Home for the Holidays
By Tenshi No Warui
Disclaimer: Dbz. Not mine. Yaoi. No like, no read. Got it? I don't know how to make it any simpler.
Oh, and this fic is still dedicated to Feion Phylar. *waves to Feion Phylar* It's all for you, girl!
thoughts
~*~*~*~flashback~*~*~*~
italics = song
Chapter 2: So, ya been thinkin' of me?
Goten hopped from foot to foot, rubbing his arms as he tried to keep warm in the near below zero weather. His luggage piled around him, he looked out on the road, hoping the next car would be Trunks.
"Damn, it's frickin' freezin'! Where the hell are you, Trunks?"
"Over here, idiot." Goten whipped his head around at the sound of his best friend's welcome voice. He let out a whoop of joy and ran up to grab his friend in a bone-crushing hug. Trunks gasped and tried to pry the demi-sayain off him while struggling to breathe.
"Trunks! I haven't seen you in forever, man!" Goten exclaimed happily, "Hey, you grew your hair out!" He tugged on the long ponytail hanging halfway down Trunks' back.
"Ow! Hey, quit pulling my hair, ya nutbag." Trunks batted his friend's hands away. "You grew yours out too." He affectionately ruffled Goten's shaggy black head.
"Yeah, I keep forgetting to go in for a trim." Goten shrugged, "Oh well, keeps my ears warm. So what's been happenin' while I was gone?"
"Nothing really, pretty much the same old stuff." Trunks replied as he loaded Goten's bags into the car.
"So that means you've been working yourself to death on a daily basis, right?"
"Comes with the job, Goten." Trunks slammed the trunk shut and headed for the driver's seat. Goten was already inside in the front passenger seat waiting for him. He cast a sidelong glance at his friend as he started the engine. Goten hadn't changed much since he last saw him, still the same handsome youthful features accompanied with the infamous Son optimism. It was probably all that cheerfulness that kept the Sons young...
"Er, Trunks? Something wrong?" Goten asked, jerking him from his musings.
"No, why?"
"Well, you've been staring at me for the last five minutes."
"I was looking at the horrible growth on your neck."
"What?!" Goten quickly looked out at the little mirror on the passenger side door. "Where? What is it?!"
"Oh, sorry, it's just your head." Trunks smirked, chuckling to himself. Goten was so easy sometimes...
"Hey! Trunks, that was mean!" Goten pouted.
"Sorry chibi, couldn't resist. Welcome home."
Goten was practically bouncing in his seat when they finally pulled up at the Son home. The youngest Son jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and ran up to the door.
"Honey, I'm home!!" He bellowed as he slammed the door open.
"Goten!" Chichi left the kitchen to embrace her child. "I'm so happy to see you!"
"Me too! I really missed ya, ma." Goten replied as he hugged her tightly back. "Where's dad?"
"I sent him out for groceries. Good thing too, seeing as how you're here now." Chichi let go of Goten and stepped back to look him over. "Oh Goten, you haven't changed a bit. But you do need a haircut."
"Yeah, I know."
Trunks entered the house a few minutes afterwards, bearing some of Goten's luggage. He dropped the bags at the Son's feet, an exasperated look on his face.
"Hey, thanks man!" Goten smiled brightly, "Would you mind getting the rest of my stuff too?"
"I'm not your servant, Goten, you can get your bags yourself." Trunks replied, crossing his arms. Goten pouted but headed out to retrieve the rest of his luggage.
"Meanie." He pouted, sticking his tongue out at Trunks as he passed him on his way to the door. The demi-sayain rolled his eyes at the childish behavior, despite the little grin that found a place on his features.
It was good to have Goten back.
It was nearly one in the morning when Trunks finally left the Son household.
Trunks sighed as he pushed open his apartment door, a yawn forcing its way out as he stepped inside. He had moved out of his mom's house a long time ago, wanting a place of his own. It was a nice apartment, big enough for him with a great view of the city. It was also a little messy, as bachelors' apartments were wont to be.
He tossed his keys on the table, toeing off his shoes at the door and heading down the hall to his room. He preferred walking around in bare feet, sometimes did it when he was on the job at his office. As such, his floors were carpeted with the softest, deep blue shag available. So comfortable you could practically sleep on it.
He did that too, sometimes.
He shuffled into his room, stripping down to his boxers and taking out his ponytail before flopping down on his unmade bed. He yawned again, burying his face against the fluffy pillows and curling up in the comforter. A smile grew on his face, as he felt truly relaxed for the first time in weeks.
