Disclaimer: Well, I don't own anyone or anything! Pity. . .
Author's Notes: This happens when Goten and Trunks are in their late twenties. Hope you enjoy. Please r&r! ^-^ Thinking about a sequel, let me know. . .
By the way. . . I have to say I took creative liberties, but, hey, this IS fanfic. . . ^-^
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It was just like any other day. Goten and I were sparring. Just like we had done every afternoon for as long as I could remember. For as long as we'd been best friends. Forever.
I can't ever recall a time when I hadn't known Goten. But I knew there had to be a time. Because I was a year older.
The weather was cool on this particular day. Autumn was finally taking hold, wresting control from the summer, and the leaves were painted. Swatches of red, orange, and gold floated by, around, and over us. The crunching and swirling of the leaves beneath our feet was hypnotic. The crisp air was energizing.
I caught a hint of wood smoke on the breeze and for a moment my thoughts drifted from the sparring match I was engaged in. I stopped to breath in the chill autumn air and sighed with joy. The hot, humid, oppressive summer was over.
Goten chose this moment to strike. I was snapped out of my revelry by a hard punch to the solar plexus. Luckily, there was no air in my lungs at the time to be painfully forced out, but the impact still hurt. "Ow!" I said, wide eyed. I brought my hand to the spot where a bruise was already forming.
I looked at Goten. He was smiling devilishly at me. _Serves you right_, his eyes seemed to say. _You should pay attention_.
"Yeah, yeah," I smiled, waving his gaze off.
"I didn't say anything," he playfully defended himself.
"No, but I knew what you were thinking," I shook a finger at him.
"Oh?" He asked, eyebrows raised. "So, what am I thinking now?" He stood there, arms folded across his chest, smirking at me.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I shrugged, a little agitated that I had let him catch me off guard yet _again_!
"Ok," he stepped forward. "I'll tell you." He uncrossed his arms and a smile played on his lips. "Better yet, I'll _show_ you." He came closer and closer. He was _very_ close, _extrememly_ close, maybe _too_ close.
"Uh," I swallowed, nervous, confused, looking at him strangely, I know. I glanced around, there was no where to go.
"I was thinking," he still managed to get closer, a strange glint in his eyes. "About doing," he grasp my shoulders. I didn't know what to think, my cheeks began to burn, I began to sweat. "This," he whispered. His grasp tightened on my shoulders and suddenly I found myself flying through the air. The little bastard had _thrown_ me!
"That's _three_ today!" Goten yelled happily.
"Arg!" I growled to myself as I got up off the ground. "Focus! What's wrong with you?" Maybe I was tired? Bored? My life was different now. Extremely different from what it was so many years ago. Most of my time was spent working, trapped behind a desk at Capsule Corps. While I didn't particularly care for the job, I had promised my mom I'd take over. Maybe I needed a vacation, I hadn't taken one in at least three years. My only time to relax was while training with Goten. That's one part of my life that hadn't changed. Goten. My best friend. My one constant in this radically changing life of mine. The one light shining through the muck and gloom of a lonely corporate life. What would I do without him?
I caught myself day dreaming just in time. Goten was charging me again. This time I was ready. I side stepped, avoiding his assault. I firmly grasp his arm, intending to flip him, to return the favor.
His plans were different, tho. He grasp onto me, also. The momentum was too great to stop, so we both ended up toppling onto the ground. We grappled and wrestled around for several minutes, like we did when we were kids. We rolled and tumbled over the cool grass and down the gently sloping hills. We were eight years old again, with not a care in the world. Things were wonderful, life was perfect. We had our whole lives ahead of us. Who knew what the future would hold?
We thudded to a stop at the base of a steeper-than-usual hill. Goten sat atop of me, straddling my waist. His hands were on my shoulders, pinning me to the ground. We were giggling like little boys, trying to catch our breath. "I win!" Goten smiled, bragging in that innocent way of his.
We looked at each other, becoming quiet. Each of us lost in thoughts and memories, smiles on our lips. Then Goten's smile slowly faded and his face became serious. This didn't happen often. Goten had always been a happy, cheerful person who smiled at everything, without reason. He was like his father, untainted by the skepticism and malice of life. He was pure, a being of light and air. He'd kept me afloat many times when I had been drowning in my sorrows. His changed worried me.
"Goten?" I asked, afraid of what caused such a change in my friend. He didn't say a word. He only blinked slowly and sighed. He leaned down close to me. And then he kissed me. His soft lips gently brushed mine tenderly, briefly. It was a quick, silent contact, but it spoke volumes.
Goten looked down on me. His eyes were wild and sorrowful. He was wondering. Wondering if he'd killed a friendship. _The_ friendship. His eyes glistened and his body tensed, waiting.
