Chapter 13: Freedom is a Kiss
The sweetest song is silence
That I ever heard
Funny how your feet
In dreams never touch the earth
In a world full of princes,
Freedom is a kiss
But the prince hides his face
From dreams in the mist
"Aggggggh!" Goten yelled. "Why is everyone in this house always staring at me? Stop it! I'm trying to concentrate on my homework!"
Pan didn't look up from where she was doing the breakfast dishes. Ever since Goten's "announcement" she had pretty much had to take over the running of the household. Chichi was pretty much in shock, and Videl was trying to be elsewhere, since she figured it was a family crisis, and wasn't sure where she fell in.
"That's why you don't wait until two days before school starts to do your work, Goten. I know you and Trunks were having fun finally actually being together, but that's no excuse."
Goten goggled. "You sound like 'Kaasan."
"Well, I'm doing her job, aren't I?"
He sighed. "Yeah, I'm going out to the park or somewhere to get some work done."
He finished his work quickly, once he got peace and quiet, but didn't want to go home. After all, his family was driving him mad.
He leaned his head back against the tree with a sigh. He was going to crack if his family didn't stop acting like he was a plague carrier or something.
Warm arms wrapped around him from behind. "Rough day?" Trunks murmured.
"Yeah, how could you tell?" Goten asked with a smile.
"The way you sighed," Trunks smiled.
"Ugh, my family..." Goten groaned.
"You know, I never would have guessed that you'd have a harder time than me with the family..."
"Me neither," Goten said ruefully. "I can't believe Vegeta is just letting this go."
"You're telling me...my dad and sis are cool with this, but my mom keeps bursting out in tears. She thinks she can guilt me out of loving you. Like it'd be that easy." He pulled Goten backwards so the boy was resting against him. "Relax...you deserve a break, if I know what you've been putting up with."
"But anyway, I was thinking..."
"Yeah?" Goten asked.
"Well, we could get an apartment near the college. I mean, both of us want to get out of the house, and no one would assume we were anything more than casual friends."
Goten slowly nodded. "Any reason we can't move out tomorrow?"
"I don't see why not, Trunks said.
"Goten, where are you going?" Chichi asked the next morning when he passed her carrying a large box effortlessly.
"I'm moving out, Mom," Goten said flatly.
"What??!!?" Chichi shrieked, getting that I'm-gonna-start-crying look.
"I'm tired of my entire family looking at me like I'm some kind of a FREAK!!!" Goten yelled right back.
"So," Pan said, materializing from the kitchen, "You and Trunks have an apartment, now? My little Goten's all grown up," she began to tease.
Goten rolled his eyes at his niece. "Here's our address," he said, handing Pan a paper. "You can bring the rest of the family if they ever calm down."
"OK," she said. "See ya, 'Ji-san."
"You too, Pan," he said, winking at her.
School started the next day, much to the boys' dismay. At lunch, they met up with all their old friends. They'd decided not to act like anything had changed between them.
"So, you two got fed up of living with your folks and decided to be roommates, huh?" a red-haired girl, Cocina, asked. "Yeah, the folks were driving both of us crazy," Goten replied. "Especially me."
Noritore, a short, dark boy, asked, "Hey, anyone seen Fusiru?"
"Nuh-uh," said a tall girl with wedged black hair named Bue.
"Uh...Trunks and I have to go fix up the apartment," Goten said, wanting to spend time alone with his boyfriend.
Trunks nodded.
"OK, see you! Hope you get moved in OK..." Noritore said.
"Yeah, it must be nice to be on your own, finally," Cocina added with a smile.
Trunks nodded his thanks, and took off running, Goten close behind.
"What's wrong, Bue?" Cocina asked, seeing her friend frowning.
"I think they were lying," Bue said.
Cocina and Noritore exchanged glances. When Bue said someone was lying, she was usually right.
"I'm gonna follow them," she continued.
"Bue, have you ever seen how fast those two can run?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep up," Bue said with a wink, running off.
Trunks and Goten were sitting a little ways off campus in a shady clearing, feeding each other lunch, when Trunks sat up suspiciously.
"Something wrong, Trunks?" Goten asked.
