Trunks was laying on his bed in the corner room, his head hanging off the edge, as he stared at the wall. Vegeta watched at the door. He'd never seen such boredom in his life. This boy was loosing his mind. He was desperate to find something to do. Vegeta was spending some time every day training him in the training room, but he couldn't and WOULDN'T do that ALL day. He'd already beat every video game in the ship, twice, and he was becoming outraged with Vegeta's fall back suggestion for everything; "Take a nap" or "go to bed". The only thing that had accomplished was Trunks' avoiding him and THAT left him unsupervised. Trunks without constant supervision was a BAD thing. It wasn't that he was a bad kid. He was just so desperate to find stuff to do he'd end up making messes, breaking things, and getting into things he shouldn't. Vegeta had long since hidden his secret box of sentimentals. NOBODY was
supposed to even know it existed.
Vegeta sighed lightly, not wanting Trunks to know he was there. They were still three weeks away from Ghendis. Hmm. He had an idea. The planet of Heiron was only a day away and it was very similar to Earth. Vegeta made up his mind. He would stop there and get the boy a few things. A group of school books, for one! A boy his age had a lot to learn, and Vegeta particularly wanted him studying about Planet Vegeta and his heritage. And perhaps a radio also and...let's see...what would he not get sick of? A kitten! That would occupy him! Kittens were playful, they moved, and they had brains, however small. And Trunks liked all the animals Mr. and Mrs. Briefs had back at home. He'd just make sure it was TRUNKS that fed it and cleaned its litter.
Trunks' boredom wasn't the only thing concerning him, however. He'd awaken three times this past week when he felt Trunks' ki shoot up and he was sure he'd heard him gasp a time or so. If he heard it again tonight he would check on the boy. He seemed normal every morning, but what was going on at night? The pattern always seemed to be his ki shooting up, a few gasps, and then it would go down. And Vegeta thought in the back of his mind he'd perhaps heard a small sob one time in there too. Nightmares was the only thing he could think of to explain it, but he wasn't sure something like that would cause such a reaction.
Vegeta slowly moved away from the door, then sighed as he went back to the control room. The rest of the trip was going to require he pay an extra amount of attention to the control room so as to steer the ship correctly. This part of space had a lot of unexpected obsticles that could pop up.
* * * * *
Trunks slowly sat up, feeling dizzy and heavy as the blood rushed back to his head. He was so bored he wanted to scream, or maybe even cry, and that was surprising to him. Instead he decided today was the day he was going to disobey his father--more than usual--and sneak into his room. He'd been forbidden from it, but his curiousity about what was in that box was driving him crazy and there was absolutely NOTHING else to do, so...
Quietly he tip-toed into the room, looking cautiously around to be sure his Dad wasn't going to catch him. It took him a few minutes of digging to find where his father had hidden it, and then he took his flashlight and scooted under the bed with the box. He knew he'd have to be careful to put everything back in EXACTLY as he had found it, so he opened the lid very carefully and placed it next to the box. He'd place everything in the lid, face down, and that way he could put it all back in order. The first thing he saw in the box was a picture of Bulma and Vegeta in wedding clothes. Trunks had seen pictures of his mother in her dress before and his father scowling in his suit, but THIS picture was actually good! Vegeta even had a small small and Trunks could see that look of happiness in his eyes. It was a rare thing on his father's face, but he never missed it when it was there.
After that there was a poem his mother had written for his father. Trunks read a few lines, then rolled his eyes and moved on. WAY too sappy and pathetic! Adults! Sheesh! Next was a picture of Bulma. She had a mischievous look on her face and was smirking. Trunks looked at it for a minute in confusion. This box was a lot more boring that he was expecting. What was so interesting about this picture of his mother that his father was so secretive about it?
Finally he pulled out something that was somewhat interesting. It was labeled, "Thoughts on My Death". Trunks carefully unfolded it, looking up and consentrating momentarily on where his father was located to make sure he was still safe.
