Platonic

1

It had been years since the last time he came here, and Trunks felt guilty that he hadn't been visiting Gohan and his family much anymore. Growing up, Gohan had been like a big brother to him, and he had always looked up to the older half-Saiyan. He used to be jealous of Goten for having such a great older brother, and while later on, he did get a sibling of his own, having a little sister wasn't the same – and Bra was a pain in the ass most of the time anyway.

Gohan welcomed him with a warm smile and a big hug. "It's been too long, Trunks," he said, pulling back. He grinned and ruffled his lilac hair, making the younger man blush slightly. "Look at you, all big and grown-up. What happened to the little runt who would always fail to pull pranks on me?"

"I didn't always fail, and I'll have you know that it's really hard to trick a Saiyan. Good ol' Yamcha always fell for it, though. I love that guy."

They laughed as Gohan led him to the living room. Trunks looked around the place with a melancholic smile. Still so full of shelves and stacked with books on every wall. Trunks always felt like he was in a library when he visited Gohan – the only thing missing was an old and strict-looking lady who would go "Shhhh" every time someone opened their mouth.

They sat together on the sofa. "So," Gohan started, "any reason for your visit, or did you finally remember where I lived?"

"Ha, ha, so funny," Trunks said blankly, rolling his eyes. "But since you're asking, I'm planning a surprise party for Goten, and I thought you might want to be there."

"A surprise party? But his birthday isn't for another two months."

"Not for his birthday. As you know, he and Marron finally got together – about fucking time, too. They've been pining for each other for, like, two decades or something. I think a big party is called for."

Gohan threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Indeed! Took them long enough, huh?

"Tell me about it. I was starting to think I would never live to see this day."

Gohan chuckled, shaking his head. "I hear you." He got up then and offered, "Would you like something to drink? Or a snack? I think we might have some cookies and biscuits left."

"Sounds good," Trunks grinned, never one to refuse a snack.

"With milk, then?" Gohan called from over his shoulder on his way to the kitchen.

"Do you even have to ask?" Trunks laughed with his friend, who then disappeared into the other room to prepare the snacks.

He leaned back on the sofa and made himself comfortable as he waited, looking around the living room distractedly. This house was much, much smaller than the extravagant one that Mr. Satan gave them as a wedding present all those years ago. Gohan had waited to afford something nice on his own and bought his family a small and cozy home out in the mountains, now living much closer to his parents'. It was so him, to do something like that – Gohan couldn't ever have stayed in the city very long, no matter how much more convenient living in a metropolis could be. He loved simplicity, and Trunks figured that his friend didn't really like relying on others to advance in life either, even if it had been a gift from his father-in-law.

It still baffled him that they didn't own a TV. The radio was always on in the background, and Trunks supposed they preferred to rely on it to follow the news. Well, nowadays you could find anything to watch online anyway, so the young man thought that it probably didn't matter. Still, a living area felt off without a television. Where was the furniture supposed to point to without one?

Gohan and Videl answered the question with a simple and elegant fireplace. Trunks got up from the sofa and walked over to it, picking up a frame from the mantlepiece. A wishful smile tugged at his lips at the photo. It was about fifteen years ago, some time after the twenty-eighth world tournament where Goku had left with Uub. Gohan's father had come for a visit, and he was hugging his two sons, Pan, Videl and Chichi all at once. Everyone looked happy, Goten and Gohan looked slightly embarrassed too, Videl was downright cracking up, little Pan was all starry-eyed at her grampa's return, and Chichi was tearing up with a big grin stretching on her lips.

Trunks put the frame back on the mantelpiece and picked up another one. This one was even older. Gohan and Videl weren't even twenty years old in there, and Goten, Marron and himself were also posing for the shot, the three of them each holding up a huge fish with big, proud grins lighting up their faces, and Gohan was helping Marron with hers. Trunks tilted his head, trying to remember that day. Gosh, it was so long ago… They'd obviously been fishing, but they would do that all the time back then. He narrowed his eyes at the photo, noticing the tents and the wildfire in the background. So they'd been camping… It wasn't helping him narrow that memory – they'd gone camping together countless times when he was a kid.

"Oh, hey, I remember that," Gohan commented, coming up from behind him. "Videl and I took you guys camping. Marron had tripped and wouldn't stop crying, and it was only when Videl suggested we all go fish for dinner that she calmed down. See?" He pointed at Marron's legs on the photo. "She'd scratched her knees. The poor thing."

There were, indeed, two band-aids on her little knees. Trunks' eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, I remember now! We had a blast. And Videl's ghost stories were terrifying. Geez, I remember I had nightmares that night…"

Gohan snorted laughing into his hand. "Oh, man, I remember! You kids were screaming like a serial killer was after you. Gosh, Videl's stories are the best."

