Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z or any of its characters. Impressed? Thought so.
For the curious, by the way (I meant to put this in chapter 8), there will be three parts total.
Also, despite having written it, I won't be releasing Chapter 13 for a little while, sort of like a difference in seasons of a TV show (although not quite so long).
Also, for the curious, I don't name the chapters in this particular story because I don't want anything to be spoiled for you, and chances are, without thinking, I would name a chapter "Trunks breaks up with Marron" or "Goten jerks it in Trunks's clothes."
Anyway, enjoy your very special Valentine's Day present!
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Fuck Valentine's Day.
What the hell kind of day is this? All it does is alienate singles. If you're in a fucking relationship why do you need a specific day for someone to tell you to do something nice for your boyfriend or girlfriend?
Surrounded by gross candy hearts with stupid sayings on them and cheesy boxes full of chocolate.
And flowers! Who the hell thought that up? I love you, so I'm going to rip some plants out of the ground and give them to you! How neanderthal! You'd think some shit we'd grow out of.
As I walk down the sidewalk on this horribly cold February 14, everyone around me is a couple. Well, except for Trunks, and me. But Trunks has some "secret crush" or some shit. Fuck her. What's she have that I don't? I don't even know who it is and I'm jealous of her. If that's not sad.
Pan and Haku are a couple now. Haku told me all about him sending her a balloon basket full of pink and red chocolate candies, and Pan told me all about her sending him a box shaped like a star because "hearts are so cliché." Real clever, Pan. Like I want to hear about your stupid romantic adventures anyway. I don't think people understand that I don't want to hear that shit.
Well, part of me does. Dammit.
I actually like hearing about all the romantic things, usually. But now I just think about how romantic I would be with Trunks. How romantic I would be to him, how romantic he would be to me. It doesn't work like that, though.
But still, fuck Valentine's Day. Even Marron got another boyfriend, and that was twelve days ago that she and Trunks broke up. Guess she wasn't too shaken up about it after all.
It feels like everyone else in the world, well, besides Trunks also, is in a relationship. And is happy. And, well...
Sigh.
Fuck Valentine's Day.
I walk into the building that contains the book store, my mail box, and a shoot-'em-up video game. That video game sounds pretty tempting right about now, but I'll go ahead and check my mail first.
I look in my box and pull out four slips of paper.
The first says, "Come to the Science Meeting on ...," I crumple it up and toss it in the nearby trash can.
The second says, "Two large pizzas for only $7.99 each...," I do the same.
The third says, "Package pick-up. Please come to the front desk to receive your package." I put this one in my pocket.
The fourth says, "Please join...," I trash it without reading further.
I go to the front desk and show the old man working there the slip.
"All right, ... Son... Goten..., ah, here we are," he announces, pulling out a bouquet ofa dozenred roses with a note attached. "Got yourself a girlfriend, do ya?"
"Ha, no..., I have no idea who these are from," I reply with an expression of awe on my face.
"Aww, isn't that sweet."
I smile, nod, say, "Thank you," and immediately walk back to my dorm.
When I arrive I take the bouquet and smell it gently, smiling.
"How sweet. I wonder who they could be from. Oh yeah, the note!"
I unpin the sky blue note and read it.
"Every time I see you my heart begins to flutter.
The birds begin to sing and the angels to take wing.
I hate to keep it from you, how much I truly love you,
But for the love you bring, I would do most anything.
- Your Secret Admirer."
Wow, cheesy and cliché as hell, but it really feels like some kind of effort went into this. Does someone really feel that way about me? I hate that. The only person for whom I could even conceive of reciprocating the love expressed in the letter is...
My eyes widen as I glance over the sky blue stationery again and noticea pair oflight gray C's in the corner.
I knew I recognized this stationery.
It's from the Capsule Corporation. It's not sold and it's only used within the building.
The roses, and the note. They came from Trunks.
His secret crush... is me.
He... I...
I lie back on the bed with my eyes closed.
He... he loves me.
I love him and he loves me.
And...
I'm so dizzy I can't sit up if I want to. It's all happening so fast.
It's happening.
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I lie in bed for a long time before my cellphone rings. Barely awake, I reach over and grab it, and when I open my eyes, holding the phone immediately over me, the first thing I see is Trunks.
I don't want to sound like I'm just waking up, so I sit up, clear my throat, and answer the phone in my smoothest possible voice, "Hello?"
"Hey, 'Ten! What's up?"
"Not much, you?"
"Oh, me neither. Hey, listen, tonight me and a bunch of other singles and stuff are going to have a 'Fuck Valentine's Day' party kinda thing. You wanna come?"
"Yes! Absolutely."
"Great! See you at eight."
"All right, see you then."
I hold the phone over my face again and when Trunks's face disappears, "7:24 PM" appears in its place.
"Shit! What am I going to wear?" I say aloud, bolting up and noticing that Yamato was in the room the entire time, in his standard eyes-closed iPod position. He doesn't even seem to notice.
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I arrive at the party, held at Trunks's suite, and see about a dozen other people, only three of whom I recognize, enjoying alcohol and a video game.
Trunks comes up and greets me, "Hey, Goten."
"Hey," I reply sexily, finding an excuse to rest my hand on his shoulder briefly. He doesn't pick up on it.
"There's drinks in the fridge. Help yourself," he says, walking away, allowing my hand to fall limply to my side.
I get one and sip on it for a while but don't get any sort of a buzz. I only play one round of the video game but it's very complicated and I don't feel like learning it right now. I just want to tell Trunks that I love him, too. That it's going to be all right. That we'll be happy together forever.
Throughout the night, I try to pick up on any hidden signals that Trunks gives me. Whenever he looks my way, I wink at him and he smiles.
At one point, he says, loud enough for the whole party to hear, "Goten's an amazing swimmer." I blush so hard you could fry an egg on my face.
I love Valentine's Day.
One by one, people eventually begin leaving, the first at 9:30, but the second not until 11:15. By 11:40, everyone but me, Trunks, and two others are gone, and the two others leave at around 11:52.
As usual, I'm on the couch and Trunks is on the other couch.
This time, however, I get up and sit next to him.
"Well, Goten, this was a pretty fun night, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," I say, in the same low voice I've been trying to maintain all night.
"How was your day otherwise?"
"Oh, it was okay. I got a nice package in the mail from a 'secret admirer.'"
"Aww, that's sweet." You sly dog, Trunks. "I didn't get anything,"
"Oh, I'm sorry,"
"That's okay," he whispers. "Not your fault."
It feels like it is, though, Trunks. You got me something, so I should've gotten you something.
Wait..., of course.
"Besides," he continues, "I don't think I would've gotten what I really wanted anyw--"
I stop his lips with a kiss.
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End Part II.