Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ and I'm not making any money from this.
Warnings: Some very bad words.
Chapter 8: 'Wha?'
September 14th
It's been ten days since I last saw Marron. Ten days. Ten whole days. Two hundred and forty hours. Fourteen thousand and four hundred minutes. God knows how many seconds. She hasn't called me. She must have guessed what I was gonna say. That's why she hasn't called. Because she knew that I was gonna tell her I loved her and now she's all freaked out and doesn't want to speak to me because I'm a bastard and I've lied to her for four years.
For these past ten days I've slowly degenerated from being Trunks Briefs, Vice President of Capsule Corporation and Safe Male extraordinaire, into Trunks Briefs, Vice President of Capsule Corporation and scruffy, depressed alcoholic. Shows what an effect not being with her has on me.
Last night was the worst though. Goten was at Paresu's so I took the opportunity to drink as much alcohol as was possible, and ended up stumbling around the apartment, tripping over one of the chairs, and bashing my chin on the corner of the kitchen unit. It promptly started to bleed, and as I lay on the kitchen floor, stunned, the bottle of whatever it was that I took out of the drinks cupboard seized the opportunity and immediately tipped onto its side, spilling its contents all over my face, making the cut on my chin hurt like hell. Then it finished by rolling off the unit and hitting me on the head.
So now, I'm in that weird state of consciousness where you're still asleep, but sort of awake at the same time. I can hear things going on around me, I hear the clock beep to signal it's nine and I should be getting up. Then I hear the bedroom door creak open, and heavy footsteps walking about.
"Trunks, get the hell up and stop being a damn stupid bastard."
That voice... Sounds like Paresu. I opened one eye and confirmed my suspicions. She was standing at the foot of my bed, hands on hips, glaring at me. I closed my eye again.
"Trunks, I'm losing my patience!" she said angrily. Goten must have put her up to this.
"Then fuck off." I grumbled, pulling the duvet over my head. It was promptly pulled back off me again.
"Charming." I made a grab for the duvet, but being so stupid with sleep had slowed down my reaction time considerably. My chin stung, my head ached inside and out. I wasn't in the mood for being snapped out of my depression. I wanted to stay depressed, actually. It was easier, that way. But, not wanting to incur Paresu's wrath, I showed willing by lifting my head off the pillow and opening my eyes. She winced.
"Jeez. You oughta see yourself, Trunks. Let me go get the first aid kit."
She left, and just as I was settling down to sleep again, Goten came in.
"T, what the hell's up with you?" he asked incredulously. "All this just because Marron hasn't called? You're worse than I was when I broke up with Jen, for Christ's sake!"
I ignored him.
"Look, why the hell don't you just get over it? You have a girlfriend, in case you've forgotten!"
That had done it. That had pissed me off to no end. I opened my eyes again.
"Screw you, Goten," I growled. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Don't you fucking dare tell me to get over it."
He rolled his eyes.
"Well if you can't get over it why don't you just bite the bullet and tell her the damn truth?"
"I was trying," I hissed. "When she stayed over. I was trying to tell her, and then you just had to come and ruin everything. And now she probably knows what I was gonna say, and is either freaked out, pissed off beyond all comprehension, or just plain embarrassed!"
Heh, that shut him up. He stared at me, and I could see the guilt and pity in his eyes. I scowled.
"Fuck off"
He went.
Later, after Paresu had taken care of the cut on my chin, I dared to venture out of bed. I chanced a look in the mirror and had to do a double take. Now I knew why Paresu had winced when I looked at her. My hair looked as though I'd dipped it into a tub of oil, I had ginormous dark circles under my eyes and I was unshaven. But it was my actual eyes that were worst of all. They were red. Where they should have been white, they were red. Not just bloodshot, red. It looked as though I'd not slept in years. Honestly, it scared me.
"Trunks?" I turned, fixing my glare on Goten, who looked at the floor.
"What?"
"Sorry..."
I shrugged, and he carried on.
"You really need to sort yourself out though, T. You look bloody awful."
"I know."
He gestured to the shower and grinned.
