Warnings: The usual rotten language of the characters, and a bit more to the "romance" sections. In case you havn't read the first through third parts, though I suggest you did if you want to understand this part. If you dissagree with the "Trunks/Juuhachi" theme, or you don't like Juunana with someone, don't bother reading this.
Credits: I want to extend a thank you to Shadonyx for helping me out a bit with a bit more, and for giving me the idea to put Juuhachi and Trunks together in the first place. ^_~
By the way, please read & review! It's much appreciated.
That said, happy reading!
~Shino Kouen, the author
~Tears of the Sun~
Part IV
"And let the rain come flooding in, wash out this tired notion that the best is yet to come."--DMB; Pig
It had been two weeks.
Two long nerve-racking weeks, and he hadn't seen head nor tail of Juunana or Juuhachi. He was jumpy, waiting for them to jump out at him, waiting for her to kill him. He was nervous, and also a bit... worried? It wasn't like either of the Jinzouningen to go so long unnoticed, but it was Juuhachi that he spent his time thinking about... And the more he thought about her, the more his imagination roamed.
He hated himself for envisioning those things... her sweet mouth, her slender body, her pale, creamy skin, her deadly but gentle hands... And he hated himself more for what each of those things brought his imagination to. Having free time with out the Jinzouningen to bother him was causing some problems. He could think too much.
Soon, though, that would change.
Trunks's mother, Bulma, had been working on another invention, a time machine. A time machine that could take Trunks back in time to before the Jinzouningen where awakened. It could take him back to when the world was safer, when Son Goku was still alive; and that's where Trunks would give that timeline a new chance.
His mother had also found a cure to Son Goku's heart disease. If Trunks went back to when he was still living, he could give him the heart medicine, and hopefully enable him to survive it's wrath, and defeat the Androids.
And maybe, just maybe, while he was there, Trunks could become strong enough to defeat the Androids in his own timeline.
But could he kill her? Juunana-gou, that would be no problem, but Juuhachi..? He kicked a stone, and it bounced around on the ground audibly in the dark. He slumped onto a rock and rested his chin on his hands, his thoughts roaring inside of his soul. He knew that it would be very, very, very difficult, if not impossible.
A twig snapped; the sound of something moving behind him. He didn't turn around, knowing fully who it was. He sensed no ki.
"Trunks..?" He didn't answer, and she sighed, but continued almost... nervously? "I uh... well, I wanted to say that..."
"Yeah?" He prompted, still not turning around.
"I um... I'm... sorry... about... how I just left... the other day." She fidgeted, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Apologies weren't her thing. In fact, she'd never given one before. Why was she apologizing to this boy now? What possessed her to do this?
Finally, Trunks had turned around. Juuhachi was kicking at the ground with her foot. Kami, did she look beautiful when she blushed. "It's uh... okay, I didn't think you'd respond to it all that well...but..." He waited a beat, until she looked up at him again. "Juuhachi... I..." She looked up nervously, chewing on her lip." I... I think... I'm... in love with you."
She ducked her head again, nervously avoiding his eyes. "You... told me that once before but... but how can someone like you love someone like me?"
He gazed down at his boots, "I don't know... it's all so strange to me."
"Yeah... for me too..."
Her answer had surprised him, and he just had to ask, as he stood. "Do... do you love me?"
She drew her breath in sharply. "I... I don't know..."
He refocused his gaze to his boots. "Okay..."
"Trunks..."
"Yeah?"
"When... When I kissed you... I felt something." She was fidgeting with her hands as she spoke.
"So did I." He admitted.
She attempted to monitor her breathing more closely. "What did you feel?"
"A warm feeling…" he answered, remembering. "It was amazing... I felt... like I was flying..."
"Me too..." she shivered, amazed that they shared something in common, and found herself walking blindly towards him.
"Oh... Juuhachi..." He bridged the gap between them and put his arms gently around her.
She shivered again, anticipating what she needed to feel. "Trunks.."
"Hm?"
She answered by pressing her lips to his, letting the warm feeling invade her body. Trunks smiled inwardly, letting her control the kiss. She prodded at his lips with her tongue until he let her inside of his mouth, but they were interrupted just as he opened his mouth to her.
The sardonic clapping came from behind a tree as they heard his voice. "Well, well, well... have we finally given into ourselves, Juuhachi?" He stepped out from the shadows.
Juuhachi spun around to see whom she knew it was. "Juunana-gou!" she gasped, angrily
.
"Oh, please continue. I've never seen a monkey and an android fuck... this should be interesting..."
Immediately, Trunks was on the defense. "Shut up, Juunana!!" he growled as he reached for his sword.
But Juuhachi was none too eager to see a blood bath. "Trunks, don't." Juunana grinned as the Saiya-jin growled at him.
"Juunana-gou... I just... I wanted to... I don't know..." Juuhachi sighed deeply in frustration, throwing up her arms.
"Of course you don't... you've never given much to pleasure. But now, finally, you've found yourself a boy toy."
"At least I haven't raped almost every attractive looking person we've come across." She spat back. Her brother only laughed, and she glared. " Juunana, you pick the worst times to be an ass."