It has been quite some time since that dreaded day on Namek when I died, but still the memories of what I allowed to slip from me haunt my mind. Even in such desperation, how could I have told him what I did? After so much time spent hardening my heart, how could such weakness escape it? Emotions are impossible to control! They always come out at some point of another! That's why I must fight so hard not to have them! But my frustration still lies in all of this! I HAD fought ALL those emotions that were less loose to Kakarot that day. And the shame of it... even his half-breed brat, that stupid Namek, and his stupid earth friend heard it! Now that I am alive again, I shall always have to live with it.
Trunks paused for a moment. His curiousity was burning. WHAT was it he had said? What emotion had he shown? Trunks felt like he was going to explode if his father didn't say in the next couple of sentences what it was...
It eats at me even now that I still feel for my father. Everything that happened still aches inside of me and it's become more difficult to box it away now that I've spoken it aloud. The words I said haunt me in my dreams. I hear Kakarot's voice pleading for my silence as I lay on the ground dying by the wound to the heart Frieza has given me, and I say the words over again for all of them to hear... every night... "No, listen, you have to hear this... We worked so hard for him. We did everything he asked of us and more..." And then it starts, just as it did then. The tears begin to flow from my eyes and my vision has become blurred by them as I continue with the hardest part for me to say, "He took me from my father when I was just a little boy. He made me do whatever he wanted and said he would kill my father if I didn't. I did everything he asked of me, but he killed him anyway, along with everyone else..." And then the dream stops, or becomes something different, or I wake in a sweat.
Trunks paused again, eyes wide and a shaky feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd never heard anything of this before and it was shocking to him. Not only for the thought that his father HAD such feelings, but also because the thought of himself being taken from his Dad ripped at him.
I still hold some resentment. I understand why my father made his choice now, and yet it still hurts that he handed me over to Frieza. I know it was for the good of the people, and he never intended for events to play out as they did, but after these things have made their way to the surface I am left with the anger. Perhaps it is only that the love of a son for their father is greater than that of a father for their son. I do not know, for I have no children, and I never intend to have any. I don't want a brat! I'm a warrior! And the only Sayains left alive now that Frieza has killed our planet, are Kakarot and me. There will NEVER be another Sayain! But deep down, and I HATE with such passion to admit to such a thing, but perhaps after pouring all of this onto paper, I shall be able to get rid of these thoughts and emotions and become the greatest in the universe as I SHOULD be, I know that a child would be a weakness to me. After what I have experienced with Frieza...I can't imagine that I would allow for anything as such to happen to any offspring of mine. One of many reasons I shall never allow myself to HAVE offspring!
Imagine! The great Sayain prince producing a half breed like Kakarot has done! That lowly third class moron! Hmph! At least any half-breed of mine would have royalty in their blood. Argh!! Look at this! How could I even write of such things! I have no love, I feel no love! I shall never again admit to there being any existence of it in me! I CAN and I WILL deny it all away!!
Trunks looked up from the paper, eyes wide and not even realising he was holding his breath. He wasn't sure what to think of what he'd just read. It was rather confusing. Obviously his father didn't want any children at the time he wrote this. And that made Trunks wonder for a moment... Did that mean his father didn't want him? What about now that he was here and eight years old? Did his father still not want him? The thought almost made him dizzy and he felt as if his heart had stopped. Quickly he dismissed the thought and decided not to dwell on that but to instead go back to the part his where his father had been talking about his grandfather. Many questions were floating in his head about that.
Carefully he folded the paper back up and placed everything back in the box as he'd found it. There was quite a bit more inside, but he wasn't in the mood to look through anything else at the moment. For awhile he just laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to let everything sink in a little bit before he went to find Vegeta. His curiousity was burning a hole right through him. He just HAD to ask his some questions, but he didn't want it to be obvious that he'd been looking in the forbidden box. Finally he sighed, sitting up. "Ok, it's now or never...," he slid off his bed and cautiously walked into the control room.
Nervously he sat down in the passanger seat and stared for a few seconds, trying to muster the courage to talk to his father. "...Dad..."
"What?" Vegeta's response was gruff, as usual.