Suddenly, my childhood seemed so far away, so long ago. An eternity past. Was this the same person I'd spent my youth with, told my secrets to, loved as a best friend? I wasn't sure. _My_ Goten wouldn't have thought about such a thing, let alone done it. But, then again, _I_ would never have allowed him to, and surely I wouldn't have _enjoyed_ it.
Had things changed so much? Had _we_? Neither of us were married or even had a steady relationship. I never stopped to wonder why. I always had school and then work to take up my time, and Goten to talk to and relax with. He was always there. I didn't need anything more. Not on a permanent basis.
I looked up at the figure before me, this _man_. The boy I'd grown up with was gone, had been for years, but I'd never noticed. I looked on Goten with new eyes, in a new light. The same happy face, the same ready smile, tho faint laugh lines framed his smiling mouth and fanned from his laughing eyes. His body was stronger, firmer.
"Trunks," he leaned down again, his lips close to my ear. "I love you," he whispered so softly I could hardly hear him. It was if he were afraid for the world to hear his secret.
My heart stopped as he uttered "love". I had never known love. I had been through many relationships, had many girlfriends. I'd _cared_ for others, but I truly believed I had never experienced _love_. Or maybe I had, and just never realized it. Maybe love wasn't excitement and intensity, fireworks and romance. Maybe love was contentment, safety, happiness, a feeling of rightness, belonging, completion. Maybe I had known love my whole life but I was too busy to see it for what it was. Joy crept into my heart, a light shined in my soul. A light I had given up on. A light I saw reflected in Goten's eyes.
"Since when?" I managed to gasp. I had to know, was it a sudden epiphany today? Had he just realized it, too? Perhaps I wasn't so out of touch with my emotions. Maybe it was normal not to see what's right in front of you.
"Always," Goten whispered, tears running down his cheeks. I wanted to comfort him, wipe the tears away, but his hands still pressed my shoulders down.
_Always_? I wondered. Why hadn't I seen it? I sighed. Goten was so much smarter about some things. True, he was a little naive like his father was, but he knew exactly what he was doing when it came to people, emotions, and matters of the heart. Goten had waited. Waited years for me to realize what was meant to be. So much wasted time. I sighed again.
Goten's features were twisted in pain and concern. As if he'd just tripped over his words into a pit. My heart ached at this. I was torturing him with my silence. He was waiting for me to confirm or deny my feelings. Waiting was the worse thing to put someone through. Time allowed hope to carry his spirit into the stars only for doubt to bring it crashing down again.
What should I tell him? What would my mother say? She'd understand. She, of all people, understood how funny love was. It was a force without rhyme or reason. My father? Well, he'd think it was fitting. He'd only expect as much from his only son. The brat who was never good enough, the brat who was never strong enough. The brat who disgraced the royal saiyian family by carrying the blood in his veins. My father would think it perfect for such a failure to allow himself to be committed to the second son of a third class warrior. He wouldn't object. Not that I'd care if he did. And ChiChi? I didn't know. She'd never been the same since Goku died.
Goten's nails dug into my shoulders in desperation. He begged me silently with his eyes, his wonderfully expressive eyes. I looked into the dark pools. Yes, this could be love.
I decided I'd take a sabbatical from work. For a year, or two, or maybe, forever. I'd go with Goten back to Kame House. Goten had taken over Master Roshi's venue, training students now. I'd help teach, share my knowledge of the martial arts. Maybe I'd rediscover myself, get in touch with lost feelings, learn to love life again.
I felt moisture trickling down my shoulder. Blood. Goten had pierced my skin. I could faintly smell the metallic scent. Goten was tense, trembling, waiting. Still waiting. Ah, how patient he is. He bit his lip, drawing blood. The tiny red droplet made its way down his chin.
And then, in the depths of my heart and beyond all reason, I knew the answer. I knew the answer to the question in my beloved's eyes. Yes! I did love him. Yes, I would accept him. A lightness fluttered through me and I shivered. Goten released his hold on my shoulders when he noticed my movement. Tears came to my eyes. He looked alarmed.
I smiled uncontrollably. I couldn't have stopped if I'd wanted to. Goten relaxed, he understood. He smiled, too. That beautiful, beautiful smile. I'd seen it millions of times before, but for the first time I saw it for what it was. A promise. For love, devotion, protection, happiness.
I reached up to touch his face, gently caressing his cheek. I ran my fingers through his black hair, finally pulling his face closer to my own. I could feel his rapid breaths hot against my skin. I could feel the cold, damp grass beneath me. I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance. I could see a longing in my love's eyes. I brought him closer, our lips barely touching. "I love you, too, Goten," I breathed against his hot mouth. And without hesitation I returned his kiss. And it felt oh, so right.
