Sweet Taste Of Temptation - Part III
Author: yEpErEk "Keep on staring and I might do a trick" [volatile_vodka@hotmail.com]
Paring: Lust vs. innocence... or in other words Trunks 'n' Goten...getting closer, but not close enough yet _
Response: I know you want to... so just press the right button and write me loads!
Rating/Warnings: If you read part 1 and 2 then you know what to expect, but just incase it's otherwise, let me repeat myself -- If you can't cope with emotional breakdowns, mawkish and nauseatingly sentimental rubbish and if anything resembling shonen-ai gives you the creeps...well I suggest you politely skip this page and go onto something more 'interesting'. Thank you for your co-operation ^_^
***DISCLAMIER:*** Bla bla bla don't own shit...don't understand? Let me put it more formally -- I don't even own a sane mind, vague sense of reality, the correct time dimension, fundamental abilities of coordination and speech, even the smallest writing talent, not to mention the striking deficiency of sense of humor... so how the hell could I own something like Dragon Ball or any part of it eh? Add to the above a very impractical brain and you'll know that I would have never come up with the idea for doing 'the bellow' for money... oh yeah, and if you are, by any chance, a person with a mind like a razor (sharp and _narrow_) then for your information I also am in no possession of that thing ningens call money, so don't waste your precious time and just don't sue me (I wouldn't have anything suitable to wear to the court anyhow...)...
[P.S. I really don't understand ppl who hate disclaimers...^-^]
Additional Notes:
Uff finally finished this! Yay! It really took me longer than I planned, but I had a writer's block for some time. Even though I can now proudly present you the third and not last part of 'STOT', I still have to admit to one thing - I'm not too happy about it. I tried my best and yet it's still doesn't sound right [to me at least] _ It's slightly different from the other two parts as it lacks all those favorite and long descriptions of mine and instead has loads of speech, but nonetheless, I hope you guys like it and that it was worth waiting for... Enjoy ^_-
~*~*~*~*~
Sweet Taste Of Temptation [III]
"The highest power... In lonely hours... The tears devour you..." [Savage Garden]
~*~*~*~*~
Leaning gently against the metal doorframe, he silently watched the small figure move hastily around the kitchen, making confusing and hard to follow patterns with its chaotic routes, from time to time opening the mysterious cupboards and somehow managing to avoid all the deadly furniture... well, most of the time...
"Daaaaamn it! Arggggghhh... who the hell put this stupid chair here?!"
"You did."
The blue-haired woman spun around, when she heard the unexpected voice and only then did she become aware of her son's presence. When she saw the tender smile on that delicate face, with few still wet strands of hair stuck to it, she returned the smile and quickly changed her mind - instead of some rather violent actions, she just carefully put the chair away.
Having done that, she looked up at the still motionless boy and raised an eyebrow questioningly, whilst taking in the fresh scent of his recent shower.
"So how's your training going, daarin?"
He shrugged his shoulders due to lack of a better description, as he really didn't want to mention his father's interruption of his work out - it was enough that one undesirable person knew about his 'lil problem' and since it was Vegeta, he already felt worse than if Goten himself had known.
"That good eh? Well, I saw your father go into the GR. Did he join you?" That innocent smile, together with her caring voice, clearly showed that she had no idea that she was treading on thin ice, whilst making her son very uneasy.
"Yeah, he... participated...." He didn't want to go any further into this conversation, after all he only came here in search of his father and he wanted to be finished with _that_ matter as soon as possible.
"Oh that's great. It's so nice to see that you two are finally getting along..."
{{Yeah right...}} He remembered Vegeta's recent words, the look on his face and the horrible task of facing him again... none of that made him feel better, especially when his body was still fatigued and various bruises still made him feel uncomfortable. Sensing that his mother was far from being finished with this topic, he desperately thought of some possible way to escape.
Luckily, the small divine intervention saved him from the rest of this quickly gaining in wariness dialogue...
"Ummm mum... something's burning..."
"What?! Arghhhhhhhh...." Bulma threw herself at the stove and frantically tried to save the results of her three hour sojourn in the dreaded kitchen.
Seeing his chance, he was about to turn around and walk off, when he remembered something and risked a quick question, hoping that his mother was too preoccupied to ponder about it and to demand an explanation... after all, not everyday did he ask for such information.
"Mum, where's dad?"
"What? Emmmm... Ouch! I think he went to his room...Oh damn it!"
He watched for a second the frenzied dance around the range, whilst nervously munching on his lip. He knew that he was no use as far as cooking went, so no point in helping - he'd probably only do more damage, but he still needed to know something else...
"Emmmm.... Mum?...."
After few more squeals, shrieks, groans and Kami knows what else, the blue-haired woman finally turned some of her attention to the demi-Saiyan.
"What is it?"
"And _where_ is his room...?"
Hearing those words, Bulma dropped the pan, that she was currently trying to hold, back onto the stove and turned around to face the boy.
For a moment they just stared at each other, the azure-eyed Demi feeling stupid and uneasy again, whilst the small woman seemed to be pondering about something hard. Finally, with a wry smile she spoke.
"It's somewhere on the second floor... I haven't been there in ages... the 2nd floor that is, since I can't recall ever being _inside_ your father's room." Suddenly her face lit up. "Just go there and try each door, as all of them are shut apart form his...But why..."
"Thanx mum!" He turned around, ignoring any further questions, which were sure to follow.
"Trunks!"
He twisted his head to glance at his mother, when he heard her suddenly angered voice.
"Will you please tell my why you want to see your father?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, with a quite unpleasant look on her face and looking like a miniature parody of the second half of this twisted pair.
"Oh it's nothing important really... and by the way...that thing is burning again..." Seeing his mother dash back to the smoking pan, he hesitated no longer and quickly headed for the stairs, wondering what was about to happen in the next hour or so... and if he would survive it.
~*~*~*~*~
Half an hour and about twenty doors later, he finally pressed on a door handle which gave in and with a sudden burst of hope, he pushed the door with more force than needed. As a result he violently stumbled into the room, tripped over the carpet, brushed against something hard and ended up on the floor, under the window, with a small wooden chair... or more like the leftovers of it, underneath him.
"You surely took your time..."
Awkwardly, he turned around to face the owner of the icy voice and at the same time raised from the ground, revealing only few larger splinters on the white carpet.
"It's not exactly the easiest task to find your hideout." He glanced at the scowled face and feeling his ears go all red, turned his attention to careful sweeping off the rest of the wooden pieces from his trousers. "I suggest some fluorescent arrows on the walls and floor guiding the way or just a handy map, which you could give out to the members of your family..."
Only then did he look up, preparing himself for a slaughtering rejoinder, but his father's face didn't change a bit - the freezing scowl, with which he'd 'welcomed' his son, was still there... {{Maybe that's a good sign...}} He knew that what he had just said wasn't exactly the wisest thing to say, especially to _that_ man, but the whole day hadn't been one of his favorite, actually the whole week had been hell... add to that his earlier encounter with the Prince and you'll know why he was drastically getting annoyed with this whole situation.
The Ouji was standing by the door, with his arms typically folded and after few long minutes of glaring at his son, finally shut the door with a not too gentle kick. He then glanced at what used to be a very uncomfortable, wobbling and useless piece of furniture and not even looking at the demi-Saiyan, spoke - "You _are_ buying me a new one and you are going to do that _soon_..."
