Note: Sap warning, but not TOO much quite yet. (not too much, taking into consideration how much I'm capable of writing...)
Vegeta spent the rest of the day patching the holes his early self had blasted in the walls. Tonight he put the baby to sleep in the playpen and the teenager was asleep in the next room over. He may have been fourteen, but Vegeta didn't care. He still kissed the sleeping form before checking on the younger two. The four year old was peacefully asleep, just as Vegeta had remembered him always being in years past. Turning to his sweating nine year old, Vegeta watched as his features scrunched and he let out a few large breaths. He'd seen this many times when checking on his son over the past year. Now he knew why it was. And he'd made up his mind.
Carefully Vegeta lifted the child out of his bed and carried him into his room, setting him down there.
"Trunks," Vegeta's voice was quiet and gentle as he placed a hand on his cheek, trying to calm his sleep. "It's ok, I'm here."
Slowly, he inched into the bed, lifting Trunks' head onto his shoulder and wrapping his arm around his waste. Trunks' breathing seemed to even out and his features calmed, but he didn't wake. Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to hear the sound of his child's young ki.
Suddenly Trunks bolted awake, sitting straight up, his eyes wide. He closed them for a moment and a few tears fell, then he opened them again. Vegeta placed a hand on his back, but the boy jumped, startled by it. When he realised it was his father, he quickly turned away, wiping his eyes dry.
"Trunks, what is it? Did you have a nightmare?"
Trunks was a little bit surprised. He'd never told his father he had nightmares. Quickly he shook his head. "No, I'm fine..."
"You're not fine, Trunks. Why do you think I brought you in here?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed a little, without his ever realising it. Trunks glanced around shortly. He hadn't even realised he was in his father's room. "Now I want some REAL answers."
"To what?"
Vegeta could feel his patience dwindling a little bit and it frustrated him. How was he supposed to improve anything with his temper always ruling his actions? He tried hard to surpress the irritaion he was feeling, more with himself than with his son. "You've been having nightmares."
"How would YOU know?" Trunks challenged, kicking himself for acting with such disrespect toward his father after it had come out. He'd probably get slapped for it.
Vegeta's eyes flashed momentraily as he fought to stay in control of himself. "You're fourteen in the other room, I'll have you know, and I forced it out of him."
"Big mouth," Trunks muttered under his breath.
"And besides that, I've seen you when you're sleep. You sweat, you squirm, and sometimes you scream. The looks on your face are not the looks of a normal sleeping child!" Trunks could see his father was getting quite annoyed. "Now tell me the TRUTH and stop beating around the bush!"
"Yes, I have nightmares sometimes..."
"How often?" Vegeta asked before Trunks could continued.
He faultered a second, having not finished his previous sentence. "...I don't know...like...every night usually, but..."
"What are they about?"
Trunks let out a breath of frustration. Why wouldn't his father let him finish before asking him something new? "Stuff, but Dad, it's nothing I can't handle. I'm fine."
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Vegeta had lost his patience. "I don't expect you to be some extraordinary super being with nothing but fearless, emotionless strength and arrogance! You're a CHILD! Children have fears! EVERYONE has fears! Tell me the TRUTH!"
Trunks stared at him with shock, hurt, and confusion for a few seconds, eyes rather wide. Inside he felt like crying, but he wasn't about to do THAT. Finally he came up with an answer. "I don't know what you want from me." It was simple and calmly stated and the only thing that would come to his mind. It just repeated over and over in hopes that he would somehow figure out how to solve the dilema.
Vegeta watched him, trying to find a reply. "I don't want ANYTHING from you," his voice was calm again as he gained control of his temper. "Just honesty."
Both were quiet for a few minutes, glancing at each other through the thick silence.
"Tell me how to be what you want me to be," Trunks finally spoke. His voice indicated his feeling of defeat.
"I don't want you to be anything but my son," Vegeta responded as quickly as he was able.
"How do I do that?"
"You don't, Trunks, it just is."
He didn't understand.
"Look, I'll tell you what I DON'T want. I DON'T want you to be the way I've been the last 9 years."
Trunks blinked a few times. DON'T be like his father? But how else could he win his approval if not by imitating him? "What am I doing wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
Trunks looked away. "That makes you so mad at me all the time."
