't find the drive to care for himself, pushing everyone away from him. Trunks glanced at the twinkling lights of the city and wondered if she was watching them too.

Marron lounged on her couch with a glass of wine sitting across from her. She was tempted to confront him, granted she wasn't upset with him...in fact, she could still feel the searing kiss on her lips. Marron let her fingertips graze against her lips yearning for another. She never thought that her most childish fantasies would become true so many years later, but Trunks Briefs kissed her.

But it was under circumstances totally out of her own control. She almost wished that the kiss didn't happen, she never wanted something with the one person who she has feelings for to be ruined by the subject of a past lover — if she could even call it that. In her head, it'd be different, purer...not just panic and fear. Trunks wouldn't recede back into his shell and perhaps talk to her more...both were denying their feelings for each other, but Trunks' current history displays that he could never bring himself to admit it, all in attempts to save a friendship that has steadily grown more as the days passed.

But there was no such thing as the right way for that kind of situation to go down and she knew that.

It was selfish of her to believe Trunks was in love with her, as much as the teenager inside of her heart screamed it so. It was selfish of her to spring that upon him, she ruined everything. Marron wanted to believe that it wasn't just a panicked kiss, she wanted to believe that it wasn't simply to protect her from Cash, that he actually felt something for her.

She took another sip of her glass.

He didn't. It was clear in the fear in his eyes, despite the gentle caresses and out of character passion that he displayed...it was all to convince Cash.

In three weeks, life reverted for Trunks Briefs. He stood in the nearby bodega, between the beer and energy drinks. The flickering fluorescent light that hung over him was telling of his current state, faltering. He tugged on his tie, as he stared blankly before him. He reached for the beer, glaring at the gold foil covering the opening. Trunks didn't admit it but he was exhausted, emotionally, mentally and physically. He looked down at his watch, it was six o'clock and he knew his father was waiting for a training session. In reality, he was beating himself within an inch of his life, exhausting and immensely sore from the aftermath. All in an attempt to forget about Marron.

In his head, he believed that avoiding her would be ideal for her sake. After their interaction, he pushed the only person he'd been close to away and he couldn't explain why, but he'd turned into a pitiful mess of sadness due to it. Marron had been the only person to care for him and constantly ask about his day. Knowing that he had ruined that between them, he knew it'd be best to push her away despite his deepest desires to speak to her again. Trunks took a swig from his drink, feeling the cheap alcohol burn his throat as he walked over to an alley pushing himself into the sky. He made sure to never arrive where his mother could see him, they still couldn't come to good terms and her simply ranting to him set him into a state of vocal paralysis.

While he loved her, he couldn't bear talking to her, afraid he'd hurt her with his silence. It wasn't like he deliberately wanted to either, but how else could he answer her? He could explode on her but what would that solve?

Trunks breathed in the cold air as he flew to Capsule Corp. As he landed in the back he took notice of the small creature that brushed up against his legs. "Scratch?" Trunks asked curiously whilst kneeling down to the purring black cat. "How are you still alive?" Trunks tilted his head, running his fingers against his whiskers.

"Science," Bulla stated as she peered out the sliding door. Trunks looked up to the teenager who was out of her usual attire, sporting running shorts and a thick sweater. "Ya think I can't sense you?"

Trunks sighed, dusting his pants off. "What, mom injecting the cat with crazy vitamins or something?" He asked as he picked up the scruffy black cat off the floor. "He's been alive for years, I wouldn't be surprised."

Bulla tilted her head as she took the cat from his arms. "Yeah, something like that, y'know mom...after grandpa passed she couldn't bear the idea that she would lose Scratch," she stated planting a kiss atop his head, "I can't either honestly...but anyway," Bulla continued staring at her brother in his eyes, "you're here for a training sesh with dad again?"

Trunks smirked, "Yeah, well more like taking a beating," he snarkily replied.

"I hear ya," Bulla said as she turned inside, "I can't stand training sessions with Dad anymore...all the man does is whine about how weak we are..." Bulla whined, "like...sorry I'm not Goku!"

Trunks followed her inside, sensing that his mother wasn't home. "I mean, he can barely keep up with Goku, why does he expect us to keep up with him."

"RIGHT!" The bluenette exclaimed placing Scratch on the floor. "But if you are looking to spar..." She began, tilting her head, "we can always spar, I got enough pent up energy to take your ass down."

"Yeah, okay," Trunks snorted. "Let's see if you can, Princess."

"Oh, so you wanna go?" She asked, her eyes glimmering in excitement, "Meet me in the Gravity Room in ten minutes, and I'll prove how hard I'll kick your ass."

Trunks was more than keen enough to take his sister's offer. Besides, it's been a while since he's been the victor in a spar. Bulla would be an easy take-down, and he needed to make up for the lack of training somehow. The hybrid walked into his old room, still decorated the way he remembered. The dark blue colors, the starry lighted ceiling. And, of course, all his accolades from highschool and university. He cared so much about impressing his mother, even back then. He walked over to the dark oak dresser, opening the top drawer only to embarrassingly shut it again.

It was filled with condoms.

Seriously, how much had he slept around to have so many condoms? He opened the next drawer to find his armor and spandex neatly folded. Black, to indicate a warrior in training. His father said he wasn't worthy to wear his royal blue colors and golden crest. Trunks never understood why it meant so much to him and didn't think much of it until that very moment. He still couldn't live up to his father either, like always, he juggled between his mother and father to satisfy either side. Turns out he failed on both sides rather miserably.