"Yeah, I'll get you a new chair from downstairs the minute you tell me what you want." He looked around the small, Spartan equipped and sterile, white room, feeling very uncomfortable and coming to one conclusion - no one in their sane mind would willingly want to live here... apart from his father of course. "Because if you wanted to continue your little, pathetic and miserable entertainment, which involves making more fun out of me...well... you could have easily done that in the kitchen or anywhere _else_ in the house, without making me come to this... this horrible cubical, which you attempt to call your room..."
The Saiyan snorted and smirked slightly at the boy. "I'm glad to see that you recovering the ability to talk in the way _my_ son _should_ and that your mind hadn't gone that soft..._yet_"
Before the blue-haired boy could say anything, Vegeta pointed at his small, hell hard bed and with a voice, which accepted no rejection, told him to sit down. Having done that, he moved and now leaning against one of the walls, just stared through the window for few seconds, before finally speaking again, his voice suddenly softer and quieter.
"We need to talk seriously and I don't even have to say about what, since earlier on, in the GR you had reassured me that what I suspected all the time...was right... unfortunately." He still had his eyes focused on something outside, but he was aware that his son started to feel nervous again. "Before we get into a beautiful argument, just answer me one question... Is _he_ worth it?"
He wasn't surprised, he wasn't shocked, he wasn't even puzzled... he was just on the brink of fainting....
His fingers clenched forcefully to the white covers, which matched nicely the pale face and the widely opened eyes, with pupils the size of peas... His mouth opened and shut a couple of times and he had hard time deciding if he was suddenly lacking air or did he just forget to breathe...
Eventually Vegeta turned his piercing gaze to the Demi, making him feel small... very small... and very, very stupid...
"Well...eeee...hmmmm...Iiiii...." He could swear that his tongue had all of the sudden grown to the extent, that it just didn't fit in his mouth... and you expected him to talk?!
"WHICH PART OF THE QUESTION DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND BRAT?! THERE ARE ONLY FOUR BLOODY WORDS IN IT!" The sudden thump of his sharp voice, was like a mighty slap in the face, followed by a bucket of freezing water and a finishing off kick in the ass.
Having blinked few times and shaking the empty head, he finally pulled himself together and stopped pulling on the sheets, which by now where ripped in few places. He swallowed hard and took on the most serious and intelligent look that he could manage, so that his words would have the adequate solemnity...
"I... Don't... Understand..."
The Prince hearing that, slapped his forehead and let out a long groan of disbelief . {{And this is supposed to be my spawn?! Who the hell switched the babies? Wait a sec... The onna gave birth at home... If this is truly her son, the only thing which could be switched without me knowing would be... sperm? WOMAN!!!}}
For few, long seconds he watched the lovely, kaleidoscopic chain of expressions, which suddenly took over his father's face. Half of them he didn't understand ... the rest were purely evil and he knew that this situation just couldn't end nicely. He was about to get up and sneak out, when the Ouji switched back to reality.
"Shove your ass back onto that bed - I'm not finished with you yet... and the more you avoided it, the more painful I'll make it... sooo I encourage you to put up some resistance..." With the last words, the Saiyan very unequivocally cracked his knuckles... twice...
By now the azure-eyed boy had somehow regained control and having thought that nothing can be worse than what he currently felt inside, folded his arms and glared at the other man - looking everything _but_ timid, even though his palms where all moist already.
"Fine... talk shit to me... flush all your dirt onto me... rub in all the salt into my wounded mind and watch me cower by your feet... only to see me swung at you in the least expected moment!... If you are searching for enemies within your own family... If you are foolish enough to think that my control has no limits and that I won't eventually fight back, then go on... TRY IT... I'll kill you one way or another... and trust me - it will be sooner rather than later."
He didn't realize when exactly he got up or when his hands formed lethal fists. He was completely unaware of his narrowed eyes and the devastating inferno burning inside of them. All he knew was that there was a very thin shred of sanity stopping him from commencing a battle with the still slightly smirking man in front of him.
But all his wrath, furry and hate melted, when Vegeta started clapping...
"Well done boy. Not only did you prove just how much worth that pitiable spawn of Kakarrot's is to you, but additionally you saved me... from some tiresome conversation with your mother." When his son raised his eyebrows at the mentioning of Bulma, he just shrugged and sat carefully on the table. "Never mind that. But having finished with that nice introduction, how about we talk about something more important..." He paused when the Demi returned to his original position on the bed, pretending to ignore his father's words, but both knew that he was listening with all his heart. "How about you tell me, what exactly you are planning to do and when will you finally finish this dumb game of yours?"
"Why? So that you can win that ridiculous bet of yours...?" He still felt the strange heat inside and the tickling in his arms, but he knew that the adrenaline rush would be over soon... unless his father decides otherwise with his unpredictable actions or words. "I still can't believe that you got that idiot into it... come on, it's Goku that we are talking about..."
"Not a very nice way to talk about your future father-in-law. Awww please don't tell me, that your are not planning a fluffy wedding with lots of pink balloons and slobbish kisses and a big creamy cake... After all, you wouldn't want to miss out on the wedding night...Ahh wait a sec... You two are probably gonna get some action, before you even start planning that ridiculous ceremony..."
"Watch it..."
"Or what?" Vegeta's smirk had something truly evil hidden in it. Any normal person would shiver at the mere sight of it, but Trunks himself had a similar look on his comely face and a simple, ugly grin wouldn't impress him... at least not right now. "Or you'll pathetically attack me... just like you did before? Are you really prepared to make a fool out of yourself again? I had hopped that your sudden interest in the GR would only do you good, but... but after the lovely show earlier on, I see that each work out, only shrinks the leftovers of your brain. Which brings me to my next point..."
For a second the eyes of the two men met, when the Demi unconsciously revealed his true interest in Vegeta's words. Some melodramatic tension instantly appeared in the room. But just as quickly as he looked up, the azure-eyes boy dropped his eyes to the floor and stared at the carpet with great determination. The Saiyan seeing this, snorted quietly and taking a deep breath, continued...
"How in the bloody world, did you ever believe that that imbecile would bet with me about something like _this_ ?!" He saw his son give him a quick and very surprised glance. "Looks like you have some work to catch up with... It will be wiser if you actually knew your father-in-law, as otherwise the happy ever after, that you're so keen on, might turn out to be more complicated than you thought. Kakarrot might be an idiot, but an idiot that you shouldn't underestimate... You know, if..."
That nasty burning returned to the demi-Saiyan's eyes, when he started staring at the small man again. His body started tensing once more and he felt a familiar tickling in his hands...
"Will you stop with that shit?! Don't you think it's enough already? I get your point... So fine, you wanted to have a little fun, thought of some ridiculous story and provoked me into an assault. Hope you're happy now, but the next time you're bored - I suggest you chose someone more challenging... Besides, I don't give a damn about Goku and what he does or doesn't do... Just as long as he stays out of my way..."
"Well, well... Someone's finally getting a backbone, but somehow I don't think that that's enough. But as far as Kakarrot goes - you have nothing to worry about. That baka is completely unaware of the fact that someone's trying to get their sticky, little hands on his innocent and untainted brat." He ignored that nasty hiss that unconsciously escaped the Demi's lips. "Actually, Kakarrot seems to be completely ignorant of everything else...of things, which should mean something to him... of..." Vegeta hesitated and briefly closed his eyes.