"Pretty sure she made Marron cry too. Geez, not such a fun day for little Marron, was it?"

"I'm not sure she remembers it. She was only six or seven here."

Trunks placed the photo back on the chimney and looked at one of the two other frames left. The first was Gohan and Videl's wedding photo. They were both glowing with happiness, so young and beautiful. Trunks smiled fondly.

"Videl's so beautiful here… You know," he said, glancing at Gohan with a sheepish smile and a faint blush. "I used to have a major crush on her. Pretty sure Goten did too. She was just so pretty, and badass as fuck."

Gohan chuckled, his cheeks pigmenting with red. "Can't blame you for that. I happened to have a major crush on her too, back then."

Trunks snickered, and Gohan grinned wide, mirth dancing in his onyx eyes.

"Can't believe you guys have been married for so many years," the younger man said, his voice lowering to a whisper as he looked at the picture, and what it implicated, in awe. "How long has it been now?"

"Twenty-one years," Gohan replied without missing a beat, beaming in joy as he gazed upon his gorgeous bride. "The most wonderful years of my life."

Trunks sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Man, you are so lucky. How did you manage to find 'the one' on your first try? I'm jealous."

"Aww, don't be like that." Gohan patted his back and beamed at him. "You'll find your Videl when you least expect it, you'll see."

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. Not everybody gets as lucky as you, Gohan. I mean, seriously, man – on your first try?"

"Oh, believe me, I know. I thank my lucky star every day for having sent Videl my way. I don't even want to think what my life would be like without her."

"Lucky bastard," Trunks muttered half-jokingly, turning his attention to the last photo on the mantelpiece.

This one was much more recent. It was Pan, posing in a beautiful, strapless turquoise gown, right before going to her high school prom.

His throat tightened. "Wow…"

"She's growing up too fast, that one," Gohan murmured with a loving smile. "I can't believe she's old enough to be living on her own now… At least we still have Mark and Mika, for now anyway. At the rate these two are growing, they're going to be out in college in no time too."

"How old are they now?" Trunks asked distractedly, feeling like he was on autopilot mode. He just couldn't take his eyes off the picture of Pan. She was so… enchanting. She looked so much like her mother, with a little bit of Chichi too.

She was just… stunning.

"Mark's nine and Mika's seven." Gohan walked over to the living room table and picked up the frame on it; photos were everywhere in this home. He sat on the sofa and sighed fondly as he looked at the recent picture of his little family. Videl, Pan, Mark, Mika, and him… "They're growing up so fast. It feels like just yesterday I was bringing Mika out of the delivery room to show her to everyone…"

Trunks finally tore his eyes off the photo of Pan. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and joined Gohan in the sitting area. He grabbed a cookie from the tray on the living room table as he sat down beside his friend.

He looked at the picture Gohan was holding. Mark looked a lot like Gohan, but he had curly black hair, blue eyes and a darker complexion, not unlike his grandfather from his mother's side. Mika had the most adorable smile. She had brown hair, which Trunks knew she took after Videl's late mother, and she was wearing it into pigtails in the photo. She looked like Chichi, had blue eyes and fair skin like Videl, and from what he remembered of the little girl, she was somehow both girly and boyish at the same time.

"You make cute kids."

"We do, don't we?" the family man replied, his eyes softening. "I love them to death." He turned to his friend and put an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "You'll have that too, Trunks. I know you will. You'll find your perfect woman, and you'll start a family of your own, too. You'll see."

The younger man nodded his head, munching on the cookie distractedly; his attention was drawn by Gohan and Videl's eldest daughter. This photo wasn't even a year old, and it showed. Pan looked older and more mature than in the picture of her prom night. She was growing into such a beautiful young woman… Trunks couldn't believe this really was the little tomboy who would always light up at the prospect of a good fight, that this… woman was actually the kid who was happiest when covered in dirt and full of bruises.

"Yeah… Maybe…" he replied with a sigh, running a hand through his fine lilac locks as he looked away from the image of his unrecognizable childhood friend. Had it really been that long since he'd last seen her? How could she turn into this… entrancing creature, in just a few years?

The front door opened, and Gohan's face lit up as his wife walked in, holding Mark and Mika in either hand. He leaped over the couch, crouched down and opened his arms, inviting his eager kids to jump into them – which they did with squeals of glee. Trunks looked on, his eyes softening, as Gohan straightened up, Mark and Mika in each arm, and leaned down to kiss his wife's cheek.

His heart tightened. He wanted that too. He wished he had someone who would look at him the way Videl looked at Gohan, that he had a loving family to come home to. At thirty-four years old, Trunks was well over his first try at looking for"the one" and he was nowhere near close to coming upon her, whoever and wherever she was. If she even existed.