"Did you...I mean...uh..," Trunks faultered. 'Spit it out stupid, he's gonna know something's up if you don't!' he lectured himself. "What happened to grandpa? ...I mean...grandpa Vegeta?" Trunks watched from the corner of his eye for a response.
A look of surprised flashed quickly across Vegeta's eyes. What in the world had brought on such a question? "He was killed."
Trunks waited a moment, unsure if he should continue. "How?"
"Murdered. By Frieza, like everyone else."
"Oh," Trunks felt very heavy. "Dad..."
Vegeta was beginning to become irriated, but trying to keep it in check.
"Did you...uh...did you love your Dad?"
"What?" Vegeta turned, staring awkwardly at his son for a second. Trunks looked back, nervously. Vegeta turned to face forward again. He looked a little bit angry. "What kind of question is that?"
"Well...uh...," Trunks didn't know how to answer. "I don't know..."
"Of course I did!"
Trunks' eyes widened. His father had actually answered! He'd almost actually SAID he cared...well...without exactly saying it, but his father never came any closer to saying he cared about anyone or anything than that.
"How old were you when grandpa died?"
"Thirteen," Vegeta eyed Trunks suspiciously.
"Thirteen!? You were THAT old?" Trunks was surprised. He hadn't expected anything higher than ten!
"That is NOT old, for your information!"
"Well not to you, but it is when you're eight! Do you know how far thirteen is?! That's...that's five more years!! That's almost twice my life! ...Sorta."
Vegeta almost laughed, but he stifled it, refusing to show amusement, though he felt it.
"Gosh! Five YEARS! That's a LONG time!" Trunks stared out the window in front of him, eyes wide.
Vegeta snickered under his breath.
"Dad, how come you lived and everybody else died?"
"Kakarot lived."
"How?"
"He was sent on a mission as a small child, but he bumped his head and lost his memory so he never returned."
"...And you?"
"I was handed over to Frieza when I was twelve. There were a few other Sayains serving with Frieza as well, but they were killed later."
"TWELVE! That's not a little kid! That's a BIG kid!"
"That IS, a little kid, and who says I was so young then anyway?" Vegeta looked suspiciously at his son.
Trunks eyes widened as he realised his mistake. "Oh...I...uh...well, I...just thought you were younger when that happened..."
"When WHAT happened?" Vegeta continued watching his response.
"When...uh...," Trunks knew he was only digging himself deeper in the hole he'd created. "...when you were handed over to Frieza? That IS what you said happened, right?"
"And how would you know I WAS, hmm? I JUST told you now. How could you have any pre-concieved ideas as to my age if I'm just NOW telling you what happened?" Vegeta questioned.
"...uh...," Trunks eyes were wide. He couldn't think of ANY way out of THIS one. "...I...uh...I have to go to the bathroom!" he quickly jumped out of his chair and raced to the bathroom.
Vegeta shook his head, muttering. "His mother must have told him." He scowled at the thought. If he'd known about that, how much MORE did he know? How much had that big mouth of hers told him?! He waited awhile for Trunks to come back before he went to search him out. Trunks was in his room, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He was startled when he noticed his father standing there.
"Trunks, what has your mother told you about my past?"
"...uh...only that you used to be a Prince."
"What ELSE?"
"Uh...," Trunks thought about it. He couldn't remember her saying anything else. Nothing he remembered, anyway. "...nothing that I can think of..."
Vegeta stood for a moment, trying to decifer why he'd had any pre-concieved ideas about Frieza. "How about Gohan? Has he ever said anything about Frieza?"
"...He said he was a really bad guy that all of you fought...and that was the first time his Dad went super Sayain, but that's all he said."
'Hmm...who else could have told him?' Suddenly Vegeta's eyes widened, then
narrowed. "Trunks, what have you been doing today?" his voice was low and quite stern.
