Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z.

Explanation: Sorry, various circumstances (including but not limited to the release of the seventh Harry Potter book) have prevented me from doing anything with Chapter 2 for longer than I would have liked. The time between Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 (last chapter!) should be much shorter.

Chapter 2

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So Goten pushed the awkwardness of hypnotizing Trunks out of his mind and was able to relax and enjoy the company of his new boyfriend for the next week. By his estimation, the love potion would wear off about thirty days after he gave it to Trunks (presuming that the potion lasts a moon instead of from the fourteenth to the fourteenth).

Goten was constantly able to come up with things to do; he had been dreaming of this opportunity for years and, having presented itself, he could not help but take full advantage. They went to the park, had picnics, went canoeing, kissed under the stars, hiked, swam, and sometimes read to each other.

And yet whatever they did, however enjoyable it was, it was now hindered by the dull ache of knowing that it must come to an end, and soon. He tried to wave off this sensation, calling it silly -- but it was hard to know that in a short time, getting shorter by the second, the spell would be broken, and Trunks would no longer be infatuated with him.

And at some point, either at the end of February or the beginning of March, Goten woke up alone after having the same dream that occurred to him the night he gave Trunks the potion. It was then he realized that when Trunks came out of his trance, it would not be an unfortunate end to their romantic relationship. It would be an unfortunate end to their entire relationship. He was sure that, when the spell was broken, Trunks would want nothing more to do with Goten, and, well, perhaps that was fair.

He was not sure he could bear it though.

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"Good morning, Goten," Trunks said softly, smiling as the sunlight leaked through the Venetian blinds, having woken up minutes after Goten. Eleven days, eleven days crept through Goten's mind, and since the day he woke up alone and realized that he had precious little time left with Trunks, he resolved to sleep next to him every night until he no longer could.

"Morning," replied Goten, returning the smile as best he could.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I was thinking of going downtown and getting something."

"Great, when?" Trunks asked, throwing off the covers and getting up.

"Well, umm... I need to go alone."

"Alone?" Trunks peeked over his shoulder at Goten and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, it's a... surprise," Goten invented quickly.

"Oh," he replied with a quickly widening smile. "Gotcha." And with a peck on Goten's cheek, Trunks stood back up and stretched.

Goten smiled a little sadly. "What'll you do while I'm gone?"

"Actually, today might be a good day to do something I've been meaning to do for a while."

"What's that?" said Goten, sitting up himself.

"I'm gonna come out to Mom and Dad."

Goten gasped. "You what?"

"I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad. I love you, Goten," he said, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. "And I want everyone to know."

"Uh-h," replied Goten dumbly.

"I totally understand if you're not comfortable with telling people yet, sweetheart. But it's burning up in my chest. I have to."

"I... don't think that's such a good idea, honey," he replied awkwardly, having never seriously called Trunks (or anyone) "honey" before.

Trunks cocked an eyebrow, "Sure it is, 'Ten. I know Dad can be a little rough around the edges, but I know Mom's cool with it, she has gay friends. It may take a little getting used to, her son liking guys, or at least one guy," he winked at Goten, "but..."

"Trunks, no, don't. At least, wait for a couple of weeks..."

"Wait?" Trunks smiled at him incredulously. "I've waited for too long, Goten."

And Goten gave up trying to convince him. Trunks kissed Goten, smiled, and left the room. This simply made his mission today all the more important. He would have to track down the gypsy and find more of this magical love potion. He got out of bed, stretched, and got ready for his adventure downtown.

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However, after hours of moving up and down the streets of downtown and pestering passersby, Goten discovered there was little chance of even finding anyone who had been downtown that Valentine's Day, let alone knew about the tent. His chances of finding the gypsy seemed to be shrinking by the minute.

Goten was sure he would find her, he was sure that he and Trunks being together was their destiny. But destiny, Goten laughed darkly to himself, was for people who play with candle wax and Tarot cards.

And then it hit him -- the Wal-Mart cashier had her own booth, too! Perhaps she would know something about her!

