Praise for a Coward

By Poe

Author's Warning: The following is, um, sort of a lime. If you are immature or easily offended, don't read it.

Chapter Two

The descent into chaos has begun.

I have witness the unthinkable, and feel as though I will never be the same again. What am I talking about? What could possibly be so horrible? Just wait and see.

It started when Pan came over, for that spar I had heard them talking about. I noticed her uncle, Kakkarot's second urchin, had neglected to join them. I know this seems ridiculous, me being involved so intently in their affairs, but I can assure you I am not as interested in their lives as it may seem.

Unfortunately, they decided to have a little talk apart from everyone else before the sparring began. Trunks and Pan went off alone together in a room, which I regarded as suspicious. I knew they were up to no good, so I decided to interrupt them before they did something worthy of regret. Since they were in my bedroom, I could easily calculate an excuse. I wanted to use my bedroom, and if they were in it, getting them out would not be a problem.

So, casually, I went up to my bedroom, stood before the door, and braced myself for what would happen when I opened the door. Now, it had only been a few minutes into their time together, so I assumed that the worst I would see wasn't anything I couldn't handle. And as I put my hand on the doorknob, I made the ignorant assumption that I was prepared for what I could see.

Let's just say I wasn't.

Trunks, shirtless, was on top of Pan, also shirtless, kissing her passionately with his hands in places they really shouldn't be. Trunks had his eyes closed, Pan's were opened, but both seemed to be enjoying what was going on. They stopped, of course, when I walked in, but I could plainly assume what had happened and what was going to happen. I remember them freezing, my stomach clenching, and horror consuming me.

It's one thing to see Pan in an intimate situation with a man. It's quite another to see her in an intimate situation with Trunks. Especially if both are half-naked in an erotic embrace.

The first moment of my arrival was actually almost humorous. Both jerked their gazes towards me, and looks of mortification seeped over their expressions. I'm sure words cannot describe the humiliation they felt. I was even embarrassed, standing there like an intruder onto some horrific and very private act.

Trunks immediately got off of Pan, in almost a stumble had they been standing up. I saw the look of horror on her face increase and a very deep red flush her cheeks as she realized she was exposed to me. Evidently her bra had been unclasped, and she held it to her chest as though it would fall off.

Horror turned to shame and bewilderment as Pan realized the implications of what she had done. She wrapped her arms around herself quickly to cover herself, still struggling to hold her bra on. Trunks, on the other hand, just sat there in shock, with no levels of complex emotion to it.

"Vegeta!" Pan stammered, more tense than I had ever seen her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Trunks asked, as though he had to say something but couldn't quite come up with something remotely eloquent.

My eyes narrow. "As you might recall, this is my room you are profaning, and on my bed."

"It's not what you think!" Trunks explained, "We weren't going to go too far, we were just messing around."

"What kind of fool do you take me for? She's practically naked and you seem to be enjoying it to make it far enough."

Trunks realized the innuendo, looked down at himself, flushed redder, and then grabbed his shirt and quickly put it on, in the hope that part of it would cover it. Pan, meanwhile was still struggling over her dignity.

I tried to focus on being angry at them, because the more I looked at Pan, the more I wanted to tear off her remaining clothes. And now was certainly not a moment to be enjoying.

"Well at least I wasn't taking advantage of her! If she want to do it, then why not?"

"You're trying to justify this already? If you think I'm just going to let this slide-"

"I wouldn't have let him," Pan said quickly, her eyes darting around for her shirt.

"And that excuses it?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Well, you can't do anything about it. You're not my father," she started, trying to maintain a brave front.

Instead of answering with words, I snatched the shirt she was intently looking for off the drawers it had been thrown onto. Her eyes widened and her blush deepened as she saw it. It was torn, and not wearable, and I could only assume it had been ripped off and discarded.

"This is certainly a dirty secret, and I seem to have full proof. And believe me, little girl, there is plenty I can do about this."

Trunks looked just as terrified. "You're not telling mom, are you?"