'uh-oh, he knows something!' Trunks paniced. His face began to feel cold as it paled, his eyes wide. He couldn't lie about this one, it would only make it worse, and he knew his Dad was going to KILL him. His best option was to admit guilt and bear the results. They might be SLIGHTLY better if he didn't try to cover over. Still, he was scared to death of what his sentencing might be for soemthing like this.
"Trunks...," Vegeta prodded, raising his voice a small amount and deepening his glare. He could tell already his hunch was most likely correct.
"Dad...," a few tears sprang to the young child's eyes, but he forced them not to fall. "I....I did something really bad...," he gulped.
Vegeta raised one eye brow slightly, waiting for him to continue.
Trunks clenched his fists closed and squinted his eyes shut in panic as he spit everything out in one giant breath. "I found your box and I looked in it, but all I saw was just some pictures of you and mom and I read this thing about you died and Frieza and something about Kakarot and then I put it away and I didn't look at anything else, I promise! And I couldn't help it, I was SOOO bored, and there's NOTHING to do, and I just HAD to look at something, but that's all I saw, and PLEASE don't kill me, I'm too young to die!!" He squinted his eyes tighter and flinched backward as if waiting for a blow of some sort, while bitting his lower lip.
Vegeta only stood, staring angrily at the child.
After a few seconds, Trunks slowly opened one eye. His father was standing there, not moving, just staring at him the same way he had been before.
"I told you not to touch that box," he stated simply.
"I know," Trunks looked down, his voice shaky.
"Come here."
Trunks looked up, fear all over his face. "No, Dad, please, I promise I won't do it again...!"
"Come here," Vegeta stated again, just a touch louder than the first time.
"But I'm just a little kid, I don't know any better!" Trunks defended.
"Come here!" Vegeta roared.
A few tears escaped Trunks' eyes as he took a few steps forward, whimpering softly. He turned his head away from his father and closed his eyes, head pointing toward the floor. He KNEW what was coming. Vegeta grabbed his arm to hold him in place, then landed a hard swat across his backside. Trunks yelped, and louder at the second. He creid out at the third and started sobbing. Vegeta released his arm and stepped back, his expression never changing.
"Stay here until I say otherwise," Vegeta's voice was completely composed. It wasn't quite as harsh as one might expect, but it still was nothing to be reckoned with.
Trunks stood for a few seconds where he'd been left before crawling sheepishly onto his bed and clutching his pillow as he sobbed into it. His spanking had hurt, but what hurt even more was now he began to think what his father had said in his writing on that day was true. He didn't want kids. He didn't want TRUNKS.
supposed to even know it existed.
Vegeta sighed lightly, not wanting Trunks to know he was there. They were still three weeks away from Ghendis. Hmm. He had an idea. The planet of Heiron was only a day away and it was very similar to Earth. Vegeta made up his mind. He would stop there and get the boy a few things. A group of school books, for one! A boy his age had a lot to learn, and Vegeta particularly wanted him studying about Planet Vegeta and his heritage. And perhaps a radio also and...let's see...what would he not get sick of? A kitten! That would occupy him! Kittens were playful, they moved, and they had brains, however small. And Trunks liked all the animals Mr. and Mrs. Briefs had back at home. He'd just make sure it was TRUNKS that fed it and cleaned its litter.
Trunks' boredom wasn't the only thing concerning him, however. He'd awaken three times this past week when he felt Trunks' ki shoot up and he was sure he'd heard him gasp a time or so. If he heard it again tonight he would check on the boy. He seemed normal every morning, but what was going on at night? The pattern always seemed to be his ki shooting up, a few gasps, and then it would go down. And Vegeta thought in the back of his mind he'd perhaps heard a small sob one time in there too. Nightmares was the only thing he could think of to explain it, but he wasn't sure something like that would cause such a reaction.
Vegeta slowly moved away from the door, then sighed as he went back to the control room. The rest of the trip was going to require he pay an extra amount of attention to the control room so as to steer the ship correctly. This part of space had a lot of unexpected obsticles that could pop up.