"And you really need to get re-acquainted with that," He pointed to the soap. "And that."
"I know." I repeated.
He held up his cell phone. "And you need to call M -Chan and find out what's going on."
I reached for the phone but he pulled it away, raising an eyebrow.
"Shower first. Phone later"
Sometimes I think he's becoming more like his mother every day.
~~~~
After I'd made friends with the soap and water again, I emerged into the kitchen. Goten gave me a lopsided grin.
"That's a damned improvement."
I said nothing; my head still feeling like I'd been on a week long drinking bender, which wasn't too far from the truth. Also, I was still depressed. I think you'll find that being in the shower leaves you alone with your thoughts. So I got the joy of going over the last ten days in my head, every phone call to Marron I made which ended in the machine telling me to leave a message after the tone. Every time I knocked on her apartment door and there was no answer. Every time I phoned her work and they said she was busy. And then, that moment five days ago when I gave up trying to get in contact with her and just sat there in my room, just a bottle of vodka for company.
Goten rolled his eyes.
"Well, you're certainly Mr. Personality today" he sighed. "Phone. It's M- Chan. Maybe she can snap you out of this stupid mood you seem to be in."
He pushed it towards me and I stared at it for a moment, my hand hovering over it. Then I took my hand away. Goten glared at me and I reached for it again. Then I took my hand away.
"Oh here!" Paresu slapped the phone into my hand and walked over to the cooker to get some toast.
For a moment, I stared at the phone, horrified. Then something yelled at me to stop being so stupid and I put the phone to my ear. I could hear Marron on the other end, humming along with something on the radio.
"Hello?" My voice sounded like I'd swallowed a bucket of gravel.
"Is that you, Trunks?"
"Yeah. Where've you been? It's like you disappeared from the face of the planet. I tried your work, home, everything. Did I do something wrong?" I winced. I was starting to sound like some pathetic, lovestruck moron.
She went quiet for a second. "Trunks...I know what you were trying to tell me."
I froze, and I'm sure all the colour drained from my face, because Goten gave me a weird look, and Paresu looked sympathetic.
"When?" I asked, trying to sound light hearted.
"You know when. I'm sorry for ignoring your calls, T. I just...I kinda freaked out for a while. I mean, I really didn't know how to react. I needed to be on my own, try to sort myself out."
"I see."
"It just took me a while to realise how stupid I was being. And now that I think about it, I kinda like the idea!"
When she said that, it didn't really register for a few seconds. But when it did, my heart didn't just leap, it did somersaults. For a moment I forgot to breathe, which was probably why I sounded so weird when I said:
"Really?"
Marron started laughing, and even though I couldn't see her, I just knew she was shaking her head in amusement.
"Yeah! I mean, at first it was weird, I didn't think you could be serious. I mean, saying you're in love is a really serious thing to say. And it all seemed so sudden."
Sudden? Well, I suppose it must have been, really. After all, I hadn't exactly dropped any hints.
"I told Aya, that's why she's been calling you"
Aya? I haven't answered any of her calls.
"You've told her?"
"Yeah, I couldn't keep it to myself!"
"And what did she say?" I was confused now.
"She was a bit taken aback at first, cause she thought you just thought of her as a good lay. But once I told her what you told me...I've never seen her so happy! I know you're embarrassed, but you've got to talk to her sometime!"
"Wha?" I was totally bewildered now.
"Come on, T, stop acting so clueless! I know you love Aya!" She paused. "That's why I was so upset, I thought you were gonna forget about me. But then I remembered what you said. You said no one could take you away from me. Not even Aya. And anyway, I've talked to Pan and she says I've gotta start growing up. She's right, you know! I can't stay so dependent on you all the time. You've got your own life to worry about."
I said nothing. I couldn't believe what was happening. How in the hell was I gonna tell her the truth now?
~~~~
A/N: Well, what now? Poor Trunksie, seems like he's getting in over his head! How's he gonna get out of this one? Well, I don't know, to tell you the truth. *grins* Anyway, as always, remember to review, and I'll see you soon for chappie 9!