For a second Trunks couldn't understand what he had just heard and saw, but the obvious truth hit him nearly straight away and it almost made him gasp - his father was talking about _them_... those last words where about him and Goku! Did it mean that he was wrong all the time? That maybe the Ouji didn't get himself that 'first class lover', like he had been suspecting all the time? Did this mean that his father faced the same problem, that he had been struggling with for weeks?! If yes, that would explain a _lot_ of things, starting with the reason why they where having this conversation in the first place...
"Father..." He whispered unintentionally.
Vegeta's eyes snapped opened and his voice sounded very harsh... maybe even harsher than he intended. "But all of this crap still hasn't given me any answers! You still haven't told me what you want to do about..."
"Nothing." That one word was firm and strong. He said it gazing boldly into the older man's eyes and it sounded like a challenge.
"Oh great. Yeah, that's very smart. Just leave it as it is and maybe things will be alright." Something strange and new crept into his father's voice and he had hard time guessing what it was. Maybe care...? "But guess what brat... things are _not_ and will _not_ be alright! The sooner you realise that, the better for us all. Oh and if you think, that I'll just stand and watch, then you are badly mistaken!"
He just blinked and tried to close his mouth, which had automatically opened from the shock. He couldn't understand this outburst, this anger and he even had a problem grasping the true sense of the words. All he knew, was that he was a witness of something new and strange... he was seeing a new side of his father, but what it was exactly, he couldn't tell...
"I don't understand..."
"Oh don't you start all over again! YOU HEAR ME?! Stop pretending to be an idiot! I won't believe in all that balderdash of yours! Maybe you enjoy fooling yourself, but I won't have it." When he saw, that the astonishment and surprise in the eyes of the Demi where sincere, he took few deep breaths and started again... very slowly and clearly. "Fine... I'm locking up the GR for good and don't even think of asking the onna for help - you're banned from it. That's my final word. No more deranged work outs, since so far you've been only doing more damage to yourself than necessary."
"What the...?" He wasn't sure if the Prince was only mocking him or was he seriously serious...
"Don't tell me that I have to explain _even_ that! Gees, you're in a worse state that I thought!" For few seconds he just tapped his fingers against his lap and stared at the azure-eyed boy, who nervously looked back, with many weird thoughts running through his cramped mind. "First of all, it stops you from finally doing something about this demented situation. And shut your mouth boy, I'm speaking now! I've been watching you, ever since you asked me for permission to use the GR, you've been wasting your time there and pretending that nothing outside of it exists. You might think it's alright, but lying to yourself sooner or later will prove to be the worst policy possible."
He rubbed his forehead trying to understand what was really happening. The man in front of him was everything _but_ his father - there's no bloody way that the Prince would ever describe time spent in the Gravity Room as _wasted_. He had this urge to scream at the person in front of him and ask what exactly he did with the true Ouji, but luckily he blamed in it all on his own tiredness and kept quiet.
"Secondly..." The Saiyan's face become very serious and the Demi had felt this unpleasant shiver run down his spine. "When did you have your last meal?"
"Excuse me?" This conversation just couldn't get any weirder...
"Are you even listening to me boy?! Do I really have to spell it out to you? Read my lips brat - When did you have something to eat? Do you even remember?" Vegeta was leaning dangerously forward, making the table shaky more with every minute, but the decreasing distance between him and the blue-haired boy only build up the already thick tension, which hovered in the air.
He swallowed quickly and tried to divert the Saiyan's attention. "What does that got to do with this conversation? What sort of question is that anyhow?"
"It's a plain and simple question, which requires just as an obvious answer to it. So, just stop getting on my nervous and ANSWER! BEFORE YOU'LL BE SORRY THAT YOU GOT OUT OF BED THIS MORNING!" His face was still dead serious, and the sudden lack of any kind of smirk or grin made the whole situation even more strange and uncomfortable.
Actually, he was already sorry... sorry that he came to this insane place and that he got himself pulled into this abnormal conversation, which anytime now would make one of them blow.
"In the morning..."
"Today's, yesterday's or maybe last week's one?"
Silence suddenly appeared. Very disturbing silence and the Demi wasn't very willing to brake it. He knew the answer, but what he really wanted to say was a lie. But lying to Vegeta was a dangerous and slippery thing to do. Eventually he just sighed and coming to the conclusion, that might as well stop playing games, said the truth...
"I don't remember..."
The Ouji got up from the table and started walking around the room, his forehead wrinkled and face dulled as if he heard something that he didn't expect to hear. Yet he had been suspecting this kind of an answer from the beginning, but he was now faced with the obvious problem and for the first time wasn't too sure how to deal with it...
Finally, he stopped and spun around to face his son. A small smirk curved his lips, but it was only a pathetic cover up of his true distress.
"Do you realise what you have done to yourself?! Does that pathetic excuse for a brain grasp the size of damage that has been created? Trunks do you know in what a pitiable state you are?!"
The azure-boy dropped his head and for few moments didn't dare to look up. He vaguely knew what his father was talking about, but for all this time he had been pretending that things were alright... he had been evading this problem... for his exhausted mind everything was more or less alright...
"How much weight have you lost in the past three weeks?" All the anger vanished. It didn't matter if he liked it or not, but true care and increasing worry was easily heard in his voice. But the Prince knew that this situation was way too serious to play his usual games of putting up masks.
"Dunno... about thirteen pounds..."
"HOW MUCH?! KAMI TRUNKS, YOU BLOODY BAKA!" He grabbed the Demi by the shoulders and started shaking him violently, but the boy held no resistance... he just stared into the Ouji's eyes with a look of total hopelessness.
Eventually Vegeta let go of his son and sat heavily on the bed, nearly pushing the boy of it.
"I've been suspecting for some time now, that you stopped eating. But taking into account the onna's cooking, it didn't seem very surprising. I blamed your sudden weight lost on all those work outs. But since, most of the time you wear baggy cloths, it wasn't so obvious. Only today, when I saw you in the GR, did the truth hit me. Kami, Trunks you look basically like a skeleton with bits of muscles stuck to it!" He turned around to look at the very quiet and still boy. Worry was clearly seen on the Prince's features. "I don't think you even realize what an absurd and insane thing you've done. We, Saiyan's need few times as much food as the ningens do. So, any sudden lacks in our diet, do us as twice as much harm as it does to them. I never even though about what would happen if one of us ever stopped eating all together. And do intense training at the same time? It's impossible!" He grabbed the Demi's neck and brought his head close to his own face. "Look at me brat and understand every word that I say. YOU ARE KILLING YOURSELF! I don't know if you are doing it on purpose or not, but I'm going to put a stop to it right now. I will not allow my spawn to have anorexia or any other such shit. Even if it means shoving food into your throat and making you swallow with strong punches in the stomach, then let it be - I'll do it and I will do it every single time, until you start eating properly. And one more thing..." For few mercilessly long seconds he gazed at the pale face of the blue-haired boy. "I'm going sort out this fucking dilemma of yours once and for good. I'm going to talk to that brat of Kakarrot's and tell him everything, since you are incapable of it. This way I'll solve the whole paranoiac situation at its roots... and maybe then life will be normal again."
Hearing the last words, Trunks brutally yanked himself free and jumped to his feet, with clenched fists by his sides.
"NO YOU WON'T! YOU HEAR ME? DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING!!! I SWEAR, I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TRY!" He felt awful dryness in his mouth and the room seemed to spin slightly, but he ignored it and only fastened his deranged eyes to the figure on the bed.