"I thought I heard someone sneeze," Trunks said. He raised his voice. "OK, if someone's out there, come out now."
A tall, leggy blond stalked out of the bushes, pouting.
"Oh, it's you, Fusiru," Trunks said.
"Damned right it's me. So, you two like each other? Isn't that nice?" Her tone of voice was the usual sarcasm, but Trunks could tell she didn't really mean it that way. Sarcastic and mean were the only two real settings her mind frame had. She had another setting, completely flipped, but it didn't qualify as a real mind frame.
"Fusiru, it's rude to eavesdrop," Trunks said with a sigh.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't give a damn if it's rude," Fusiru sneered. "So, were you planning on telling the others?"
"Are you nuts?" Trunks yelled.
"Of course not," she smirked, then suddenly took off running.
"Ahh! Come back here," Goten yelled, jumping up, Trunks hard on his heels.
"Hey, everybody," Fusiru yelled ahead of her. "Trunks and Goten are-" she was cut off by the two jumping on her at the same time.
A large wrestling match broke out, until Trunks found himself staring down the barrel of the gun. Fusiru had gone into "flipped" mode.
"Yup, that's right, Trunks and Goten are lovers!" Fusiru yelled. Then she released Trunks, seeing no further reason to hold hostages.
Everyone stared.
"Eh-heh, good joke, Furisu?" Goten tried.
"Goten..." Cocina said slowly, "I have never known Fusiru to joke..."
Goten and Trunks exchanged uh-oh glances.
"Ooooh! That's so sweet!" Cocina said suddenly, grabbing Trunks in a bear hug.
Blue faced, Trunks said, "MMMph, Cocina, lemme go, I can't breathe!"
"Sorry," she said, releasing him.
Suddenly a *thump* was heard as Noritore keeled over.
"Huh, delayed reaction," Goten muttered. "Hey, could you guys not tell anyone else?"
"Sure, whatever," Fusira muttered.
Cocina nodded. "No prob, guys."
"Say, where'd Bue go?" Trunks asked, looking around.
"She went after you. Probably got lost again," Cocina said.
"Oh," Trunks said, used to the "directionally disinclined" Bue.
The sweetest song is silence
That I ever heard
Funny how your feet
In dreams never touch the earth
In a world full of princes,
Freedom is a kiss
But the prince hides his face
From dreams in the mist
"Aggggggh!" Goten yelled. "Why is everyone in this house always staring at me? Stop it! I'm trying to concentrate on my homework!"
Pan didn't look up from where she was doing the breakfast dishes. Ever since Goten's "announcement" she had pretty much had to take over the running of the household. Chichi was pretty much in shock, and Videl was trying to be elsewhere, since she figured it was a family crisis, and wasn't sure where she fell in.
"That's why you don't wait until two days before school starts to do your work, Goten. I know you and Trunks were having fun finally actually being together, but that's no excuse."
Goten goggled. "You sound like 'Kaasan."
"Well, I'm doing her job, aren't I?"
He sighed. "Yeah, I'm going out to the park or somewhere to get some work done."
He finished his work quickly, once he got peace and quiet, but didn't want to go home. After all, his family was driving him mad.
He leaned his head back against the tree with a sigh. He was going to crack if his family didn't stop acting like he was a plague carrier or something.
Warm arms wrapped around him from behind. "Rough day?" Trunks murmured.
"Yeah, how could you tell?" Goten asked with a smile.
"The way you sighed," Trunks smiled.
"Ugh, my family..." Goten groaned.
"You know, I never would have guessed that you'd have a harder time than me with the family..."
"Me neither," Goten said ruefully. "I can't believe Vegeta is just letting this go."
"You're telling me...my dad and sis are cool with this, but my mom keeps bursting out in tears. She thinks she can guilt me out of loving you. Like it'd be that easy." He pulled Goten backwards so the boy was resting against him. "Relax...you deserve a break, if I know what you've been putting up with."
"But anyway, I was thinking..."
"Yeah?" Goten asked.
"Well, we could get an apartment near the college. I mean, both of us want to get out of the house, and no one would assume we were anything more than casual friends."
Goten slowly nodded. "Any reason we can't move out tomorrow?"
"I don't see why not, Trunks said.