* * * * *
Trunks slowly sat up, feeling dizzy and heavy as the blood rushed back to his head. He was so bored he wanted to scream, or maybe even cry, and that was surprising to him. Instead he decided today was the day he was going to disobey his father--more than usual--and sneak into his room. He'd been forbidden from it, but his curiousity about what was in that box was driving him crazy and there was absolutely NOTHING else to do, so...
Quietly he tip-toed into the room, looking cautiously around to be sure his Dad wasn't going to catch him. It took him a few minutes of digging to find where his father had hidden it, and then he took his flashlight and scooted under the bed with the box. He knew he'd have to be careful to put everything back in EXACTLY as he had found it, so he opened the lid very carefully and placed it next to the box. He'd place everything in the lid, face down, and that way he could put it all back in order. The first thing he saw in the box was a picture of Bulma and Vegeta in wedding clothes. Trunks had seen pictures of his mother in her dress before and his father scowling in his suit, but THIS picture was actually good! Vegeta even had a small small and Trunks could see that look of happiness in his eyes. It was a rare thing on his father's face, but he never missed it when it was there.
After that there was a poem his mother had written for his father. Trunks read a few lines, then rolled his eyes and moved on. WAY too sappy and pathetic! Adults! Sheesh! Next was a picture of Bulma. She had a mischievous look on her face and was smirking. Trunks looked at it for a minute in confusion. This box was a lot more boring that he was expecting. What was so interesting about this picture of his mother that his father was so secretive about it?
Finally he pulled out something that was somewhat interesting. It was labeled, "Thoughts on My Death". Trunks carefully unfolded it, looking up and consentrating momentarily on where his father was located to make sure he was still safe.
It has been quite some time since that dreaded day on Namek when I died, but still the memories of what I allowed to slip from me haunt my mind. Even in such desperation, how could I have told him what I did? After so much time spent hardening my heart, how could such weakness escape it? Emotions are impossible to control! They always come out at some point of another! That's why I must fight so hard not to have them! But my frustration still lies in all of this! I HAD fought ALL those emotions that were less loose to Kakarot that day. And the shame of it... even his half-breed brat, that stupid Namek, and his stupid earth friend heard it! Now that I am alive again, I shall always have to live with it.
Trunks paused for a moment. His curiousity was burning. WHAT was it he had said? What emotion had he shown? Trunks felt like he was going to explode if his father didn't say in the next couple of sentences what it was...
It eats at me even now that I still feel for my father. Everything that happened still aches inside of me and it's become more difficult to box it away now that I've spoken it aloud. The words I said haunt me in my dreams. I hear Kakarot's voice pleading for my silence as I lay on the ground dying by the wound to the heart Frieza has given me, and I say the words over again for all of them to hear... every night... "No, listen, you have to hear this... We worked so hard for him. We did everything he asked of us and more..." And then it starts, just as it did then. The tears begin to flow from my eyes and my vision has become blurred by them as I continue with the hardest part for me to say, "He took me from my father when I was just a little boy. He made me do whatever he wanted and said he would kill my father if I didn't. I did everything he asked of me, but he killed him anyway, along with everyone else..." And then the dream stops, or becomes something different, or I wake in a sweat.
Trunks paused again, eyes wide and a shaky feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd never heard anything of this before and it was shocking to him. Not only for the thought that his father HAD such feelings, but also because the thought of himself being taken from his Dad ripped at him.
I still hold some resentment. I understand why my father made his choice now, and yet it still hurts that he handed me over to Frieza. I know it was for the good of the people, and he never intended for events to play out as they did, but after these things have made their way to the surface I am left with the anger. Perhaps it is only that the love of a son for their father is greater than that of a father for their son. I do not know, for I have no children, and I never intend to have any. I don't want a brat! I'm a warrior! And the only Sayains left alive now that Frieza has killed our planet, are Kakarot and me. There will NEVER be another Sayain! But deep down, and I HATE with such passion to admit to such a thing, but perhaps after pouring all of this onto paper, I shall be able to get rid of these thoughts and emotions and become the greatest in the universe as I SHOULD be, I know that a child would be a weakness to me. After what I have experienced with Frieza...I can't imagine that I would allow for anything as such to happen to any offspring of mine. One of many reasons I shall never allow myself to HAVE offspring!