Vegeta slowly got up and raised his fist in the air, with the obvious intention to strike. But he saw the sickly paleness of his son's face and the abnormal burning in his eyes... and hesitated.
That was enough for the Demi to react and hit first. The punch wasn't strong, by nonetheless made the Ouji stumble backwards, with surprise suddenly appearing on his face.
"Fine, you can force me back into eating. I accept that and even understand that I _might_ have a problem with it. But you will _not_, I repeat... YOU WILL NOT SAY A WORD TO GOTEN!"
"Or what brat?" The familiar smirk was back his face and he already had his arms folded across his chest.
Very unpleasant silence reappeared and for few minutes, the two men just glared at each other, both prepared to attack at any second.
"Or I'll..." He hesitated, but he knew that he had no choice. It might be cruel and unfair for him to use _this_ against his own father... But then again, how many times had Vegeta been fair or nice to him? Eye for an eye... "Or I'll sort out your _problems_ as well."
"What do you mean urchin?"
"Since you're so keen on helping me out with my love dilemmas, I'll be just as _nice_ and have a lovely conversation with Goku. But you know, I'm not very experienced with these things, so don't be too surprised when I'll spoil everything for you..." A vile grin twisted his face into something repulsive and yet he had never looked so similar to his own father before.
Vegeta very briefly went pale, but quickly red furry exploded in him and before Trunks could even react, the Prince had moved. Suddenly he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and without even one thought of hesitation, did the thing he that he really badly wanted to do right at that moment...
The Demi felt a spasm of pain spread though his back and a nasty thumping in the back of his head, together with a deafening crash, which echoed through the whole house. When Trunks eventually looked up, he was extremely surprised to see what he did, since he still didn't realise what exactly happened. He found himself in the corridor, sloping uncomfortable against the wall, with the leftovers of the large white door around him and the Ouji standing calmly in the doorway, with a big smirk across his shapely features.
Yet, despite the return of the Prince's normal expression and posture, the azure-eyed boy still managed to spot those tiny bits of pain in the corner of his eyes and realized that he had hurt his father much more than he had intended... But there was no return now...
"Fine. Be that stupid, stubborn ass that you are, but don't you think that you got me scared in any way. I really don't give a damn what you'll tell Kakarrot..." His voice was strained and had a hissing sensation to it. It was clear, that despite his mild look, the Prince had hard time controlling himself and didn't enjoy the taste of hypocrisy that he was so boldly acting out. "I can't be bothered to do anything with you right now... BUT... yes there's a 'but' kid. You have three days to sort out this situation with Kakarrot's spawn and after that I'll do it myself, and trust me - I'm not exactly subtle or gentle in any case..."
The Demi slowly raised from the floor, feeling his body stiff and tight. He glared into his father's eyes and wondered if he should risk saying anything...
"Three days brat - that's all you got and I think that that's more than enough to set your lust straight." His voice still lacked that typical ease with which he usual spoke. "And one more thing. I'm seeing you ever fours hours in the kitchen, eating a _decent_ meal and I mean decent by the standards of Saiyans. Try not to eat and as I said - I'll shove everything into you by force. Try being even five minutes late and I'll make sure that your life will become truly miserable. Try not coming and I'll..." The sudden cut off of the sentence said it all and made the blue-haired boy swallow hard.
Trunks turned around slightly with he intention to walk off, but looked back at his father and said very quietly - "I won't tell Goku a thing, Dad..."
For a brief moment the Prince looked like he was about to attack again, but his face suddenly smoothed out, leaving only a faint grin. "Let me guess.... Eye for an eye?"
The Demi just started back, trying to understand what his father was trying to tell him, but before he could say anything in return, the Ouji slammed his fist against the doorframe and roared - "GET OUT MY SIGHT BRAT, BEFORE I DECIDED TO KICK YOUR SKINNY ASS TO THE NEXT DIMENSION! AND JUST TRY REPEAT ANY OF THIS CONVERSATION TO ANYONE AND I SWEAR - YOU'LL FEEL MY TRUE WRATH FOR THE REST OF YOUR SHORT AND VOLATILE LIFE!"
Before anything else could be said, Trunks took off and in a matter of seconds found himself by the stairs. He felt very confused and right all he needed was his own bed and few, long hours of peace...
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in the kitchen Bulma stared intensely at the ceiling wondering if any more bits of it were going to fall onto her head. Just few minutes ago, she clearly heard a loud sound of destruction of some sort and instantly thought of her dear son and that maniac, which unfortunately called himself her husband. She sighed and knew that something bad had happened. She turned around and looked at the small figure by the table, who too was gazing up, hypnotized....
"Bra, go and see if you brother is alright..."
"But why...?" The small girl looked slightly confused.
"Just go and do it, as I strongly doubt that your father wasn't very 'nice' to Trunks..." When she saw her daughter get up and leave, she quickly added few words. "Oh and do find out why those two had such a long talk in the first place."
"Yes mammy."
~*~*~*~*~
He slowly took off his clothes and leaving only his black boxers on, sat on the edge of the bed and stared for few minutes at his reflection in the large mirror.
{{Father's right... I look horrible....}}
His face twisted into a painful grimace, when he realized just how bad he looked... With a sigh, he leaned back and dropped onto the bed. Minutes passed and he just stared at the white ceiling, trying to sort out all those things that he had heard today... and said, but nothing made much sense... although more or less he was aware of what he should do now... and didn't like it one bit.
Suddenly he heard light tapping on his door and without moving, shouted - "Go away mum! I'm fine and all want to do is sleep now. So, leave me alone please!"
He then closed his eyes, with a true intention to nap a little, but raised abruptly when he heard his door open slowly.
"I told you that... Oh Bra it's you. What do you want daarin?" His face instantly lighted up when he saw his little sister, who closed the door and swiftly made her way across the room and into his laps.
She hugged him tightly and leaning her head against his still broad, but somehow slightly sunken chest, whispered with her soft and sweet voice. "Are you alright Trunks? I heard this loud..."
"Yes, yes. I'm ok. Don't worry, it was only me and Daddy training."
"Upstairs?"
"Emm yes and we accidentally broke a door. But we'll put a new one in soon. So, tell, what have you been doing lately?" He caressed the soft hair of the tiny Demi. "Bra?" When he still heard no answer, he looked down and to his surprise found, that the girl was fast asleep, but still clenching tightly onto him.
With a sigh, he gently lowered himself to the bed and cuddle his sister back. He closed his eyes again.
{{When I was her age everything was simple... so simple... and even if I had a problem I always could do some trick and get myself out of trouble... no one every realized...well apart from Vegeta...}}
His eyes snapped open, when the sudden idea hit him. {{A artifice! That's it... If I can't just tell him straight in the face, then I'll use a trick and sort out this whole bloody situation...}}
He gently shook the sleeping figure. "Hey Bra, does mum still have that electric shaver?"
"Mmmmm.... In her bathroom eeeee somewhere in the cupboard *yawn* why?" Her little eyes stared at him intensely, as she quickly sensed that something was going to happen.
"Do you want to help me in doing a little trick on everyone?"
Bra sprung to her feet and started jumping up and down on the bed. "YES! YES! YES!"
Trunks laughed and grabbed his sister, back into his embrace. "Shhhhh Bra! It has to be a big secret and you _really_ have to help me. First of all you have to get me a...."