Author's Notes: This happens when Goten and Trunks are in their late twenties. Hope you enjoy. Please r&r! ^-^ Thinking about a sequel, let me know. . .
By the way. . . I have to say I took creative liberties, but, hey, this IS fanfic. . . ^-^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was just like any other day. Goten and I were sparring. Just like we had done every afternoon for as long as I could remember. For as long as we'd been best friends. Forever.
I can't ever recall a time when I hadn't known Goten. But I knew there had to be a time. Because I was a year older.
The weather was cool on this particular day. Autumn was finally taking hold, wresting control from the summer, and the leaves were painted. Swatches of red, orange, and gold floated by, around, and over us. The crunching and swirling of the leaves beneath our feet was hypnotic. The crisp air was energizing.
I caught a hint of wood smoke on the breeze and for a moment my thoughts drifted from the sparring match I was engaged in. I stopped to breath in the chill autumn air and sighed with joy. The hot, humid, oppressive summer was over.
Goten chose this moment to strike. I was snapped out of my revelry by a hard punch to the solar plexus. Luckily, there was no air in my lungs at the time to be painfully forced out, but the impact still hurt. "Ow!" I said, wide eyed. I brought my hand to the spot where a bruise was already forming.
I looked at Goten. He was smiling devilishly at me. _Serves you right_, his eyes seemed to say. _You should pay attention_.
"Yeah, yeah," I smiled, waving his gaze off.
"I didn't say anything," he playfully defended himself.
"No, but I knew what you were thinking," I shook a finger at him.
"Oh?" He asked, eyebrows raised. "So, what am I thinking now?" He stood there, arms folded across his chest, smirking at me.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I shrugged, a little agitated that I had let him catch me off guard yet _again_!
"Ok," he stepped forward. "I'll tell you." He uncrossed his arms and a smile played on his lips. "Better yet, I'll _show_ you." He came closer and closer. He was _very_ close, _extrememly_ close, maybe _too_ close.
"Uh," I swallowed, nervous, confused, looking at him strangely, I know. I glanced around, there was no where to go.
"I was thinking," he still managed to get closer, a strange glint in his eyes. "About doing," he grasp my shoulders. I didn't know what to think, my cheeks began to burn, I began to sweat. "This," he whispered. His grasp tightened on my shoulders and suddenly I found myself flying through the air. The little bastard had _thrown_ me!
"That's _three_ today!" Goten yelled happily.
"Arg!" I growled to myself as I got up off the ground. "Focus! What's wrong with you?" Maybe I was tired? Bored? My life was different now. Extremely different from what it was so many years ago. Most of my time was spent working, trapped behind a desk at Capsule Corps. While I didn't particularly care for the job, I had promised my mom I'd take over. Maybe I needed a vacation, I hadn't taken one in at least three years. My only time to relax was while training with Goten. That's one part of my life that hadn't changed. Goten. My best friend. My one constant in this radically changing life of mine. The one light shining through the muck and gloom of a lonely corporate life. What would I do without him?
I caught myself day dreaming just in time. Goten was charging me again. This time I was ready. I side stepped, avoiding his assault. I firmly grasp his arm, intending to flip him, to return the favor.
His plans were different, tho. He grasp onto me, also. The momentum was too great to stop, so we both ended up toppling onto the ground. We grappled and wrestled around for several minutes, like we did when we were kids. We rolled and tumbled over the cool grass and down the gently sloping hills. We were eight years old again, with not a care in the world. Things were wonderful, life was perfect. We had our whole lives ahead of us. Who knew what the future would hold?
We thudded to a stop at the base of a steeper-than-usual hill. Goten sat atop of me, straddling my waist. His hands were on my shoulders, pinning me to the ground. We were giggling like little boys, trying to catch our breath. "I win!" Goten smiled, bragging in that innocent way of his.
We looked at each other, becoming quiet. Each of us lost in thoughts and memories, smiles on our lips. Then Goten's smile slowly faded and his face became serious. This didn't happen often. Goten had always been a happy, cheerful person who smiled at everything, without reason. He was like his father, untainted by the skepticism and malice of life. He was pure, a being of light and air. He'd kept me afloat many times when I had been drowning in my sorrows. His changed worried me.
"Goten?" I asked, afraid of what caused such a change in my friend. He didn't say a word. He only blinked slowly and sighed. He leaned down close to me. And then he kissed me. His soft lips gently brushed mine tenderly, briefly. It was a quick, silent contact, but it spoke volumes.
Goten looked down on me. His eyes were wild and sorrowful. He was wondering. Wondering if he'd killed a friendship. _The_ friendship. His eyes glistened and his body tensed, waiting.