"I never was noted for my timing..."
"Oh... Shut up!"
Anger finally made it's way to his face and he narrowed his eyes. "Don't take that tone with me, Juuhachi."
"I'll take whatever tone, I want, Juunana."
He took a step towards Trunks, who glared in his direction. "What if I kill your new boyfriend, Juu-chan? How would you like that?'
"Juunana... "
"What?"
"Please... just... Kami, just... I don't know!"
"Leave?" He supplied.
"Just stop this... This... torture! Why are you torturing me? I'm your damned sister, for crying out loud!"
He snorted, jumping into the air. "See ya." And he was gone.
Trunks still had his hand on his sword. "I hate him, Juuhachi! I hate that cocky mother fucker!!"
"Oh.." She growled, sitting on the rock Trunks had vacated earlier. "I can't believe he does that sometimes."
"He's an asshole." Trunks muttered, finally abandoning his sword and crossing his arms over his chest.
"Trunks... please... he's still my brother..." Juuhachi choked, torn.
"I know, but still..."
"Just... I know where he's coming from."
"Explain that one to me."
"Well... He met this girl..."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, but... I just know how it is to see your twin with someone else. It eats away at you, like you loose apart of yourself to someone else." She closed her eyes in resentful memory.
"I see." He muttered.
She sighed, pulling her knees up to her chest. "No, you don't."
"Well... then... I wouldn't want to cause any family disputes."
She lifted her head to look at him, sadly. "It's okay, Trunks, really."
"Apparently, it isn't." He said bitterly, turning his back to her and taking a step. " I think I should go."
"No, Trunks..." She jumped up, catching his wrist. "Please..."
"I don't want to tear you and your brother apart." He kept his eyes away from hers, swallowing down the knot in his throat.
"You won't...just... please..." She moved so she was in front of him and looked into his eyes pleadingly. " I need to know what made me feel like I did when I kissed you... please..?"
"Do you think I know? I don't. Maybe it's love." He snapped, stepping back from her.
"I... I don't know..." She shook her head, looking to the ground again.
He glanced back up at her defeated form, and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Neither do I."
"I... I'm sorry..." she murmured.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for." He assured her, lifting her chin with his index finger.
"I can be sorry for my brother." She explained.
"He should be sorry for himself. He's an ass, it's not your fault he's the way he is." He leaned towards her and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Still, she insisted quietly. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry you hate him so much."
"It's not your fault." He promised. " I love you, not him."
"I know... " She sighed, her eyes downcast again. "But I don't want you to hate me because of him."
"I don't hate you." He lifted her chin again, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Juuhachi... will meet me at my house, tomorrow? Make sure Juunana-gou doesn't follow you."
"But.. Why?"
"Because I want to see you before I leave…"
"You're leaving?" She looked almost shocked.
"I… I'll explain later, I promise. He leaned in and kissed her one last time, lingering in the depth of the emotional exchange. "Until we meet again." He stepped back and smiled sympathetically, then jumped into the air, heading homeward. Juuhachi stared after him for a long time, debating her emotions. It was nearly an hour later when she finally walked away, slowly, arms across her stomach. Tomorrow was going to be emotional torment.
~~****~~
He shivered, drawing his knees in close to his body and resting his forehead on them. He sighed a shakey breath, trying to calm his nerves. He decided he would stay here tonight, in his place, alone, for once.
It had been bad enough that Juuhachi happened to have seen him kissing Akiko. He'd felt a foreign flush cover his face when he attempted to explain his intentions to his sister. She had been near tears, and hadn't spoken to him for a week afterwards. To make matters worse, he hadn't seen Akiko since.
To add to everything, the reverse had happened: he had caught Juuhachi with Trunks. He'd suspected something, some odd, light interest, but he had fooled himself into thinking that it would never happen. He'd believed that she would always remain loyal to him.
But she hadn't.
Wasn't it the same way, now? Is this what Juuhachi felt when she caught him with Akiko? Could he ever look at his sister the same way again? She had kissed their enemy! Wasn't that being a traitor?
Who would fight with him now? Who would help to lessen Earth's population? Would his sister, the very sister who'd killed all of Trunks's friends and family with him, fight for the good of Chikkyuu now?
He curled up into a tighter ball, laying on his side now, under the shade of the tree that only darkened the night. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift. What did tomorrow hold?
~~****~~
Juuhachi watched as the sun sank slowly behind the hill, just as she had so many times before. She turned her back to it, and walked the last few miles to the Capsule Corporation. Darkness hung over the dome like a veil. She heard him before she saw him.
"You came."
"Yes," she replied.
"Why?"
"Because you told me to."
"This could be a trap, you know."
"Yeah, but it isn't."
"How would you know?"
"I just know," she finished, stopping at the steps where he sat. He looked up at her, but didn't offer for her to sit. Instead, he lifted his eyes to meet hers, keeping their gazes locked as much for desire as for his own security. "So... where are you going?"
His stomach curled into a tight little ball. "Well... my mother built this time machine and..."