~*~*~*~*~
THE END
yEpErEk
[to be continued... somewhere, somehow]
Author: yEpErEk "Keep on staring and I might do a trick" [volatile_vodka@hotmail.com]
Paring: Lust vs. innocence... or in other words Trunks 'n' Goten...getting closer, but not close enough yet _
Response: I know you want to... so just press the right button and write me loads!
Rating/Warnings: If you read part 1 and 2 then you know what to expect, but just incase it's otherwise, let me repeat myself -- If you can't cope with emotional breakdowns, mawkish and nauseatingly sentimental rubbish and if anything resembling shonen-ai gives you the creeps...well I suggest you politely skip this page and go onto something more 'interesting'. Thank you for your co-operation ^_^
***DISCLAMIER:*** Bla bla bla don't own shit...don't understand? Let me put it more formally -- I don't even own a sane mind, vague sense of reality, the correct time dimension, fundamental abilities of coordination and speech, even the smallest writing talent, not to mention the striking deficiency of sense of humor... so how the hell could I own something like Dragon Ball or any part of it eh? Add to the above a very impractical brain and you'll know that I would have never come up with the idea for doing 'the bellow' for money... oh yeah, and if you are, by any chance, a person with a mind like a razor (sharp and _narrow_) then for your information I also am in no possession of that thing ningens call money, so don't waste your precious time and just don't sue me (I wouldn't have anything suitable to wear to the court anyhow...)...
[P.S. I really don't understand ppl who hate disclaimers...^-^]
Additional Notes:
Uff finally finished this! Yay! It really took me longer than I planned, but I had a writer's block for some time. Even though I can now proudly present you the third and not last part of 'STOT', I still have to admit to one thing - I'm not too happy about it. I tried my best and yet it's still doesn't sound right [to me at least] _ It's slightly different from the other two parts as it lacks all those favorite and long descriptions of mine and instead has loads of speech, but nonetheless, I hope you guys like it and that it was worth waiting for... Enjoy ^_-
~*~*~*~*~
Sweet Taste Of Temptation [III]
"The highest power... In lonely hours... The tears devour you..." [Savage Garden]
~*~*~*~*~
Leaning gently against the metal doorframe, he silently watched the small figure move hastily around the kitchen, making confusing and hard to follow patterns with its chaotic routes, from time to time opening the mysterious cupboards and somehow managing to avoid all the deadly furniture... well, most of the time...
"Daaaaamn it! Arggggghhh... who the hell put this stupid chair here?!"
"You did."
The blue-haired woman spun around, when she heard the unexpected voice and only then did she become aware of her son's presence. When she saw the tender smile on that delicate face, with few still wet strands of hair stuck to it, she returned the smile and quickly changed her mind - instead of some rather violent actions, she just carefully put the chair away.
Having done that, she looked up at the still motionless boy and raised an eyebrow questioningly, whilst taking in the fresh scent of his recent shower.
"So how's your training going, daarin?"
He shrugged his shoulders due to lack of a better description, as he really didn't want to mention his father's interruption of his work out - it was enough that one undesirable person knew about his 'lil problem' and since it was Vegeta, he already felt worse than if Goten himself had known.
"That good eh? Well, I saw your father go into the GR. Did he join you?" That innocent smile, together with her caring voice, clearly showed that she had no idea that she was treading on thin ice, whilst making her son very uneasy.
"Yeah, he... participated...." He didn't want to go any further into this conversation, after all he only came here in search of his father and he wanted to be finished with _that_ matter as soon as possible.
"Oh that's great. It's so nice to see that you two are finally getting along..."
{{Yeah right...}} He remembered Vegeta's recent words, the look on his face and the horrible task of facing him again... none of that made him feel better, especially when his body was still fatigued and various bruises still made him feel uncomfortable. Sensing that his mother was far from being finished with this topic, he desperately thought of some possible way to escape.
Luckily, the small divine intervention saved him from the rest of this quickly gaining in wariness dialogue...
"Ummm mum... something's burning..."
"What?! Arghhhhhhhh...." Bulma threw herself at the stove and frantically tried to save the results of her three hour sojourn in the dreaded kitchen.
Seeing his chance, he was about to turn around and walk off, when he remembered something and risked a quick question, hoping that his mother was too preoccupied to ponder about it and to demand an explanation... after all, not everyday did he ask for such information.
"Mum, where's dad?"
"What? Emmmm... Ouch! I think he went to his room...Oh damn it!"
He watched for a second the frenzied dance around the range, whilst nervously munching on his lip. He knew that he was no use as far as cooking went, so no point in helping - he'd probably only do more damage, but he still needed to know something else...
"Emmmm.... Mum?...."
After few more squeals, shrieks, groans and Kami knows what else, the blue-haired woman finally turned some of her attention to the demi-Saiyan.
"What is it?"
"And _where_ is his room...?"
Hearing those words, Bulma dropped the pan, that she was currently trying to hold, back onto the stove and turned around to face the boy.
For a moment they just stared at each other, the azure-eyed Demi feeling stupid and uneasy again, whilst the small woman seemed to be pondering about something hard. Finally, with a wry smile she spoke.
"It's somewhere on the second floor... I haven't been there in ages... the 2nd floor that is, since I can't recall ever being _inside_ your father's room." Suddenly her face lit up. "Just go there and try each door, as all of them are shut apart form his...But why..."
"Thanx mum!" He turned around, ignoring any further questions, which were sure to follow.
"Trunks!"
He twisted his head to glance at his mother, when he heard her suddenly angered voice.
"Will you please tell my why you want to see your father?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, with a quite unpleasant look on her face and looking like a miniature parody of the second half of this twisted pair.
"Oh it's nothing important really... and by the way...that thing is burning again..." Seeing his mother dash back to the smoking pan, he hesitated no longer and quickly headed for the stairs, wondering what was about to happen in the next hour or so... and if he would survive it.
~*~*~*~*~
Half an hour and about twenty doors later, he finally pressed on a door handle which gave in and with a sudden burst of hope, he pushed the door with more force than needed. As a result he violently stumbled into the room, tripped over the carpet, brushed against something hard and ended up on the floor, under the window, with a small wooden chair... or more like the leftovers of it, underneath him.
"You surely took your time..."
Awkwardly, he turned around to face the owner of the icy voice and at the same time raised from the ground, revealing only few larger splinters on the white carpet.
"It's not exactly the easiest task to find your hideout." He glanced at the scowled face and feeling his ears go all red, turned his attention to careful sweeping off the rest of the wooden pieces from his trousers. "I suggest some fluorescent arrows on the walls and floor guiding the way or just a handy map, which you could give out to the members of your family..."
Only then did he look up, preparing himself for a slaughtering rejoinder, but his father's face didn't change a bit - the freezing scowl, with which he'd 'welcomed' his son, was still there... {{Maybe that's a good sign...}} He knew that what he had just said wasn't exactly the wisest thing to say, especially to _that_ man, but the whole day hadn't been one of his favorite, actually the whole week had been hell... add to that his earlier encounter with the Prince and you'll know why he was drastically getting annoyed with this whole situation.
The Ouji was standing by the door, with his arms typically folded and after few long minutes of glaring at his son, finally shut the door with a not too gentle kick. He then glanced at what used to be a very uncomfortable, wobbling and useless piece of furniture and not even looking at the demi-Saiyan, spoke - "You _are_ buying me a new one and you are going to do that _soon_..."