"It's not all you. It's really not you at ALL. It's me," Vegeta sighed, looking away as well.
He felt very uncomfortable. Perhaps he wasn't ready to deal with this yet. But at the same time he couldn't stand the thought of Trunks being put through this ringer for the next two years just because VEGETA wasn't ready to change, and so he forced himself to continue.
"The problem lies in my bad example and the way I've treated you. There's really nothing more to it." Trunks waited intently for his father to continue so he could understand what he was saying. "Things WILL get better BEFORE you're eleven, if you'll just allow me to make them that way."
"How do I do that?"
"Showing affection is very hard for me, Trunks, but I want to learn to do it. The fact that I've trained you to think it's something embarassing and weak only makes it that much harder. When I finally muster enough courage to try, you push me away because that's what I've shown you to do."
Trunks raised an eyebrow, unsure of what that meant.
Vegeta closed his eyes, feeling exhausted and compeletly spent within himself. He couldn't take any more of this. Not tonight. Trunks watched him, a feeling of uneasiness tugging in his chest as he wondered what he should do.
"I'm tired," Vegeta's voice was just above a whisper. "Go to bed."
Trunks stood, watching him curiously as he slowly made his way to the door. Vegeta never looked at him as he slid into his bed. Quietly Trunks shut the door and went back to his own bed. He felt dizzy, but wasn't sure if he could sleep after this whole ordeal.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sorry this isn't very long, but I couldn't end it later because...well this was just a better point to stop for this chapter. You'll see why when I get to writing the next one. It's looking like there are going to be more chapters than I was anticipating after this one. I may only be a little over half done. (I only write the general story--the truth is the characters have minds of their own and it's THEM that decide how quickly they will get around to doing what I've outlined for them to in the course of a story. Sometimes it takes them longer than I was expecting. But, as far as I'm concerned, THAT is the secret of writing something that's any good. Or believable for that matter. Characters must stay at least SEMI true to themselves. They can't just immediately do what you want them to for no reason--not and still have a relatively good story. Ok, I'm done with my speech now. Sorry it was so long....)
Vegeta spent the rest of the day patching the holes his early self had blasted in the walls. Tonight he put the baby to sleep in the playpen and the teenager was asleep in the next room over. He may have been fourteen, but Vegeta didn't care. He still kissed the sleeping form before checking on the younger two. The four year old was peacefully asleep, just as Vegeta had remembered him always being in years past. Turning to his sweating nine year old, Vegeta watched as his features scrunched and he let out a few large breaths. He'd seen this many times when checking on his son over the past year. Now he knew why it was. And he'd made up his mind.
Carefully Vegeta lifted the child out of his bed and carried him into his room, setting him down there.
"Trunks," Vegeta's voice was quiet and gentle as he placed a hand on his cheek, trying to calm his sleep. "It's ok, I'm here."
Slowly, he inched into the bed, lifting Trunks' head onto his shoulder and wrapping his arm around his waste. Trunks' breathing seemed to even out and his features calmed, but he didn't wake. Vegeta closed his eyes, trying to hear the sound of his child's young ki.
Suddenly Trunks bolted awake, sitting straight up, his eyes wide. He closed them for a moment and a few tears fell, then he opened them again. Vegeta placed a hand on his back, but the boy jumped, startled by it. When he realised it was his father, he quickly turned away, wiping his eyes dry.
"Trunks, what is it? Did you have a nightmare?"
Trunks was a little bit surprised. He'd never told his father he had nightmares. Quickly he shook his head. "No, I'm fine..."
"You're not fine, Trunks. Why do you think I brought you in here?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed a little, without his ever realising it. Trunks glanced around shortly. He hadn't even realised he was in his father's room. "Now I want some REAL answers."
"To what?"
Vegeta could feel his patience dwindling a little bit and it frustrated him. How was he supposed to improve anything with his temper always ruling his actions? He tried hard to surpress the irritaion he was feeling, more with himself than with his son. "You've been having nightmares."
"How would YOU know?" Trunks challenged, kicking himself for acting with such disrespect toward his father after it had come out. He'd probably get slapped for it.