Imagine! The great Sayain prince producing a half breed like Kakarot has done! That lowly third class moron! Hmph! At least any half-breed of mine would have royalty in their blood. Argh!! Look at this! How could I even write of such things! I have no love, I feel no love! I shall never again admit to there being any existence of it in me! I CAN and I WILL deny it all away!!
Trunks looked up from the paper, eyes wide and not even realising he was holding his breath. He wasn't sure what to think of what he'd just read. It was rather confusing. Obviously his father didn't want any children at the time he wrote this. And that made Trunks wonder for a moment... Did that mean his father didn't want him? What about now that he was here and eight years old? Did his father still not want him? The thought almost made him dizzy and he felt as if his heart had stopped. Quickly he dismissed the thought and decided not to dwell on that but to instead go back to the part his where his father had been talking about his grandfather. Many questions were floating in his head about that.
Carefully he folded the paper back up and placed everything back in the box as he'd found it. There was quite a bit more inside, but he wasn't in the mood to look through anything else at the moment. For awhile he just laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to let everything sink in a little bit before he went to find Vegeta. His curiousity was burning a hole right through him. He just HAD to ask his some questions, but he didn't want it to be obvious that he'd been looking in the forbidden box. Finally he sighed, sitting up. "Ok, it's now or never...," he slid off his bed and cautiously walked into the control room.
Nervously he sat down in the passanger seat and stared for a few seconds, trying to muster the courage to talk to his father. "...Dad..."
"What?" Vegeta's response was gruff, as usual.
"Did you...I mean...uh..," Trunks faultered. 'Spit it out stupid, he's gonna know something's up if you don't!' he lectured himself. "What happened to grandpa? ...I mean...grandpa Vegeta?" Trunks watched from the corner of his eye for a response.
A look of surprised flashed quickly across Vegeta's eyes. What in the world had brought on such a question? "He was killed."
Trunks waited a moment, unsure if he should continue. "How?"
"Murdered. By Frieza, like everyone else."
"Oh," Trunks felt very heavy. "Dad..."
Vegeta was beginning to become irriated, but trying to keep it in check.
"Did you...uh...did you love your Dad?"
"What?" Vegeta turned, staring awkwardly at his son for a second. Trunks looked back, nervously. Vegeta turned to face forward again. He looked a little bit angry. "What kind of question is that?"
"Well...uh...," Trunks didn't know how to answer. "I don't know..."
"Of course I did!"
Trunks' eyes widened. His father had actually answered! He'd almost actually SAID he cared...well...without exactly saying it, but his father never came any closer to saying he cared about anyone or anything than that.
"How old were you when grandpa died?"
"Thirteen," Vegeta eyed Trunks suspiciously.
"Thirteen!? You were THAT old?" Trunks was surprised. He hadn't expected anything higher than ten!
"That is NOT old, for your information!"
"Well not to you, but it is when you're eight! Do you know how far thirteen is?! That's...that's five more years!! That's almost twice my life! ...Sorta."
Vegeta almost laughed, but he stifled it, refusing to show amusement, though he felt it.
"Gosh! Five YEARS! That's a LONG time!" Trunks stared out the window in front of him, eyes wide.
Vegeta snickered under his breath.
"Dad, how come you lived and everybody else died?"
"Kakarot lived."
"How?"
"He was sent on a mission as a small child, but he bumped his head and lost his memory so he never returned."
"...And you?"
"I was handed over to Frieza when I was twelve. There were a few other Sayains serving with Frieza as well, but they were killed later."
"TWELVE! That's not a little kid! That's a BIG kid!"
"That IS, a little kid, and who says I was so young then anyway?" Vegeta looked suspiciously at his son.
Trunks eyes widened as he realised his mistake. "Oh...I...uh...well, I...just thought you were younger when that happened..."
"When WHAT happened?" Vegeta continued watching his response.