"Yeah, I'll get you a new chair from downstairs the minute you tell me what you want." He looked around the small, Spartan equipped and sterile, white room, feeling very uncomfortable and coming to one conclusion - no one in their sane mind would willingly want to live here... apart from his father of course. "Because if you wanted to continue your little, pathetic and miserable entertainment, which involves making more fun out of me...well... you could have easily done that in the kitchen or anywhere _else_ in the house, without making me come to this... this horrible cubical, which you attempt to call your room..."
The Saiyan snorted and smirked slightly at the boy. "I'm glad to see that you recovering the ability to talk in the way _my_ son _should_ and that your mind hadn't gone that soft..._yet_"
Before the blue-haired boy could say anything, Vegeta pointed at his small, hell hard bed and with a voice, which accepted no rejection, told him to sit down. Having done that, he moved and now leaning against one of the walls, just stared through the window for few seconds, before finally speaking again, his voice suddenly softer and quieter.
"We need to talk seriously and I don't even have to say about what, since earlier on, in the GR you had reassured me that what I suspected all the time...was right... unfortunately." He still had his eyes focused on something outside, but he was aware that his son started to feel nervous again. "Before we get into a beautiful argument, just answer me one question... Is _he_ worth it?"
He wasn't surprised, he wasn't shocked, he wasn't even puzzled... he was just on the brink of fainting....
His fingers clenched forcefully to the white covers, which matched nicely the pale face and the widely opened eyes, with pupils the size of peas... His mouth opened and shut a couple of times and he had hard time deciding if he was suddenly lacking air or did he just forget to breathe...
Eventually Vegeta turned his piercing gaze to the Demi, making him feel small... very small... and very, very stupid...
"Well...eeee...hmmmm...Iiiii...." He could swear that his tongue had all of the sudden grown to the extent, that it just didn't fit in his mouth... and you expected him to talk?!
"WHICH PART OF THE QUESTION DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND BRAT?! THERE ARE ONLY FOUR BLOODY WORDS IN IT!" The sudden thump of his sharp voice, was like a mighty slap in the face, followed by a bucket of freezing water and a finishing off kick in the ass.
Having blinked few times and shaking the empty head, he finally pulled himself together and stopped pulling on the sheets, which by now where ripped in few places. He swallowed hard and took on the most serious and intelligent look that he could manage, so that his words would have the adequate solemnity...
"I... Don't... Understand..."
The Prince hearing that, slapped his forehead and let out a long groan of disbelief . {{And this is supposed to be my spawn?! Who the hell switched the babies? Wait a sec... The onna gave birth at home... If this is truly her son, the only thing which could be switched without me knowing would be... sperm? WOMAN!!!}}
For few, long seconds he watched the lovely, kaleidoscopic chain of expressions, which suddenly took over his father's face. Half of them he didn't understand ... the rest were purely evil and he knew that this situation just couldn't end nicely. He was about to get up and sneak out, when the Ouji switched back to reality.
"Shove your ass back onto that bed - I'm not finished with you yet... and the more you avoided it, the more painful I'll make it... sooo I encourage you to put up some resistance..." With the last words, the Saiyan very unequivocally cracked his knuckles... twice...
By now the azure-eyed boy had somehow regained control and having thought that nothing can be worse than what he currently felt inside, folded his arms and glared at the other man - looking everything _but_ timid, even though his palms where all moist already.
"Fine... talk shit to me... flush all your dirt onto me... rub in all the salt into my wounded mind and watch me cower by your feet... only to see me swung at you in the least expected moment!... If you are searching for enemies within your own family... If you are foolish enough to think that my control has no limits and that I won't eventually fight back, then go on... TRY IT... I'll kill you one way or another... and trust me - it will be sooner rather than later."
He didn't realize when exactly he got up or when his hands formed lethal fists. He was completely unaware of his narrowed eyes and the devastating inferno burning inside of them. All he knew was that there was a very thin shred of sanity stopping him from commencing a battle with the still slightly smirking man in front of him.
But all his wrath, furry and hate melted, when Vegeta started clapping...
"Well done boy. Not only did you prove just how much worth that pitiable spawn of Kakarrot's is to you, but additionally you saved me... from some tiresome conversation with your mother." When his son raised his eyebrows at the mentioning of Bulma, he just shrugged and sat carefully on the table. "Never mind that. But having finished with that nice introduction, how about we talk about something more important..." He paused when the Demi returned to his original position on the bed, pretending to ignore his father's words, but both knew that he was listening with all his heart. "How about you tell me, what exactly you are planning to do and when will you finally finish this dumb game of yours?"
"Why? So that you can win that ridiculous bet of yours...?" He still felt the strange heat inside and the tickling in his arms, but he knew that the adrenaline rush would be over soon... unless his father decides otherwise with his unpredictable actions or words. "I still can't believe that you got that idiot into it... come on, it's Goku that we are talking about..."
"Not a very nice way to talk about your future father-in-law. Awww please don't tell me, that your are not planning a fluffy wedding with lots of pink balloons and slobbish kisses and a big creamy cake... After all, you wouldn't want to miss out on the wedding night...Ahh wait a sec... You two are probably gonna get some action, before you even start planning that ridiculous ceremony..."
"Watch it..."
"Or what?" Vegeta's smirk had something truly evil hidden in it. Any normal person would shiver at the mere sight of it, but Trunks himself had a similar look on his comely face and a simple, ugly grin wouldn't impress him... at least not right now. "Or you'll pathetically attack me... just like you did before? Are you really prepared to make a fool out of yourself again? I had hopped that your sudden interest in the GR would only do you good, but... but after the lovely show earlier on, I see that each work out, only shrinks the leftovers of your brain. Which brings me to my next point..."
For a second the eyes of the two men met, when the Demi unconsciously revealed his true interest in Vegeta's words. Some melodramatic tension instantly appeared in the room. But just as quickly as he looked up, the azure-eyes boy dropped his eyes to the floor and stared at the carpet with great determination. The Saiyan seeing this, snorted quietly and taking a deep breath, continued...
"How in the bloody world, did you ever believe that that imbecile would bet with me about something like _this_ ?!" He saw his son give him a quick and very surprised glance. "Looks like you have some work to catch up with... It will be wiser if you actually knew your father-in-law, as otherwise the happy ever after, that you're so keen on, might turn out to be more complicated than you thought. Kakarrot might be an idiot, but an idiot that you shouldn't underestimate... You know, if..."
That nasty burning returned to the demi-Saiyan's eyes, when he started staring at the small man again. His body started tensing once more and he felt a familiar tickling in his hands...
"Will you stop with that shit?! Don't you think it's enough already? I get your point... So fine, you wanted to have a little fun, thought of some ridiculous story and provoked me into an assault. Hope you're happy now, but the next time you're bored - I suggest you chose someone more challenging... Besides, I don't give a damn about Goku and what he does or doesn't do... Just as long as he stays out of my way..."
"Well, well... Someone's finally getting a backbone, but somehow I don't think that that's enough. But as far as Kakarrot goes - you have nothing to worry about. That baka is completely unaware of the fact that someone's trying to get their sticky, little hands on his innocent and untainted brat." He ignored that nasty hiss that unconsciously escaped the Demi's lips. "Actually, Kakarrot seems to be completely ignorant of everything else...of things, which should mean something to him... of..." Vegeta hesitated and briefly closed his eyes.