He slipped on the tight spandex and gloves, adjusting it to his fingers and sliding on the Saiyan-styled armor.

When he got to the Gravity Room, he was met by a powerful energy blast headed directly towards him, which he quickly evaded. The gravity was much lighter than he was used to. "Woah!" Trunks exclaimed, "Dick move, Bulla!"

The female hybrid chuckled, "gotta stay on your toes, Periwinkle."

Bulla threw a punch at Trunks, but he avoided it. Eventually realizing he was dodging every single punch and attack she threw at him, exerting no energy back to him. There was a lack of passion and a lack of vigor in his movements. So what was he even sparring for? Bulla looked at him curiously as she focused on her rapid-fire punches in Trunks' direction. Watching his dead eyes as he ducked and swooped away from any bodily contact. "Trunks," Bulla said frustrated as she flipped back to the other side of the gravity room. "Dude, what's up with you?"

Almost as if he were in a daze, he shrugged. "Well, if you don't know then just hit me, man!"

Trunks breathed in deeply, throwing a punch landing on his sister's cheek. But Bulla noted the lack of willingness to do so, and it killed her. "Okay Trunks," Bulla said landing back on the metallic flooring. "Something's wrong and you're telling me what it is, whether you like it or not," she announced.

Trunks stared at her long and hard. "None of your business," Trunks muttered.

"O-ho, no...that's where you're wrong," Bulla stated poking a manicured nail directly into his pecs, "something is wrong and you've made it my business by fighting like a pansy."

Trunks grit his teeth, leaning against the metallic walls. His sister was quite nosy, but he understood her sentiment...after all, she was worried about him. However, he rather not talk to family about how he feels about a certain family friend, knowing his father finding out would cause a massive upheaval in his family. But...it didn't hurt for the only member in his family that bothered to check up on him to know. "I fucked up, Bulla."

Bulla tilted her head, watching as the slightest bit of emotion cracked in his voice. "I fucked up a perfectly good friendship," Trunks groaned, throwing his head into his hands. "I've been trying to train myself into exhaustion to forget about it."

"You mean Goten?" Bulla asked, inching closer to her brother.

Trunks paused to think on his estranged best friend, "he...well," he began, "Goten is a complicated topic...and a whole other beast to tackle."

Bulla scoffed at his brother's evasion of the topic, he was almost as good as when he dodges in a fight. "So then what, you fought with Marron?" Bulla asked arms crossed reflecting an identical image of her father. "Not surprised with how you are."

Trunks shook his head, a bit hurt by his sister's comment, but he knew it was all her snark and not intended to hurt him. "No, worse...and dad would kill me if he found out," Trunks groaned, "so you better keep your blabbermouth shut."

Thing is she already knew. Marron had texted her out of the blue asking if her brother was okay and she knew something must have happened. Foolish of her to assume it was a fight but that one confrontation was enough to show that those two had something brewing between them. Normally she'd use this as blackmail, but she knew this was far more crucial to him that she believed. "I kissed Marron, and I haven't spoken to her since."

"You're doing it again."

Trunks looked down at his younger sister, who simply shook her head at his sorry state. "You're pushing people away, it seems like that's your coping mechanism for everything," Bulla rolled her eyes, "you need to quit, it's only hurting everyone around you." Bulla frowned as her brother's face drew confusion. "I mean, look at everyone near you Trunks...you're terrified of anyone getting too close," Bulla nearly yelled, "i-it's like you want to be alone forever! But guess what Trunks, that's not any way to live. You pushed your best friend, your family and now you've pushed the only person left away...how do you expect to be happy, Trunks?" Bulla questioned, inching closer to him, her anger riling up like a wildfire. "Goten has tried to be your friend, he's tried to make you see what he sees...and while his life was a mess and didn't align with yours...it didn't mean he wasn't fucking trying."

Bulla grit her teeth as she watched her brother recede back into his shell after her onslaught of words. She frowned, slipping off her white gloves and tossing toward him. Emotions are unlike him, Bulla thought her face contorted into an angry visage. "Get your shit together, Trunks, or let someone help you."

"Did he?"

Goten was surprised by the phone call from the Briefs' household, only to have Bulla blabbing her mouth off over what occurred. Never did he think Trunks would fall for such a softie like Marron, let alone kiss her. I guess she asked Trunks to play pretend boyfriend and ended up getting a bit more than she asked for. That was simply how Trunks was, an extremist and all or nothing, Goten learned that the hard way when he attempted to get the hybrid to loosen up.

In reality, Trunks had no idea how to live. In part, Goten blamed himself for making Trunks slack off...but then man was getting no enjoyment out of life...or so he thought. Seemed like right under his nose, his two childhood friends were blossoming into a new relationship and he was none the wiser. And, in part Goten was mad. How dare they not let him know about it? He understood Trunks and him weren't on the best terms but to leave out such an important detail...

Goten sighed as he flopped back into his bed. His pride wasn't letting him apologize and he knew Trunks would be just as stubborn as he. But for the first time in his life, Goten considered the odds of being mature for once. He will step up when he knows Trunks can't. Because upon further reflection of the past four months, he failed to take into account just how isolated his best friend has become. Once a millionaire playboy turning into a shell of his former self. Goten wanted to know what could cause such a person to fall for the bubbly bright personality of Marron.

He was missing out. So, he called Marron.

A/N: Hey! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Trunks is a bit difficult right, my poor boy doesn't know how to hide. Please drop some reviews, praise or concrit always welcome! I love to DM all my reviewers to chit chat! Thank you for reading!