Vegeta's eyes flashed momentraily as he fought to stay in control of himself. "You're fourteen in the other room, I'll have you know, and I forced it out of him."
"Big mouth," Trunks muttered under his breath.
"And besides that, I've seen you when you're sleep. You sweat, you squirm, and sometimes you scream. The looks on your face are not the looks of a normal sleeping child!" Trunks could see his father was getting quite annoyed. "Now tell me the TRUTH and stop beating around the bush!"
"Yes, I have nightmares sometimes..."
"How often?" Vegeta asked before Trunks could continued.
He faultered a second, having not finished his previous sentence. "...I don't know...like...every night usually, but..."
"What are they about?"
Trunks let out a breath of frustration. Why wouldn't his father let him finish before asking him something new? "Stuff, but Dad, it's nothing I can't handle. I'm fine."
"KNOCK IT OFF!" Vegeta had lost his patience. "I don't expect you to be some extraordinary super being with nothing but fearless, emotionless strength and arrogance! You're a CHILD! Children have fears! EVERYONE has fears! Tell me the TRUTH!"
Trunks stared at him with shock, hurt, and confusion for a few seconds, eyes rather wide. Inside he felt like crying, but he wasn't about to do THAT. Finally he came up with an answer. "I don't know what you want from me." It was simple and calmly stated and the only thing that would come to his mind. It just repeated over and over in hopes that he would somehow figure out how to solve the dilema.
Vegeta watched him, trying to find a reply. "I don't want ANYTHING from you," his voice was calm again as he gained control of his temper. "Just honesty."
Both were quiet for a few minutes, glancing at each other through the thick silence.
"Tell me how to be what you want me to be," Trunks finally spoke. His voice indicated his feeling of defeat.
"I don't want you to be anything but my son," Vegeta responded as quickly as he was able.
"How do I do that?"
"You don't, Trunks, it just is."
He didn't understand.
"Look, I'll tell you what I DON'T want. I DON'T want you to be the way I've been the last 9 years."
Trunks blinked a few times. DON'T be like his father? But how else could he win his approval if not by imitating him? "What am I doing wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
Trunks looked away. "That makes you so mad at me all the time."
"It's not all you. It's really not you at ALL. It's me," Vegeta sighed, looking away as well.
He felt very uncomfortable. Perhaps he wasn't ready to deal with this yet. But at the same time he couldn't stand the thought of Trunks being put through this ringer for the next two years just because VEGETA wasn't ready to change, and so he forced himself to continue.
"The problem lies in my bad example and the way I've treated you. There's really nothing more to it." Trunks waited intently for his father to continue so he could understand what he was saying. "Things WILL get better BEFORE you're eleven, if you'll just allow me to make them that way."
"How do I do that?"
"Showing affection is very hard for me, Trunks, but I want to learn to do it. The fact that I've trained you to think it's something embarassing and weak only makes it that much harder. When I finally muster enough courage to try, you push me away because that's what I've shown you to do."
Trunks raised an eyebrow, unsure of what that meant.
Vegeta closed his eyes, feeling exhausted and compeletly spent within himself. He couldn't take any more of this. Not tonight. Trunks watched him, a feeling of uneasiness tugging in his chest as he wondered what he should do.
"I'm tired," Vegeta's voice was just above a whisper. "Go to bed."
Trunks stood, watching him curiously as he slowly made his way to the door. Vegeta never looked at him as he slid into his bed. Quietly Trunks shut the door and went back to his own bed. He felt dizzy, but wasn't sure if he could sleep after this whole ordeal.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sorry this isn't very long, but I couldn't end it later because...well this was just a better point to stop for this chapter. You'll see why when I get to writing the next one. It's looking like there are going to be more chapters than I was anticipating after this one. I may only be a little over half done. (I only write the general story--the truth is the characters have minds of their own and it's THEM that decide how quickly they will get around to doing what I've outlined for them to in the course of a story. Sometimes it takes them longer than I was expecting. But, as far as I'm concerned, THAT is the secret of writing something that's any good. Or believable for that matter. Characters must stay at least SEMI true to themselves. They can't just immediately do what you want them to for no reason--not and still have a relatively good story. Ok, I'm done with my speech now. Sorry it was so long....)