Aerith
Warnings: Some very bad words.
Chapter 8: 'Wha?'
September 14th
It's been ten days since I last saw Marron. Ten days. Ten whole days. Two hundred and forty hours. Fourteen thousand and four hundred minutes. God knows how many seconds. She hasn't called me. She must have guessed what I was gonna say. That's why she hasn't called. Because she knew that I was gonna tell her I loved her and now she's all freaked out and doesn't want to speak to me because I'm a bastard and I've lied to her for four years.
For these past ten days I've slowly degenerated from being Trunks Briefs, Vice President of Capsule Corporation and Safe Male extraordinaire, into Trunks Briefs, Vice President of Capsule Corporation and scruffy, depressed alcoholic. Shows what an effect not being with her has on me.
Last night was the worst though. Goten was at Paresu's so I took the opportunity to drink as much alcohol as was possible, and ended up stumbling around the apartment, tripping over one of the chairs, and bashing my chin on the corner of the kitchen unit. It promptly started to bleed, and as I lay on the kitchen floor, stunned, the bottle of whatever it was that I took out of the drinks cupboard seized the opportunity and immediately tipped onto its side, spilling its contents all over my face, making the cut on my chin hurt like hell. Then it finished by rolling off the unit and hitting me on the head.
So now, I'm in that weird state of consciousness where you're still asleep, but sort of awake at the same time. I can hear things going on around me, I hear the clock beep to signal it's nine and I should be getting up. Then I hear the bedroom door creak open, and heavy footsteps walking about.
"Trunks, get the hell up and stop being a damn stupid bastard."
That voice... Sounds like Paresu. I opened one eye and confirmed my suspicions. She was standing at the foot of my bed, hands on hips, glaring at me. I closed my eye again.
"Trunks, I'm losing my patience!" she said angrily. Goten must have put her up to this.
"Then fuck off." I grumbled, pulling the duvet over my head. It was promptly pulled back off me again.
"Charming." I made a grab for the duvet, but being so stupid with sleep had slowed down my reaction time considerably. My chin stung, my head ached inside and out. I wasn't in the mood for being snapped out of my depression. I wanted to stay depressed, actually. It was easier, that way. But, not wanting to incur Paresu's wrath, I showed willing by lifting my head off the pillow and opening my eyes. She winced.
"Jeez. You oughta see yourself, Trunks. Let me go get the first aid kit."
She left, and just as I was settling down to sleep again, Goten came in.
"T, what the hell's up with you?" he asked incredulously. "All this just because Marron hasn't called? You're worse than I was when I broke up with Jen, for Christ's sake!"
I ignored him.
"Look, why the hell don't you just get over it? You have a girlfriend, in case you've forgotten!"
That had done it. That had pissed me off to no end. I opened my eyes again.
"Screw you, Goten," I growled. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about. Don't you fucking dare tell me to get over it."
He rolled his eyes.
"Well if you can't get over it why don't you just bite the bullet and tell her the damn truth?"
"I was trying," I hissed. "When she stayed over. I was trying to tell her, and then you just had to come and ruin everything. And now she probably knows what I was gonna say, and is either freaked out, pissed off beyond all comprehension, or just plain embarrassed!"
Heh, that shut him up. He stared at me, and I could see the guilt and pity in his eyes. I scowled.
"Fuck off"
He went.
Later, after Paresu had taken care of the cut on my chin, I dared to venture out of bed. I chanced a look in the mirror and had to do a double take. Now I knew why Paresu had winced when I looked at her. My hair looked as though I'd dipped it into a tub of oil, I had ginormous dark circles under my eyes and I was unshaven. But it was my actual eyes that were worst of all. They were red. Where they should have been white, they were red. Not just bloodshot, red. It looked as though I'd not slept in years. Honestly, it scared me.
"Trunks?" I turned, fixing my glare on Goten, who looked at the floor.
"What?"
"Sorry..."
I shrugged, and he carried on.
"You really need to sort yourself out though, T. You look bloody awful."
"I know."
He gestured to the shower and grinned.