He drove quickly to Wal-Mart; the cashier would surely be there. And thankfully, in the last check-out aisle, she was. There were several people in the aisle, and though he tried to cut ahead to talk directly to her, the man in the front, buying a large quantity of TV dinners, complained about him cutting, and Goten resigned himself to the end of the line. After about fifteen minutes, he reached her. "Tina," he saw her name was.

"Listen," he began.
"Where are your items, sir?" Tina asked monotonously.

"I don't have any."

"Well, this line is for paying customers only, next."

Goten quickly grabbed a pack of gum and handed it to her.

"I have to ask you about the Valentine's Day set-up downtown."

She scanned the gum and said, "Twenty-eight cents, what about it?"

"Do you know where the--" he stopped himself from saying gypsy, as he had called her in his head, "woman is who sold the potions and... things?" he asked, handing her a dollar.

"Oh, Shirley?" she responded, giving him change. Goten jumped back a little. Shirley wasn't a very gypsylike name to him. "Yeah, she's there every year. I don't know where she comes from, but she's there every Valentine's Day, right as rain. Lent me some beads and coins and made my hair look like a real gypsy!" she laughed.

Goten smiled back, but then it faded from his face. "But you don't know where she is now?"

She shook her head, "Nah, she won't be back till next year. I expect she leaves so that she doesn't get a barrage of complaints about her crazy drinks and whatchamacallits not working. Listen, do you want a bag for this?" she asked holding up the gum.

Goten shook his head and took it from her, shoving it in his pocket, and left.

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When he returned to Trunks's house that night, Goten found Trunks lying back in bed, watching television. He sat up when Goten came in, beaming and asking "What'd you get me?"

"Hmm?"

"My surprise! What'd you get me?"

"Oh," he replied, reaching absentmindedly into his pockets and producing the gum, throwing it to Trunks.

"A pack of gum?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Goten shrugged and replied, "They can't all be winners." Trunks laughed a little and immediately opened it.

"So, what did your parents say?" Goten asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Hmm?" Trunks replied thickly, through gum.

"Your parents?"

"Oh, I didn't tell them. I could tell you didn't want me to..."

And all at once, Goten broke down, crying into Trunks's chest. Trunks's gum-smacking abruptly stopped as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, and he asked, "What is it, Goten? What's wrong?"
Goten lifted his head and wiped away the tears that stained his cheeks. He then stood up, while Trunks stayed on the bed. "Trunks...," he began.

"What is it?" Trunks asked nervously.

"I did something horrible, and I can't even think of how to tell you."
"Goten, you can tell me."

Goten took a deep breath and wiped away another tear. "Okay," he said, closing his eyes and trembling slightly, before opening them and continuing. "Okay, on Valentine's Day, I went downtown and... and there was this woman there."

Trunks did not interrupt Goten's story with a "go on," he merely looked, waiting for Goten to continue at his own pace.

"And, well, she was selling all these things, and," Goten laughed in spite of himself, "And there was this love potion."

Trunks nodded, requesting Goten to continue.

"And, well, I thought, you know, as a laugh, I'd get some and give it to you. I mean, not as a joke!" Goten added quickly. "I mean, I really like you and...," he took a deep breath, "I really like you. And I hated that you didn't like me the same way. She was a very convincing gypsy," he said, desperately trying to find some way to pass off the blame. "And, well, yeah, I got some and I gave it to you, and, well, ... I think it worked."
Trunks waited for Goten to keep going, but when he did not, he finally spoke. "Goten, trust me. I love you. I do. It's not because of this... potion or whatever. It's you."

And Goten, despite not believing a word of this, had worn out all of his energy in his confession, and merely sat down next to Trunks and nodded, burying his face into Trunks's chest.

And the ten days after that could not be truly enjoyed, as they were taken with the hopelessness one associates with a death sentence.

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End Chapter 2.

To come in Chapter 3: The spell is broken! How will Trunks react? What will Goten do? How will things work out? Oh, the suspense!