"Goten, where are you going?" Chichi asked the next morning when he passed her carrying a large box effortlessly.
"I'm moving out, Mom," Goten said flatly.
"What??!!?" Chichi shrieked, getting that I'm-gonna-start-crying look.
"I'm tired of my entire family looking at me like I'm some kind of a FREAK!!!" Goten yelled right back.
"So," Pan said, materializing from the kitchen, "You and Trunks have an apartment, now? My little Goten's all grown up," she began to tease.
Goten rolled his eyes at his niece. "Here's our address," he said, handing Pan a paper. "You can bring the rest of the family if they ever calm down."
"OK," she said. "See ya, 'Ji-san."
"You too, Pan," he said, winking at her.
School started the next day, much to the boys' dismay. At lunch, they met up with all their old friends. They'd decided not to act like anything had changed between them.
"So, you two got fed up of living with your folks and decided to be roommates, huh?" a red-haired girl, Cocina, asked. "Yeah, the folks were driving both of us crazy," Goten replied. "Especially me."
Noritore, a short, dark boy, asked, "Hey, anyone seen Fusiru?"
"Nuh-uh," said a tall girl with wedged black hair named Bue.
"Uh...Trunks and I have to go fix up the apartment," Goten said, wanting to spend time alone with his boyfriend.
Trunks nodded.
"OK, see you! Hope you get moved in OK..." Noritore said.
"Yeah, it must be nice to be on your own, finally," Cocina added with a smile.
Trunks nodded his thanks, and took off running, Goten close behind.
"What's wrong, Bue?" Cocina asked, seeing her friend frowning.
"I think they were lying," Bue said.
Cocina and Noritore exchanged glances. When Bue said someone was lying, she was usually right.
"I'm gonna follow them," she continued.
"Bue, have you ever seen how fast those two can run?"
"Don't worry, I'll keep up," Bue said with a wink, running off.
Trunks and Goten were sitting a little ways off campus in a shady clearing, feeding each other lunch, when Trunks sat up suspiciously.
"Something wrong, Trunks?" Goten asked.
"I thought I heard someone sneeze," Trunks said. He raised his voice. "OK, if someone's out there, come out now."
A tall, leggy blond stalked out of the bushes, pouting.
"Oh, it's you, Fusiru," Trunks said.
"Damned right it's me. So, you two like each other? Isn't that nice?" Her tone of voice was the usual sarcasm, but Trunks could tell she didn't really mean it that way. Sarcastic and mean were the only two real settings her mind frame had. She had another setting, completely flipped, but it didn't qualify as a real mind frame.
"Fusiru, it's rude to eavesdrop," Trunks said with a sigh.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I don't give a damn if it's rude," Fusiru sneered. "So, were you planning on telling the others?"
"Are you nuts?" Trunks yelled.
"Of course not," she smirked, then suddenly took off running.
"Ahh! Come back here," Goten yelled, jumping up, Trunks hard on his heels.
"Hey, everybody," Fusiru yelled ahead of her. "Trunks and Goten are-" she was cut off by the two jumping on her at the same time.
A large wrestling match broke out, until Trunks found himself staring down the barrel of the gun. Fusiru had gone into "flipped" mode.
"Yup, that's right, Trunks and Goten are lovers!" Fusiru yelled. Then she released Trunks, seeing no further reason to hold hostages.
Everyone stared.
"Eh-heh, good joke, Furisu?" Goten tried.
"Goten..." Cocina said slowly, "I have never known Fusiru to joke..."
Goten and Trunks exchanged uh-oh glances.
"Ooooh! That's so sweet!" Cocina said suddenly, grabbing Trunks in a bear hug.
Blue faced, Trunks said, "MMMph, Cocina, lemme go, I can't breathe!"
"Sorry," she said, releasing him.
Suddenly a *thump* was heard as Noritore keeled over.
"Huh, delayed reaction," Goten muttered. "Hey, could you guys not tell anyone else?"
"Sure, whatever," Fusira muttered.
Cocina nodded. "No prob, guys."
"Say, where'd Bue go?" Trunks asked, looking around.
"She went after you. Probably got lost again," Cocina said.
"Oh," Trunks said, used to the "directionally disinclined" Bue.