"You're going back to destroy us before we can do any damage?"
He looked up at her, stunned. "How did you know that?"
"It's a logical answer. What else would your mother build a time machine for?"
He shrugged, lowering his gaze to the ground. "It's going to change their timeline, not this one."
"Then why bother?" She shifted her weight, crossing her arms over her chest.
"So they have a chance to live." He claimed, chancing a quick gaze up at her emotionless face again, then added. "Peacefully."
"Oh..." she frowned. "You're really into the 'save the world' thing, arn't you?"
"Yeah..." He stood, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. "I wanted you to come before I left, so I could say goodbye."
"I know..." she whispered, catching his wrist, ceasing his action. "Well, then..." She leaned in close, nearly nose to nose with him. "Goodbye..." She pressed her lips to his forcefully, and he swayed back a bit before fighting back with his tongue. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her body tightly against his as he felt her fingers grazing his back, fingernails scratching in a comforting way.
Something in her stomach shifted as his midsection pressed against her thigh. She broke the kiss to search his shaded eyes. He sensed her hesitation and kissed her forehead gently. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and sighing. He rocked her back and forth to comfortingly.
"Oh, Trunks, we both know this is completly wrong. Why are we so willing to risk it?"
He kissed her gently again. "I don't know... But I'm willing to risk whatever you are." He ran his hands over her back in a gentle massage. "Don't worry, everything will be okay."
"Will it?" she stepped away, eyes holding some glassy sliver of fear in them. "Will you come back and be able to look at me without wanting to kill me?"
"Juuhachi..." he reached a hand up to her cheek, tracing a finger from her eye to her mouth. "Juuhachi, you're crying."
Her hands flew to her face, unbelieving, and knocked his touch away. She stepped back. "I should go." She turned and walked briskly away.
"Juuhachi!" He called after her, but he knew there was no point in chasing her down. She wanted to be alone...needed to be alone. "I love you," he whispered to her form as it dissapeared into the darkness.
~~****~~
It was late when she found him, curled up on his side under the tree. He was so jaded into his sorrows that he didn't even hear her as she knelt beside him. "Juunana?" he jumped when she laid a gentle hand on his back, then quickly sat up, trying to regain his composure. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine." he snapped. "Go away or I'll kill you."
"Go right ahead," she mused. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"I said I'm fine!" he growled, not wanting her to see him when he felt so defensless.
"Quit trying to pull the 'tough guy' act on me." She whispered, pressing her lips lightly to his temple. "You know it won't work on me, remember?"
He looked up into her auburn eyes, a dazed child's look of awe painted over his gorgeous features. "Why do you do this to me, Akiko?"
"Why do I do what?"
""Why do you..." he stopped himself from revealing anything else.
"Why don't you tell me what you're so upset about, and we'll come back to this question later."
He nodded, and left her enfold him into a comforting embrace. "My sister..." he drew in a shuddering breath, and Akiko stroked his cheek with her delicate fingers.
"It's okay, Juu-kun. Take your time."
He sighed deeply, stomach fluttering at the shortening of his name. "I caught her with Trunks... she kissed him!" he moaned.
"There, there," Akiko murmered, embrace tightening as he burried his face in her chest. She ran her fingers through his hair soothingly, muttering gentle words in his ear until he could pick his own head up.
"This must be how she felt when she--"
"When she caught us doing this." Akiko interupted, touching her lips hardly at all to his, and let them melt together, taking them both deeply into a momentary dream world. He draped his arms around her back, pulling her closer, possesivly. Her cool fingers worked their way under the folds of his shirt to run along his lithe muscles. His mouth left hers to endulge in the sweet taste of her neck, and her breath became caught in her throat as she felt his teeth scraping along her soft skin.
"Akiko..." he moaned, giving into his own desires. "I... I think need you..."
She pulled away abruptly, arms griping his shoulders tightly enough for him to feel. "Juunana, wait."
His eyes searched hers hungrily for an answer, but found nothing. "If you got the same reaction as Juuhachi did when she caught you with me as when you caught her with Trunks....don't you think..." she took a breath as his face fell. "Maybe she felt like you just did when she kissed him?"
"No!" he shouted, pushing her away. "Trunks is the enemy! Juuhachi wouldn't do that!"
"But she did."
"Why?!" his eyes had a savage fire that lept through them.
"You think I know?! I don't have all the answers! Why don't you ask her yourself?"
This silenced him, and he stuffed his hands angrily in his pockets. "I can't." He forced between his clenched teeth.
"Why not?" she demanded to know.
"He hung his head in fefeat. "I don't know, I just can't... I can't even look at her anymore."
"Give it time, Juunana." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "Sooner or later you'll go back to each other. Take it easy until then. Don't think too hard, you'll get a migrane." She gave him a simple hug, then walked away, into the night. "Ja ne."
End Part IV! Sorry It took me so long to get this one out, It gave me problems... not to good with the "love" stuff. Anyway, PLEASE let me know what you think! Even flames are welcome. Hopefully I'll get my ass in gear and finish part V sometime soon! Surprises in store!
~Kouen