The sequel to Lavender and Pink...

Sapphire and Gold

By Toku Tenshi

Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and its characters are not mine, they belong to Akira. No, not THAT Akira.

Chapter 6: Room Warming Gift

Dashi swept the last bit of dirt and plaster into the dust pan and dumped it in the trash. She was standing in one of the newly constructed bedrooms of Capsule Corp acting out her 'punishment'. You see, Bulma didn't know how to treat Dashi, she didn't know what category she should place her, so she fell back on what she knew - parenting. The older woman decided to act as if this Saiya-jin was one of her own, and what do you do when children are disobedient? That's right, you ground them. After lecturing the poor girl for half an hour, Bulma sent her to 'her room', which was an utter mess at the time but had all four walls so she couldn't complain.

Dashi pulled the futon from the hallway and laid it out on the floor. She sat on the mat, exasted. It had taken a good three hours to clean that room and Dashi felt unusually tired. Her stomach gurgled.

Oh yes, and Bulma said she couldn't have dinner that night. "That's just plain mean," the teen grumbled while hugging her legs. The days seemed to be growing colder and Dashi needed new clothes, she still didn't have shoes. "Maybe Bulma can help me get something, like last time." The memory of that shopping trip so long ago brought a smile to the girl's lips but it dropped as she remembered the current citation. "Okay, maybe not like last time..." She fell onto her side, still hugging her legs as a deep sigh escaped her lips.

'Dashi.'

The girl jumped at the whispered voice, looking around for someone. It took only a few moments of searching to realize that the disembodied voice was speaking in her mind. She could have kicked herself for forgetting about the re-bonding that had started only a few hours ago. 'Yeah Trunks? What is it?'

'Is there anyone coming down the hallway?' The familure voice asked.

Dashi got up from her futon and opened the door, looking up and down the empty hall. 'No,' she replied while closing the door again. She heard a sliding sound and felt the cold night air on her back almost immediately. Dashi turned around in time to see Trunks closing the window he had just entered through. The saiya-jins smiled at one another and stood still for a few seconds. "Trunks," Dashi spoke in hushed tones, "What are you doing in here?"

"I'm sneaking you some food," He answered while fishing in his pocket. "Mom can be really strict sometimes and she really has no right to punish you. She's not your mother." The situation that would cause Bulma to become Dashi's mother shot through the girls head and she blushed deeply. "Found it!" Trunks declared and looked up with a closed fist. "It's a good thing I brought you food, you seem a bit flushed, Dashi." The girl's cheeks burned deeper and she shook her head.

"N-no, I'm fine." She insisted. "What's that thing?" Dashi moved closer and peered at the small tube-like object in Trunks's hand.

"It's a capsule, haven't you seen these before?" When Dashi shook her head, Trunks simply demonstrated the objects purpose by clicking the top and giving the tube a gentle toss. When the smoke and giant BOM, no, I kid. cleared, in the capsule's place sat a basket. Trunks picked it up and handed it over to the girl. "Its just water, bread, and some fruit- not really a lot but it should be enough for tonight." The boy turned around and opened the window again.

"Wait!" Dashi grabbed Trunks's sleeve and he turned to face her. The girl blushed slightly, feeling slightly foolish. "Would you... like to eat with me?" Trunks looked at her for a bit but soon smiled and closed the window.

"I'll have a little, I already had dinner after all and I don't want to take your food." Trunks followed Dashi to the futon where they both sat.

Dashi opened the basket. "But isn't this technicly your food?" She removed the 1 liter of water and two cups. She stopped and looked at her peer. "You were planning on this, weren't you?"

Trunks gave a sly smile. "Maybe just alittle" The teenagers ate and chatted about nothing in particular for quite a while, just enjoying eachother's company and basking in their presance.

Dashi gave out a quiet yawn which she tried to hide behind her hand. 'Why am I so tired...?'she asked herself while blinking off sleep.

'Jet-lag maybe?' Trunks remarked to the thought Dashi forgot wasn't her own.

"Jet-what?" Dashi asked out loud.

"Never mind," was the answer as Trunks started to clean up. Once everything was packed up, he started to rise but once again Dashi caught his arm.

"Don't go yet, you make the room warmer than it is. Please stay until I fall asleep," Dashi pleaded. Trunks then noticed how cold the girl's hand was and assumed the rest of her body was the same. He marked it as strange since he didn't feel the slightest chill in the room.

He didn't answer, he just sat back down and placed an arm around Dashi, rubbing her arm to warm her up some. With his foot, he brought the blanket closer and draped it over the two of them with his free hand. "Dashi?"

"Mmm?" Dashi snuggled her head on Trunks's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"I was, um, thinking about... things, and I realised that we never discussed our... feelings for each other." Trunks cleared his throat which seemed to have grown smaller somewhere in the last sentence. "Now, I don't know how you feel about me, but what I do know is, Dashi, I-" he turned his head to face the girl, a heavy blush resting on his cheeks. His face faltered, however, once he noticed that Dashi was sleeping. He laughed quietly to himself. 'Of course, once I get the courage to actually talk to Dashi about this, she falls asleep on me.'

He sifted around and lay the sleeping teen correctly on the futon, readjusting the blanket to cover her and tucked her in slightly to make the most of the covering. Trunks positioned himself on the floor near Dashi's head and gently brushed the pink hair from her closed lids. He watched her sleep for a moment, the rhythmic breathing calming him and giving him courage to speak to Dashi, even if she was asleep and couldn't hear him. "I've been thinking about us, Dashi. I realized that we've never mentioned our feelings to each other, never defined our relationship, but I know what I think of it..." He paused and ran his fingers through her soft bangs, as if the contact gave him the energy to continue. "Dashi, I love you," He whispered in her ear, hoping it would sink into her self-conscious and stir her awake to reply, but no such luck. Trunks rested his forehead on her's for a moment and closed his eyes. Feeling bolder by the action, Trunks sifted his head and kissed Dashi softly on the lips. He pulled away after a moment and wondered why he never had the courage to do that while she was awake.

He stood up quietly and opened the bedroom door, deciding it was better to let in a little light then more cold air, and walked into the hall. Trunks turned around to close the door behind him when he noticed, thanks to the hall light, what appeared to be a smile on Dashi's sleeping face. 'Maybe my message did get through...' he thought and shut the door quietly as to not wake his sleeping Beauty.

end chap

SA: Man, it's a good week for story updating. I'm just ignoring the fact that it is now midnight and I have school in seven or so hours. ;

I would go put this up now, but the pc with internet (I use my 10-year-old laptop to type, not good for much else I'm sorry baby, I didn't mean to be cruel, please don't crash) is shut down. I'll upload before school then.

Seacrest out!