For a second Trunks couldn't understand what he had just heard and saw, but the obvious truth hit him nearly straight away and it almost made him gasp - his father was talking about _them_... those last words where about him and Goku! Did it mean that he was wrong all the time? That maybe the Ouji didn't get himself that 'first class lover', like he had been suspecting all the time? Did this mean that his father faced the same problem, that he had been struggling with for weeks?! If yes, that would explain a _lot_ of things, starting with the reason why they where having this conversation in the first place...
"Father..." He whispered unintentionally.
Vegeta's eyes snapped opened and his voice sounded very harsh... maybe even harsher than he intended. "But all of this crap still hasn't given me any answers! You still haven't told me what you want to do about..."
"Nothing." That one word was firm and strong. He said it gazing boldly into the older man's eyes and it sounded like a challenge.
"Oh great. Yeah, that's very smart. Just leave it as it is and maybe things will be alright." Something strange and new crept into his father's voice and he had hard time guessing what it was. Maybe care...? "But guess what brat... things are _not_ and will _not_ be alright! The sooner you realise that, the better for us all. Oh and if you think, that I'll just stand and watch, then you are badly mistaken!"
He just blinked and tried to close his mouth, which had automatically opened from the shock. He couldn't understand this outburst, this anger and he even had a problem grasping the true sense of the words. All he knew, was that he was a witness of something new and strange... he was seeing a new side of his father, but what it was exactly, he couldn't tell...
"I don't understand..."
"Oh don't you start all over again! YOU HEAR ME?! Stop pretending to be an idiot! I won't believe in all that balderdash of yours! Maybe you enjoy fooling yourself, but I won't have it." When he saw, that the astonishment and surprise in the eyes of the Demi where sincere, he took few deep breaths and started again... very slowly and clearly. "Fine... I'm locking up the GR for good and don't even think of asking the onna for help - you're banned from it. That's my final word. No more deranged work outs, since so far you've been only doing more damage to yourself than necessary."
"What the...?" He wasn't sure if the Prince was only mocking him or was he seriously serious...
"Don't tell me that I have to explain _even_ that! Gees, you're in a worse state that I thought!" For few seconds he just tapped his fingers against his lap and stared at the azure-eyed boy, who nervously looked back, with many weird thoughts running through his cramped mind. "First of all, it stops you from finally doing something about this demented situation. And shut your mouth boy, I'm speaking now! I've been watching you, ever since you asked me for permission to use the GR, you've been wasting your time there and pretending that nothing outside of it exists. You might think it's alright, but lying to yourself sooner or later will prove to be the worst policy possible."
He rubbed his forehead trying to understand what was really happening. The man in front of him was everything _but_ his father - there's no bloody way that the Prince would ever describe time spent in the Gravity Room as _wasted_. He had this urge to scream at the person in front of him and ask what exactly he did with the true Ouji, but luckily he blamed in it all on his own tiredness and kept quiet.
"Secondly..." The Saiyan's face become very serious and the Demi had felt this unpleasant shiver run down his spine. "When did you have your last meal?"
"Excuse me?" This conversation just couldn't get any weirder...
"Are you even listening to me boy?! Do I really have to spell it out to you? Read my lips brat - When did you have something to eat? Do you even remember?" Vegeta was leaning dangerously forward, making the table shaky more with every minute, but the decreasing distance between him and the blue-haired boy only build up the already thick tension, which hovered in the air.
He swallowed quickly and tried to divert the Saiyan's attention. "What does that got to do with this conversation? What sort of question is that anyhow?"
"It's a plain and simple question, which requires just as an obvious answer to it. So, just stop getting on my nervous and ANSWER! BEFORE YOU'LL BE SORRY THAT YOU GOT OUT OF BED THIS MORNING!" His face was still dead serious, and the sudden lack of any kind of smirk or grin made the whole situation even more strange and uncomfortable.
Actually, he was already sorry... sorry that he came to this insane place and that he got himself pulled into this abnormal conversation, which anytime now would make one of them blow.
"In the morning..."
"Today's, yesterday's or maybe last week's one?"
Silence suddenly appeared. Very disturbing silence and the Demi wasn't very willing to brake it. He knew the answer, but what he really wanted to say was a lie. But lying to Vegeta was a dangerous and slippery thing to do. Eventually he just sighed and coming to the conclusion, that might as well stop playing games, said the truth...
"I don't remember..."
The Ouji got up from the table and started walking around the room, his forehead wrinkled and face dulled as if he heard something that he didn't expect to hear. Yet he had been suspecting this kind of an answer from the beginning, but he was now faced with the obvious problem and for the first time wasn't too sure how to deal with it...
Finally, he stopped and spun around to face his son. A small smirk curved his lips, but it was only a pathetic cover up of his true distress.
"Do you realise what you have done to yourself?! Does that pathetic excuse for a brain grasp the size of damage that has been created? Trunks do you know in what a pitiable state you are?!"
The azure-boy dropped his head and for few moments didn't dare to look up. He vaguely knew what his father was talking about, but for all this time he had been pretending that things were alright... he had been evading this problem... for his exhausted mind everything was more or less alright...
"How much weight have you lost in the past three weeks?" All the anger vanished. It didn't matter if he liked it or not, but true care and increasing worry was easily heard in his voice. But the Prince knew that this situation was way too serious to play his usual games of putting up masks.
"Dunno... about thirteen pounds..."
"HOW MUCH?! KAMI TRUNKS, YOU BLOODY BAKA!" He grabbed the Demi by the shoulders and started shaking him violently, but the boy held no resistance... he just stared into the Ouji's eyes with a look of total hopelessness.
Eventually Vegeta let go of his son and sat heavily on the bed, nearly pushing the boy of it.
"I've been suspecting for some time now, that you stopped eating. But taking into account the onna's cooking, it didn't seem very surprising. I blamed your sudden weight lost on all those work outs. But since, most of the time you wear baggy cloths, it wasn't so obvious. Only today, when I saw you in the GR, did the truth hit me. Kami, Trunks you look basically like a skeleton with bits of muscles stuck to it!" He turned around to look at the very quiet and still boy. Worry was clearly seen on the Prince's features. "I don't think you even realize what an absurd and insane thing you've done. We, Saiyan's need few times as much food as the ningens do. So, any sudden lacks in our diet, do us as twice as much harm as it does to them. I never even though about what would happen if one of us ever stopped eating all together. And do intense training at the same time? It's impossible!" He grabbed the Demi's neck and brought his head close to his own face. "Look at me brat and understand every word that I say. YOU ARE KILLING YOURSELF! I don't know if you are doing it on purpose or not, but I'm going to put a stop to it right now. I will not allow my spawn to have anorexia or any other such shit. Even if it means shoving food into your throat and making you swallow with strong punches in the stomach, then let it be - I'll do it and I will do it every single time, until you start eating properly. And one more thing..." For few mercilessly long seconds he gazed at the pale face of the blue-haired boy. "I'm going sort out this fucking dilemma of yours once and for good. I'm going to talk to that brat of Kakarrot's and tell him everything, since you are incapable of it. This way I'll solve the whole paranoiac situation at its roots... and maybe then life will be normal again."
Hearing the last words, Trunks brutally yanked himself free and jumped to his feet, with clenched fists by his sides.
"NO YOU WON'T! YOU HEAR ME? DON'T YOU DARE DO ANYTHING!!! I SWEAR, I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TRY!" He felt awful dryness in his mouth and the room seemed to spin slightly, but he ignored it and only fastened his deranged eyes to the figure on the bed.