"Hey, Videl, hey, kids. Long time no see," he said, standing up to greet them properly.

"Is that Trunks?" A voice he barely recognized asked. The young woman peeked inside from the half-open door and perked up. She walked in and came up behind her mother, carrying a bag of groceries. She put it down as their gazes locked.

Trunks lost his breath. She was even more beautiful than in photos. Her pitch black eyes twinkled like a starlit sky, creating a captivating contrast with her creamy complexion. She'd let her hair grow, her long raven tendrils now reaching down to her elbows, and she was wearing a white V-neck t-shirt tucked in a denim skirt, along with black tennis shoes. Her simple outfit flattered her curvy figure and offered him the sight of her amazing legs. His chest burned with something he couldn't quite place.

Her face broke into a grin. Pan ran past her family and all but jumped into his arms. "Trunks! It's been so long! I've missed you!"

He was frozen on the spot. Her scent, her warmth, her overwhelming presence – it all crashed onto him, burying him under a pile of rubble. He swallowed.

What the hell…?

Why was he so irreversibly attracted to Gohan's daughter? She was only twenty! She was barely out of her teenage years – and he was fourteen years older than her, for god's sake!

She pulled back, her bright smile making his chest ache. "You haven't changed one bit. Are you going to look forever twenty-five?" she joked.

He chuckled and blushed and didn't know what to do with himself. Forget twenty-five, forget his actual age – he felt like a fucking sixteen-year-old right now. His heart was racing like it never had before, his face felt like it had burst into flames, his throat was dry as the desert, and he kept wiping his sweaty hands on his pants every now and again. Man, he felt so damn nervous. What was happening to him?

What was Pan doing to him?

"Tell me about it, Gohan looks so much younger than me and we're the same age!" Videl complained, while her husband let their children down. Mark and Mika immediately ran outside to play. She sighed tiredly, massaging her neck. "Ah, look at them go. Hopefully they tire themselves out…"

Glancing at Gohan, Trunks couldn't help the smile forming on his lips at the glazed over look on his face. With the way he was looking at his wife – his flushed face, his parted lips, and his enamored eyes – you would think he was seeing her for the first time and falling in love with her all over again.

She noticed her husband staring at her and her cheeks turned red. Videl looked away and pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Stop looking at me like that – we're not alone."

"Huh? What?" Gohan blinked several times. He looked like he was just coming out of a daze and didn't seem like he had any idea of what was going on. He tilted his head and scratched his hair. "What'd I do?"

Pan stifled her laughter into her hand. "Geez, you two. You never change, do you?" She gave Trunks an amused look and let out a dramatic sigh while raising her hands, her palms upwards. "I swear, my parents are hopeless."

He cracked a smile in response. Growing up with parents like Gohan and Videl sure must've been something else. With Bulma and Vegeta as his own, he could only imagine what it had been like for Pan, with folks who acted like teenagers in love and were all mushy and lovey-dovey and just disgustingly cute all the time. With his own parents, there was always a lot of arguing, some civil moments, very, very scarce moments of public show of affection, and the rest of the time they, um… well, let's just say Vegeta and Bulma took their conjugal duties very seriously.

Pan grinned at him and took his hand in both of hers – and his heart all but stopped at the touch, however simple it may be. Trunks felt his skin tingle, and his legs were growing weak as he was once again entranced by her stunning smile.

"Let's go," she said. "We have so much catching up to do – and Mom and Papa need their alone time, too."

Unable to respond in any way, Trunks simply let the beautiful young woman drag him out of the house.

"But, um…" Gohan mumbled, his face turning bright crimson at his daughter's comment.

Videl watched her daughter leave with the blushing young man with a raised eyebrow. "Huh. Interesting."

"Hm? What is?" Gohan asked her, his curiosity piqued. His wife giggled. Gohan blinked. "What? What is it?"

She touched his cheek and gazed at him tenderly. "Oh, Sweetheart, you're so clueless. I love you so much."

Her lips on his distracted him from his confusion. For a few moments. He fluttered his eyes open as Videl pulled back.

"Well, I better start on dinner. Especially if we have another part-Saiyan to feed."

He watched his beautiful wife go to the kitchen, still a little dazed, and then he started jogging after her. "Wait. What is it? What did I miss?"

She gave him a knowing smirk as he followed her into the kitchen. "You'll see soon enough. If I'm right, things could get really interesting pretty soon." She tied her apron behind her back.

"What do you mean?"

Videl giggled. "You're so cute, Gohan." She went to him and kissed his cheek. "Help me peel the potatoes?"