"And you really need to get re-acquainted with that," He pointed to the soap. "And that."
"I know." I repeated.
He held up his cell phone. "And you need to call M -Chan and find out what's going on."
I reached for the phone but he pulled it away, raising an eyebrow.
"Shower first. Phone later"
Sometimes I think he's becoming more like his mother every day.
~~~~
After I'd made friends with the soap and water again, I emerged into the kitchen. Goten gave me a lopsided grin.
"That's a damned improvement."
I said nothing; my head still feeling like I'd been on a week long drinking bender, which wasn't too far from the truth. Also, I was still depressed. I think you'll find that being in the shower leaves you alone with your thoughts. So I got the joy of going over the last ten days in my head, every phone call to Marron I made which ended in the machine telling me to leave a message after the tone. Every time I knocked on her apartment door and there was no answer. Every time I phoned her work and they said she was busy. And then, that moment five days ago when I gave up trying to get in contact with her and just sat there in my room, just a bottle of vodka for company.
Goten rolled his eyes.
"Well, you're certainly Mr. Personality today" he sighed. "Phone. It's M- Chan. Maybe she can snap you out of this stupid mood you seem to be in."
He pushed it towards me and I stared at it for a moment, my hand hovering over it. Then I took my hand away. Goten glared at me and I reached for it again. Then I took my hand away.
"Oh here!" Paresu slapped the phone into my hand and walked over to the cooker to get some toast.
For a moment, I stared at the phone, horrified. Then something yelled at me to stop being so stupid and I put the phone to my ear. I could hear Marron on the other end, humming along with something on the radio.
"Hello?" My voice sounded like I'd swallowed a bucket of gravel.
"Is that you, Trunks?"
"Yeah. Where've you been? It's like you disappeared from the face of the planet. I tried your work, home, everything. Did I do something wrong?" I winced. I was starting to sound like some pathetic, lovestruck moron.
She went quiet for a second. "Trunks...I know what you were trying to tell me."
I froze, and I'm sure all the colour drained from my face, because Goten gave me a weird look, and Paresu looked sympathetic.
"When?" I asked, trying to sound light hearted.
"You know when. I'm sorry for ignoring your calls, T. I just...I kinda freaked out for a while. I mean, I really didn't know how to react. I needed to be on my own, try to sort myself out."
"I see."
"It just took me a while to realise how stupid I was being. And now that I think about it, I kinda like the idea!"
When she said that, it didn't really register for a few seconds. But when it did, my heart didn't just leap, it did somersaults. For a moment I forgot to breathe, which was probably why I sounded so weird when I said:
"Really?"
Marron started laughing, and even though I couldn't see her, I just knew she was shaking her head in amusement.
"Yeah! I mean, at first it was weird, I didn't think you could be serious. I mean, saying you're in love is a really serious thing to say. And it all seemed so sudden."
Sudden? Well, I suppose it must have been, really. After all, I hadn't exactly dropped any hints.
"I told Aya, that's why she's been calling you"
Aya? I haven't answered any of her calls.
"You've told her?"
"Yeah, I couldn't keep it to myself!"
"And what did she say?" I was confused now.
"She was a bit taken aback at first, cause she thought you just thought of her as a good lay. But once I told her what you told me...I've never seen her so happy! I know you're embarrassed, but you've got to talk to her sometime!"
"Wha?" I was totally bewildered now.
"Come on, T, stop acting so clueless! I know you love Aya!" She paused. "That's why I was so upset, I thought you were gonna forget about me. But then I remembered what you said. You said no one could take you away from me. Not even Aya. And anyway, I've talked to Pan and she says I've gotta start growing up. She's right, you know! I can't stay so dependent on you all the time. You've got your own life to worry about."
I said nothing. I couldn't believe what was happening. How in the hell was I gonna tell her the truth now?
~~~~
A/N: Well, what now? Poor Trunksie, seems like he's getting in over his head! How's he gonna get out of this one? Well, I don't know, to tell you the truth. *grins* Anyway, as always, remember to review, and I'll see you soon for chappie 9!
Aerith