He was going to need his sleep. He was going out with his best friend tomorrow for the first time in nearly two years.
The mall was simply overflowing with Christmas cheer. Bright blinking lights were strung up everywhere, ornate wreaths hung on shop windows, and everywhere red and green 'sale' signs could be found. There was even a Santa strolling around, spreading more holiday cheer.
And of course, it wouldn't be Christmas at the mall without the insanely large crowd.
Trunks silently cursed himself in his head for agreeing to go on this shopping expedition as he was dragged around by the youngest Son. Goten was also sickeningly full of Christmas spirit, going from store to store with all the excitement of a child in a giant toyshop. The steady ache that had been throbbing behind Trunks' eyes was slowly growing with every 'ho ho ho' and clearance sale full of rabid shoppers that they passed until finally he pulled Goten to a halt.
"Goten, we've been at it for a while. Why don't we take a break?"
The other demi-sayain blinked at him before shrugging. "Okay, sure. I'm kinda hungry anyway. Which way to the food court?"
They navigated their way through the crowd to the food court, which, if it was possible, seemed more crowded than the rest of the mall. They had chosen to stop during the lunch hour and it would be some time before either of them would get anything to eat. After about an hour-long wait, they finally managed to score a meal and a table on which to eat it on.
After a few moments of silence, save for the loud chewing sounds coming from either of them, Trunks looked up at his best friend to watch him, as was his habit of late. The youngest Son looked absolutely comical, cramming food in his mouth at an insane rate, but then again he always ate like that. It had just been so long since they had shared a meal together that the demi-sayain prince had forgotten how Goten was. A small smile quirked his lips as he ate his salad, in a decidedly more civilized manner than his companion and thought back on times past.
After dropping Goten's stuff off at his house, the Son had insisted on seeing Trunks' apartment. Goten gave an appropriate 'ooh' and 'ahh' upon stepping in Trunks' home. Trunks, playing the good host, gave Goten an appropriate tour of the place, and now they were appropriately seated on Trunks cushy blue couch listening to Creed on Trunks' top of the line stereo.
When dreaming I'm guided to another world
Time and time again
At sunrise I fight to stay asleep
'Cause I don't want to leave the comfort of this place
'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape
From the life I live when I'm awake
Trunks was back to his Goten watching, gazing at the Son through narrowed eyes as the other man relaxed into the cushions, eyes closed and enjoying the music. Memories of their younger years drifted through the purple-haired man's head, times of carefree pleasures, where all they needed was each other to have a good time. When Goten was all Trunks needed. He still needed him. Goten…was an escape.
So let's go there
Let's make our escape
Come on, let's go there
Let's ask can we stay?
As long as he could remember, Goten had always been there. A playmate, when they were children and a drinking buddy when they got older. A sympathetic ear when Trunks couldn't hold back the tears and a lifesaver when Trunks was in danger of drowning from the stresses of life forced on him too early. Goten was always there to get into trouble with him, but was also there to haul their asses back out. He couldn't imagine life with the youngest Son. There was no life without Goten.
Can you take me Higher?
To a place where blind men see
Can you take me Higher?
To a place with golden streets
Trunks' eyes widen as he realized where these thoughts were headed. By all logic (and the laws of romance fanfiction) he was going to start thinking about how much he…loved…the Son. But that was absolutely ridiculous! Goten was his best friend. Yeah, he loved him, but it was a brotherly kind of love. It was not, and would never be, anything more. It was simply impossible.
Right?
His mind flew back to Goten's farewell night, the time they spent getting wasted at the bar. The weird turn their conversation had turned and Goten admitted to dating others of the same gender. Okay, so maybe it wasn't impossible. Not on Goten's end. But Trunks wasn't like that, he had never looked at another guy that way. He hadn't really looked at many girls that way either…He looked back up at Goten, trying to see the other man in different light. Really, Goten wasn't that bad to look at. Kinda cute, actually…
Trunks mentally slapped himself for that one. There was no way he just thought that. What the hell did he think he was doing? He was not contemplating a relationship with his best friend beyond friendship, he was not re-evaluating his sexual orientation, he was not staring at Goten's full, soft looking lips as they mouth the words to the song…Trunks closed his eyes and his head fell back against the armrest with a quiet groan.
He was getting a headache again.
My apologies to everyone who had been reading this for taking so long. Writer's block strikes at the most inopportune times. But on the plus side, this chapter is longer than the other one and I think, is far more entertaining. Especially that one paragraph. I just went all weird on that one. Quite appropriate, I'd say, considering things…