"Uh… Yeah, sure…" he complied, still uncertain. "But…"

"What brought Trunks over, by the way?" she asked, turning on the stove before taking a big pot out of the cabinets and filling it with water. "He hasn't visited in a while."

"Oh, um…" It took Gohan a moment to refocus. "He's planning a surprise party for Goten and Marron."

Videl chuckled, going back to the stove to place the pot on the fire. "That's a great idea. About time those two finally got together."

Gohan cracked a grin, going over to the fridge to grab a net full of potatoes. "Yeah, that's what we said, too."

"Did he say when?" Videl asked, grinning at her handsome husband as she passed him on the way to the fridge, while Gohan went to the counter to start peeling the potatoes.

"Uh, I forgot to ask. Well, we'll ask him at dinner, since he's obviously invited," he added, chuckling in amusement.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Trunks found himself a date for that party? He's not seeing anyone right now, is he?"

"Doesn't seem so, no." Gohan paused peeling and sighed softly. "He's a bit dejected at his lack of luck with women. I hope he finds the right girl soon. He deserves it."

Remember that when things start happening, Videl thought with a mirthful smile. "I've got a feeling he's going to find her soon enough."

Her clueless husband perked up. "Really? What makes you think that?"

She moved to stand beside him at the counter and started cutting vegetables on a wooden board. She shrugged. "Just a feeling. A handsome man like him, and smart and sweet too – I'm sure there's a ton of women after him. He's just got to pick the right one."

"You know, he said he used to have a big crush on you as a kid. Should I be worried?" Gohan joked with a wide grin, nudging her with his elbow. Videl had to stop cutting because she burst out laughing.

ooOoo

It was hard to focus on what she was saying. Trunks found himself getting distracted by her beautiful coal eyes, or her full, cherry lips, or the way the gentle breeze swayed her long raven locks, and how her stray, rebel strands kept untucking from behind her ear, making him itch to reach over and brush them away.

He swallowed. This was bad. Things were going in the wrong direction – he could not be attracted to his best friend's niece. He'd changed her diapers, for Pete's sake! He was way too old for her. This couldn't happen. There was no "this" to happen at all. There was nothing. There couldn't be anything. He was not attracted to Pan – it would be just too wrong.

They were sitting under the shade of a tree, a little ways from Gohan's house with a good view of the kids playing together. Pan had been talking about school and her friends and how much she loved living away from home even though it could be lonely at times and that she did miss her family. She looked flushed as she talked excitedly, and she was moving her hands a lot.

It warmed his heart. She seemed genuinely happy to see him, and Trunks wished he'd been around more often to watch her grow up. And maybe then, the transition from tough, cute tomboy to gorgeous young woman would have been a lot easier for him and wouldn't have left him so stunned.

"I come home all the time though, so sometimes it almost feels like I've never been gone," she continued. Pan blushed slightly and scratched her hair – in a very Son-like manner. She truly was her father's daughter, that one.

Gosh, she's so cute, Trunks couldn't help thinking, trying to convince himself he only meant it in a platonic way.

"Sorry, here I am babbling on and on, you must be bored to death."

"Not at all," Trunks replied with a kind smile. "I like listening to you. It really has been too long, and I've missed you too."

She beamed. He felt like swooning, his eyes glazing over and his lips breaking into a silly smile.

Damn it, why was she so goddamn beautiful? Why couldn't she have stayed the little girl he used to babysit and play with all the time years ago? Pan was really making things hard for him…

"So, what about you?" she asked, a teasing glint in her eye. "Still the most eligible bachelor in the country, Dr. Trunks Briefs?"

He smirked. "Why, are you interested?"

Oh my god, I did not just say that… oh my god Gohan's gonna kill me – that's it, I'm dead. Goodbye world, it's been nice while it lasted.

While these thoughts ran through his head, Pan flushed and looked down at her hands. Her reaction made him pause.

"D-Don't be stupid, I was just… uh… and anyway I have a boyfriend."

Well, of course she did. How could such an enchanting creature still be single?

That was that, then. It wasn't like anything could happen anyway.

It wasn't like he actually wanted something to happen.

Or so Trunks kept telling himself.

I meant this to be a one-shot, but I guess it works better with chapters. I was inspired to write more Pan after the brief scene with her in my recent one-shot Even Fifty Years from Now, and since I like her with Trunks, and my good friend Sailor Saiyan is a huge TxP fan, I figured I'd give the fandom another shot. It's not going to be very long, but honestly, I only have a very vague idea of the plot, so we'll see where the story takes us. Hopefully, you'll be joining me for the ride. And, of course, I had to sprinkle some GhVi goodness in there. Some things can never change lmao. xDD Hope you liked the first chapter – let me know what you think!

May 11, 2018