Suddenly, my childhood seemed so far away, so long ago. An eternity past. Was this the same person I'd spent my youth with, told my secrets to, loved as a best friend? I wasn't sure. _My_ Goten wouldn't have thought about such a thing, let alone done it. But, then again, _I_ would never have allowed him to, and surely I wouldn't have _enjoyed_ it.
Had things changed so much? Had _we_? Neither of us were married or even had a steady relationship. I never stopped to wonder why. I always had school and then work to take up my time, and Goten to talk to and relax with. He was always there. I didn't need anything more. Not on a permanent basis.
I looked up at the figure before me, this _man_. The boy I'd grown up with was gone, had been for years, but I'd never noticed. I looked on Goten with new eyes, in a new light. The same happy face, the same ready smile, tho faint laugh lines framed his smiling mouth and fanned from his laughing eyes. His body was stronger, firmer.
"Trunks," he leaned down again, his lips close to my ear. "I love you," he whispered so softly I could hardly hear him. It was if he were afraid for the world to hear his secret.
My heart stopped as he uttered "love". I had never known love. I had been through many relationships, had many girlfriends. I'd _cared_ for others, but I truly believed I had never experienced _love_. Or maybe I had, and just never realized it. Maybe love wasn't excitement and intensity, fireworks and romance. Maybe love was contentment, safety, happiness, a feeling of rightness, belonging, completion. Maybe I had known love my whole life but I was too busy to see it for what it was. Joy crept into my heart, a light shined in my soul. A light I had given up on. A light I saw reflected in Goten's eyes.
"Since when?" I managed to gasp. I had to know, was it a sudden epiphany today? Had he just realized it, too? Perhaps I wasn't so out of touch with my emotions. Maybe it was normal not to see what's right in front of you.
"Always," Goten whispered, tears running down his cheeks. I wanted to comfort him, wipe the tears away, but his hands still pressed my shoulders down.
_Always_? I wondered. Why hadn't I seen it? I sighed. Goten was so much smarter about some things. True, he was a little naive like his father was, but he knew exactly what he was doing when it came to people, emotions, and matters of the heart. Goten had waited. Waited years for me to realize what was meant to be. So much wasted time. I sighed again.
Goten's features were twisted in pain and concern. As if he'd just tripped over his words into a pit. My heart ached at this. I was torturing him with my silence. He was waiting for me to confirm or deny my feelings. Waiting was the worse thing to put someone through. Time allowed hope to carry his spirit into the stars only for doubt to bring it crashing down again.
What should I tell him? What would my mother say? She'd understand. She, of all people, understood how funny love was. It was a force without rhyme or reason. My father? Well, he'd think it was fitting. He'd only expect as much from his only son. The brat who was never good enough, the brat who was never strong enough. The brat who disgraced the royal saiyian family by carrying the blood in his veins. My father would think it perfect for such a failure to allow himself to be committed to the second son of a third class warrior. He wouldn't object. Not that I'd care if he did. And ChiChi? I didn't know. She'd never been the same since Goku died.
Goten's nails dug into my shoulders in desperation. He begged me silently with his eyes, his wonderfully expressive eyes. I looked into the dark pools. Yes, this could be love.
I decided I'd take a sabbatical from work. For a year, or two, or maybe, forever. I'd go with Goten back to Kame House. Goten had taken over Master Roshi's venue, training students now. I'd help teach, share my knowledge of the martial arts. Maybe I'd rediscover myself, get in touch with lost feelings, learn to love life again.
I felt moisture trickling down my shoulder. Blood. Goten had pierced my skin. I could faintly smell the metallic scent. Goten was tense, trembling, waiting. Still waiting. Ah, how patient he is. He bit his lip, drawing blood. The tiny red droplet made its way down his chin.
And then, in the depths of my heart and beyond all reason, I knew the answer. I knew the answer to the question in my beloved's eyes. Yes! I did love him. Yes, I would accept him. A lightness fluttered through me and I shivered. Goten released his hold on my shoulders when he noticed my movement. Tears came to my eyes. He looked alarmed.
I smiled uncontrollably. I couldn't have stopped if I'd wanted to. Goten relaxed, he understood. He smiled, too. That beautiful, beautiful smile. I'd seen it millions of times before, but for the first time I saw it for what it was. A promise. For love, devotion, protection, happiness.
I reached up to touch his face, gently caressing his cheek. I ran my fingers through his black hair, finally pulling his face closer to my own. I could feel his rapid breaths hot against my skin. I could feel the cold, damp grass beneath me. I could hear the crickets chirping in the distance. I could see a longing in my love's eyes. I brought him closer, our lips barely touching. "I love you, too, Goten," I breathed against his hot mouth. And without hesitation I returned his kiss. And it felt oh, so right.