Alright, here's the fourth installment. So far, Trunks and Pan have met, been on a ship that blew up and they are now at sea in a boat. Hmm sounds like… fun….
The Lives We Lead - Chapter 4 - The Island
Pan had stopped crying a little while ago. Trunks just continued to sit with his arms around her, starring out at the blank sea lit by the moonlight. He had watched as the last of the ship had gone down, he watched the few loose items float to the surface and float around. Then he stopped, for the first time he wondered what had set off the blast.
Pan shifted in his arms, gently shaking her head. She had stopped crying but her eyes were puffy and heavy. Trunks hand was slowly caressing her shoulder to comfort her. She looked up at him and watched as the emotions fluttered through his eyes . She realized that he had basically lost his future and a father that cared but didn't express it. In that, she thought, they had something in common. At the thought of her father came the thought of her mother and the tears threatened once more. Trunks hand had stopped touching her shoulder. He was now starring and squinting at something in the distance.
"Look," he pointed, "Do you see that too?"
"See what," She sat up to get a better view. Her eyes widened in disbelief, "It's.. it's an island."
"That it is," Trunks said as he stood to get the oars.
" I guess life doesn't hate us that much after all," she smiled at him and leaned against his legs as he rowed them towards the island.
An hour had passed, Trunks could clearly see the island by now. He sighed as he looked again at to study the island. He had been hoping that they had come around the peninsula and into the strait of Criven [AN: my own creation], but looking again, he saw no other islands surrounding it. Which only meant that this was an island probably in the middle of nowhere. He let the oars hang at the side of the boat for a moment and put his head in his hands. He was suppose to be the strong man here, he had a woman to look after, but this was too much.
He thought about the events in the past few hours. First, he was sitting at a dinner playing his fathers part. A father who didn't, or had never , acknowledge him as his son, the only signs pointing to it were the facts that they shared a seductive smirk and that Vegeta had left his ship to him in his will. Second, he had jumped off a boat, the boat he had grown up on and come to know as home, that was on fire only to help save a girl that he had known but a day. The second event was that he had no idea where they were. Of course, this wasn't really an event but it still did not help. He was stuck with this girl in a boat with no food or water heading for an island.
The girl. Pan. He looked down at his feet to see her peaceful form sleeping against his legs. She was beautiful, he admitted that. She also had a aura about her. One that he found intriguing. But this was not about him and this girl. It might be later on. Right now it was about him getting this girl to the safety of the island. So, picking his oars up once more, he let his thoughts go and continued the journey to the island.
When they were about 30 yards from the island, Trunks saw the bottom of the shore. He decided it would be easier and faster if he pulled them in instead of rowing, plus his arms were beginning to hurt. He put the oars down and put his hand on Pans shoulder, shaking her gently. She didn't move. A smirk came across his features as he drew a handful of water and splashed it on her face. She jumped.
"That," she said wiping the water off her face, "Was uncalled for."
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Trunks laughed.
She gave him a glare and looked up at the island. They were quite close now. She studied the island. Black spots, which she assumed to be trees, were all over, covering most if not all of the island. At one end there was an oddly shaped mountain type thing. She looked closer and saw a glimer, what she thought to be water coming off it. But her studies of the island were interrupted as a shirt blocked her view.
While Pan was staring at the island, Trunks had been taking off his shirt in order to get into the water. Now, she turned to look at him and one eyebrow raised. His chest was very, very muscular.
"What are you doing," she turned to him.
"Taking us to the island," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
She turned around again to see the island and noticed how far they were.
"But -" she was cut short as she turned and fell strait on top of him, her feet caught, once again in the ropes, "uh.."
"You're very clumsy," he chuckled beneath her, his breath tickling her nose, "You should really work on that."
"Well you know," she started, feeling extremely out of place on top of him, "I wouldn't want to loose my grace."
He smirked and put his hands on her sides. She was shocked at first but then realized what he was doing. He gently pushed her up to stand on her feet. And then stood.
He put one foot in the water and she could see how cold the water was by the expression on his face. But he didn't bring his leg back out, instead he stood waist deep in it and began to pull the two boats in.
Pan sat back on the seat and watched him. She saw him stumble and loose his balance once and had almost jumped out to grab him. But she had calmed herself.
"Be careful," she warned.
"Hey, I'm not as clumsy as you," he teased.
Suddenly, Trunks wasn't there. He had just.. disappeared. Pan shot to the side of the boat in time to see him come up frantically for air, grabbing the side of the boat and (by accident) Pan's outstretched arm. Which, in turn, brought her over the side of the boat and into the water. Not letting go of her hand, Trunks pulled her up to him. She grabbed his beck and he held his arm steadily around her waist as they both regained their composure.
"You had this planned," she sputtered out, "Didn't you?"
"We're sitting in freezing water and all you can think about is how this is my fault," he laughed, "I think you're the one who planned this."
"Yes, it was all so I could sit and freeze," she rolled her eyes.
"Well, here," Trunks moved her to the side of the boat, "Up you go."
With his help, she climbed into the boat. Then she sat, shivering and waiting for him. But he didn't come up, instead he just hung on the side, half out of the water.
"Are you ok," he asked her watching her body shiver, "Change into something dry."
"You shouldn't be in there," she ignored his comment, "You'll freeze."
"You'll freeze unless you put a different shirt on."
"Come out of the water, Trunks."
"Put a dry shirt on, Pan."
With that, he was back in the water, swimming now to the edge of the island. She rolled her eyes, men were so stubborn. Pulling another shirt out of his chest, she devised how she was going to change and make sure he wasn't looking all at the same time. She managed to change quickly and immediately felt better.
Trunks was now standing and walking to the island, maybe 10 or less yards to go. The sky was lit by the moon and the stars so there wasn't much light to walk by. But he made it, no more unlucky breaks. He pulled the two boats up to the shore and then went to the one with Pan in it. He held out his hand which she gently took.
"Didn't want you tripping again or anything," He teased once more.
"Just because I had an unlucky break with falling out of the boat, which you pulled me out of, might I add," she said sarcastically, "Does not mean I am that clumsy."
"Let's not forget the two episodes with the rope," he added.
She rolled her eyes and looked around.
"Now what?"
"Well, I'm hungry and tired," he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think there's much of a solution to either."
"There's bread in your chest," she had seen it when she was taking clothes out, "and we can sleep on the ground, it won't be that horribly bad you know."
Trunks moved over to the chests and brought them both out. He opened his and took two slices of bread, handing one to her and putting the other in his mouth. He then moved deeper into the chest and found a big jacket type thing and brought it out. Without warning, he moved and put it over her shoulders. She gave him a curious look.
"Ladies first," he smiled and went back to his chest, this time returning with just a shirt.
He laid the shirt down and made it as a pillow. Pan sat beside him, muching her slice of bread. When she had finished, she lay down next to him and looked up at the stars.
"At least it's a good view," Pan broke the silence.
"Yeah," Trunks smiled at her, his glance lingering extra moments, "We should sleep so we can explore and what not tomorrow."
"And you have officially been pronounced my pillow," she stated as she put her head on his shoulder, a move he didn't mind, "At least, until I find a more suitable selection."
Trunks laughed and made himself comfortable, well, as comfortable as he could get on a beach.. with a girl on his arm.. alone.. and soon drifted off to sleep.
Really long.. Oh well. Anyways, as usual, tell me what you guys think and all….please… The next chapter should be out in a few days or so. Have a good one.