"When...uh...," Trunks knew he was only digging himself deeper in the hole he'd created. "...when you were handed over to Frieza? That IS what you said happened, right?"
"And how would you know I WAS, hmm? I JUST told you now. How could you have any pre-concieved ideas as to my age if I'm just NOW telling you what happened?" Vegeta questioned.
"...uh...," Trunks eyes were wide. He couldn't think of ANY way out of THIS one. "...I...uh...I have to go to the bathroom!" he quickly jumped out of his chair and raced to the bathroom.
Vegeta shook his head, muttering. "His mother must have told him." He scowled at the thought. If he'd known about that, how much MORE did he know? How much had that big mouth of hers told him?! He waited awhile for Trunks to come back before he went to search him out. Trunks was in his room, laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He was startled when he noticed his father standing there.
"Trunks, what has your mother told you about my past?"
"...uh...only that you used to be a Prince."
"What ELSE?"
"Uh...," Trunks thought about it. He couldn't remember her saying anything else. Nothing he remembered, anyway. "...nothing that I can think of..."
Vegeta stood for a moment, trying to decifer why he'd had any pre-concieved ideas about Frieza. "How about Gohan? Has he ever said anything about Frieza?"
"...He said he was a really bad guy that all of you fought...and that was the first time his Dad went super Sayain, but that's all he said."
'Hmm...who else could have told him?' Suddenly Vegeta's eyes widened, then
narrowed. "Trunks, what have you been doing today?" his voice was low and quite stern.
'uh-oh, he knows something!' Trunks paniced. His face began to feel cold as it paled, his eyes wide. He couldn't lie about this one, it would only make it worse, and he knew his Dad was going to KILL him. His best option was to admit guilt and bear the results. They might be SLIGHTLY better if he didn't try to cover over. Still, he was scared to death of what his sentencing might be for soemthing like this.
"Trunks...," Vegeta prodded, raising his voice a small amount and deepening his glare. He could tell already his hunch was most likely correct.
"Dad...," a few tears sprang to the young child's eyes, but he forced them not to fall. "I....I did something really bad...," he gulped.
Vegeta raised one eye brow slightly, waiting for him to continue.
Trunks clenched his fists closed and squinted his eyes shut in panic as he spit everything out in one giant breath. "I found your box and I looked in it, but all I saw was just some pictures of you and mom and I read this thing about you died and Frieza and something about Kakarot and then I put it away and I didn't look at anything else, I promise! And I couldn't help it, I was SOOO bored, and there's NOTHING to do, and I just HAD to look at something, but that's all I saw, and PLEASE don't kill me, I'm too young to die!!" He squinted his eyes tighter and flinched backward as if waiting for a blow of some sort, while bitting his lower lip.
Vegeta only stood, staring angrily at the child.
After a few seconds, Trunks slowly opened one eye. His father was standing there, not moving, just staring at him the same way he had been before.
"I told you not to touch that box," he stated simply.
"I know," Trunks looked down, his voice shaky.
"Come here."
Trunks looked up, fear all over his face. "No, Dad, please, I promise I won't do it again...!"
"Come here," Vegeta stated again, just a touch louder than the first time.
"But I'm just a little kid, I don't know any better!" Trunks defended.
"Come here!" Vegeta roared.
A few tears escaped Trunks' eyes as he took a few steps forward, whimpering softly. He turned his head away from his father and closed his eyes, head pointing toward the floor. He KNEW what was coming. Vegeta grabbed his arm to hold him in place, then landed a hard swat across his backside. Trunks yelped, and louder at the second. He creid out at the third and started sobbing. Vegeta released his arm and stepped back, his expression never changing.
"Stay here until I say otherwise," Vegeta's voice was completely composed. It wasn't quite as harsh as one might expect, but it still was nothing to be reckoned with.
Trunks stood for a few seconds where he'd been left before crawling sheepishly onto his bed and clutching his pillow as he sobbed into it. His spanking had hurt, but what hurt even more was now he began to think what his father had said in his writing on that day was true. He didn't want kids. He didn't want TRUNKS.