Vegeta slowly got up and raised his fist in the air, with the obvious intention to strike. But he saw the sickly paleness of his son's face and the abnormal burning in his eyes... and hesitated.
That was enough for the Demi to react and hit first. The punch wasn't strong, by nonetheless made the Ouji stumble backwards, with surprise suddenly appearing on his face.
"Fine, you can force me back into eating. I accept that and even understand that I _might_ have a problem with it. But you will _not_, I repeat... YOU WILL NOT SAY A WORD TO GOTEN!"
"Or what brat?" The familiar smirk was back his face and he already had his arms folded across his chest.
Very unpleasant silence reappeared and for few minutes, the two men just glared at each other, both prepared to attack at any second.
"Or I'll..." He hesitated, but he knew that he had no choice. It might be cruel and unfair for him to use _this_ against his own father... But then again, how many times had Vegeta been fair or nice to him? Eye for an eye... "Or I'll sort out your _problems_ as well."
"What do you mean urchin?"
"Since you're so keen on helping me out with my love dilemmas, I'll be just as _nice_ and have a lovely conversation with Goku. But you know, I'm not very experienced with these things, so don't be too surprised when I'll spoil everything for you..." A vile grin twisted his face into something repulsive and yet he had never looked so similar to his own father before.
Vegeta very briefly went pale, but quickly red furry exploded in him and before Trunks could even react, the Prince had moved. Suddenly he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and without even one thought of hesitation, did the thing he that he really badly wanted to do right at that moment...
The Demi felt a spasm of pain spread though his back and a nasty thumping in the back of his head, together with a deafening crash, which echoed through the whole house. When Trunks eventually looked up, he was extremely surprised to see what he did, since he still didn't realise what exactly happened. He found himself in the corridor, sloping uncomfortable against the wall, with the leftovers of the large white door around him and the Ouji standing calmly in the doorway, with a big smirk across his shapely features.
Yet, despite the return of the Prince's normal expression and posture, the azure-eyed boy still managed to spot those tiny bits of pain in the corner of his eyes and realized that he had hurt his father much more than he had intended... But there was no return now...
"Fine. Be that stupid, stubborn ass that you are, but don't you think that you got me scared in any way. I really don't give a damn what you'll tell Kakarrot..." His voice was strained and had a hissing sensation to it. It was clear, that despite his mild look, the Prince had hard time controlling himself and didn't enjoy the taste of hypocrisy that he was so boldly acting out. "I can't be bothered to do anything with you right now... BUT... yes there's a 'but' kid. You have three days to sort out this situation with Kakarrot's spawn and after that I'll do it myself, and trust me - I'm not exactly subtle or gentle in any case..."
The Demi slowly raised from the floor, feeling his body stiff and tight. He glared into his father's eyes and wondered if he should risk saying anything...
"Three days brat - that's all you got and I think that that's more than enough to set your lust straight." His voice still lacked that typical ease with which he usual spoke. "And one more thing. I'm seeing you ever fours hours in the kitchen, eating a _decent_ meal and I mean decent by the standards of Saiyans. Try not to eat and as I said - I'll shove everything into you by force. Try being even five minutes late and I'll make sure that your life will become truly miserable. Try not coming and I'll..." The sudden cut off of the sentence said it all and made the blue-haired boy swallow hard.
Trunks turned around slightly with he intention to walk off, but looked back at his father and said very quietly - "I won't tell Goku a thing, Dad..."
For a brief moment the Prince looked like he was about to attack again, but his face suddenly smoothed out, leaving only a faint grin. "Let me guess.... Eye for an eye?"
The Demi just started back, trying to understand what his father was trying to tell him, but before he could say anything in return, the Ouji slammed his fist against the doorframe and roared - "GET OUT MY SIGHT BRAT, BEFORE I DECIDED TO KICK YOUR SKINNY ASS TO THE NEXT DIMENSION! AND JUST TRY REPEAT ANY OF THIS CONVERSATION TO ANYONE AND I SWEAR - YOU'LL FEEL MY TRUE WRATH FOR THE REST OF YOUR SHORT AND VOLATILE LIFE!"
Before anything else could be said, Trunks took off and in a matter of seconds found himself by the stairs. He felt very confused and right all he needed was his own bed and few, long hours of peace...
~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in the kitchen Bulma stared intensely at the ceiling wondering if any more bits of it were going to fall onto her head. Just few minutes ago, she clearly heard a loud sound of destruction of some sort and instantly thought of her dear son and that maniac, which unfortunately called himself her husband. She sighed and knew that something bad had happened. She turned around and looked at the small figure by the table, who too was gazing up, hypnotized....
"Bra, go and see if you brother is alright..."
"But why...?" The small girl looked slightly confused.
"Just go and do it, as I strongly doubt that your father wasn't very 'nice' to Trunks..." When she saw her daughter get up and leave, she quickly added few words. "Oh and do find out why those two had such a long talk in the first place."
"Yes mammy."
~*~*~*~*~
He slowly took off his clothes and leaving only his black boxers on, sat on the edge of the bed and stared for few minutes at his reflection in the large mirror.
{{Father's right... I look horrible....}}
His face twisted into a painful grimace, when he realized just how bad he looked... With a sigh, he leaned back and dropped onto the bed. Minutes passed and he just stared at the white ceiling, trying to sort out all those things that he had heard today... and said, but nothing made much sense... although more or less he was aware of what he should do now... and didn't like it one bit.
Suddenly he heard light tapping on his door and without moving, shouted - "Go away mum! I'm fine and all want to do is sleep now. So, leave me alone please!"
He then closed his eyes, with a true intention to nap a little, but raised abruptly when he heard his door open slowly.
"I told you that... Oh Bra it's you. What do you want daarin?" His face instantly lighted up when he saw his little sister, who closed the door and swiftly made her way across the room and into his laps.
She hugged him tightly and leaning her head against his still broad, but somehow slightly sunken chest, whispered with her soft and sweet voice. "Are you alright Trunks? I heard this loud..."
"Yes, yes. I'm ok. Don't worry, it was only me and Daddy training."
"Upstairs?"
"Emm yes and we accidentally broke a door. But we'll put a new one in soon. So, tell, what have you been doing lately?" He caressed the soft hair of the tiny Demi. "Bra?" When he still heard no answer, he looked down and to his surprise found, that the girl was fast asleep, but still clenching tightly onto him.
With a sigh, he gently lowered himself to the bed and cuddle his sister back. He closed his eyes again.
{{When I was her age everything was simple... so simple... and even if I had a problem I always could do some trick and get myself out of trouble... no one every realized...well apart from Vegeta...}}
His eyes snapped open, when the sudden idea hit him. {{A artifice! That's it... If I can't just tell him straight in the face, then I'll use a trick and sort out this whole bloody situation...}}
He gently shook the sleeping figure. "Hey Bra, does mum still have that electric shaver?"
"Mmmmm.... In her bathroom eeeee somewhere in the cupboard *yawn* why?" Her little eyes stared at him intensely, as she quickly sensed that something was going to happen.
"Do you want to help me in doing a little trick on everyone?"
Bra sprung to her feet and started jumping up and down on the bed. "YES! YES! YES!"
Trunks laughed and grabbed his sister, back into his embrace. "Shhhhh Bra! It has to be a big secret and you _really_ have to help me. First of all you have to get me a...."
~*~*~*~*~
THE END
yEpErEk
[to be continued... somewhere, somehow]