I smirked. "Oh, I'm sure that won't be necessary. Whatever punishment you fear from her, I can rival significantly."

"That's ridiculous! I'm an adult, you can't control my life!"

"I can if I find reason to, and I believe pedophilia is one of them." Oh, if he only knew.

"Pan may be a child legally, but she's still mature and very much a woman. Something you couldn't possibly understand."

"I hate to interrupt," Pan noted sarcastically, "but as you can tell, I'm not exactly decent."

"Mom's room is on the other side of CC near her work, and Bra's is across the kitchen. But I'm sure if you can get to it, they'll lend you some-"

"And have them know about what happened? How exactly am I supposed to explain that I'm- Vegeta, what are you doing?"

I had taken off my shirt and held it in front of her, smirking. During the time they had been talking, I formulated a plan.

"I can't have you prancing around naked, now can I? But I must warn you," I started, cynically, "it will cost you."

Trunks frowned. "I can give her my shirt, it'll be less suspicious."

"You half-wit, don't you get it? I know something you don't want me to know, and I can tell anyone I feel like telling, so I'm going to make a deal with you."

Pan snatched the shirt immediately. "Whatever it is, I'm for it. Better than my father knowing." I watched her hesitantly put it on, and then noticed Trunks glaring at me.

"What are your terms, then?" he said, crossing his arms.

I smirked again, they could not appreciate the genius of my plan, and I was still loving it.

"I want both of you to do whatever I want," I started, savoring the moment with confusion and horror spread over their faces, "for a full week."

"What?" they both said at once.

"You heard me. I want you both to be my slaves for a week."

"A week? You're kidding, right?" Trunks asked, in pure shock.

"Of course not, this is to good a plan to suggest as a joke," I said, still grinning.

"No, of course you're kidding," Pan said, "No way is this worth it. There's not a chance I would be your slave for a week."

"Keep in mind, children, that I am an excellent liar," I started, watching more horror posses the both of them, "and that Pan's father cannot truthfully determine whether or not Pan is a virgin."

"You bastard!" Pan spat, "I can't believe you're doing this to us!"

"I refuse," Trunks said, "Go ahead and tell the whole world, I don't care."

Pan turned her anger towards Trunks. "You got me into this, and you're just backing out the easy way?"

"I got you into this? As I remember, you weren't too angry at me while it was happening. You liked it, admit it, and it's not my fault we're stuck in this position."

"You came on to me! I would've never done this if you hadn't kissed me!" she argued.

"Look, what does it matter? Why are you trying to make me suffer? I'm happy with him telling anyone he wants to, and I'm sure it won't be too bad being his slave."

"I hate to rush you two," I said cynically, "but as I recall, our favorite human gossip is coming home soon, so I'll have to take your answers now."

"No way am I your slave, tell the whole damn world," Trunks said, crossing his arms.

"I don't have a choice," Pan said.

"That's the beauty of it," I started, "You do have a choice. So slave it is?"

She nodded, eyes narrowed, and obviously plotting my demise as she nodded.

"Excellent. Your first order of business, after getting the hell out of here so no one sees you with my shirt on, is to come back here at 7 am sharp to await further instructions. You are to take this seriously, is that understood?"

"Unfortunately," she grumbled.

Trunks looked surprisingly at ease as he noted, "You know, none of this would've happened if Goten had shown up."

Pan turned her anger at Trunks immediately. "Don't get me started, you womanizing jerk."

"What? I thought we went over this."

"The brat's female, what do you expect?" I asked rhetorically, turning around. Still shirtless, I was about to make my exit when Pan interrupted.

"And you're a manipulative bastard, so don't get me started either."

"No, I believe I was just finishing," I said, smirking even though she could not see with my back turned to her, "But I'll see you at 7, little girl."

I could feel her fury heighten as I said that, and she muttered something under her breath I could not hear.

I also could tell that the week of Pan Son's servitude was going to be an interesting one. And, without a doubt, I had a few things to demand of Pan she would never expect.

But then again, it seemed that the best, as well as the worst, of life were unexpected.