Lavender Time
Part Eight
That night Mirai told him to meet in his room.
He'd never been in Mirai's room before. The neatness was a surprise. Pale blue sheets were smoothly made across the small bed, and a stack of freshly folded clothes were laid out on the desk. Leaning careful against the bed posts was a beautiful sword sheath, made from worn leather and wood. On the side table was a picture that took Goten by surprise. It must have been taken years ago, and it wore crinkles from being handled too many times. A young Gohan was smiling in it next to Piccolo and Krillin, with Vegeta scowling in the background. Mirai was in the center of the picture looking happy but unsure.
Goten sat on the bed and stared at the picture, memorizing it and trying to figure out every detail. When it was taken, where it was taken, the clothes everyone wore. It served as a good distraction from the fact that he was sitting on Mirai's bed. In Mirai's room.
He would have been more nervous, if Mirai hadn't been clear about the reason for the late night meeting. "We need to come up with a better plan," The older saiyan stated simply, jumping right to the point, "If they really are increasing their attacks there must be a reason behind it. And right now I'm afraid our training won't be enough to counter whatever they have planned."
Goten kicked his legs over the side of the bed and hummed, "Well… we could try the fusion technique…"
Mirai perked, "Fusion?"
"Yeah, my dad taught it to Trunks and I when we were younger. It's a good technique that allows two warriors to fuse into one. Their power is more than multiplied. But…" As soon as the word was uttered he watched Mirai's face all. Goten gave him an apologetic look, "It takes a while to get down perfectly. We learned it in just under two days, but that was intense training and we had to complete most of it in the Time Chamber to buy extra time. Really the whole process took about half a year."
A frustrated groan escaped the older saiyan, "We don't have the time chamber in this world, and we probably don't have a year."
"Then that won't work." The room fell quiet with pensive thought. Mirai's eyes narrowed on the floor as tried to consider every training regimen he had ever gone through. Goten tried to do the same, being careful to consider time. A quick solution was needed, but that was an oxymoron. Gohan always used to say there were no short cuts to training. That was why Vegeta and his father took time every day to train.
Thinking about Vegeta struck a chord in Goten's memory. He nearly jumped off the bed as he yelped, "That's it!"
"What's it?" Mirai's head snapped up at the noise.
"I just remembered," Goten started before shaking his head and starting over, "Okay Okay, so when I just turned thirteen and Trunks turned fourteen your dad took us aside and gave us a...a talk."
"Are you about to explain to tell me the birds and the bees Goten?" Mirai looked amused, "because not only do I think that isn't going to help us I already know…"
"Don't interrupt," Goten laughed, "but yes. Kind of. Vegeta decided we needed the saiyan version of the birds of the bees. The point is that he mentioned something called a Bite Bond, and I think that can help us."
His excitement wasn't contagious as Mirai bit his bottom lip. He sounded cautious when he asked, "Alright, what is it?"
"Apparently saiyan's use to do it all the time. It established a permanent bond between two warriors that boosted each other's speed, power, and communication. From what Vegeta said it sounded like the bond was usually used for … er, lovers." He blushed but pushed past his own embarrassment and continued, "but friends would also initiate the bond to increase each other's chances of survival."
Thinking back on it now, Vegeta might have suspected what would happen to their friendship. He might have been prepping them to take on the bond sometime in their lives with one another.
Mirai nodded but he still looked unconvinced, "It's an idea. "
Goten felt his enthusiasm fall, he wondered if he had done something wrong that would make Mirai not want to bond with him.
As if reading his mind, Mirai sighed and came over to sit on the bed next to the teen, "It's not a bad idea Goten. In fact, it would be a great idea if we knew more about it." Goten scrunched his brows in confusion and he continued, "How permanent is this bond? What happens to it if something happens to one of us? Or if you decide to go back to your world?"
'But I don't want to leave…' the thought suddenly burst to the front of Goten's mind, 'I chose you.'
He quickly looked away from the man that sat beside him, trying to pull his thoughts back together. Despite his hurt, Mirai was right. He wasn't an expert on the Bite Bond. Only Vegeta would know the true effect that it would have on them. "I get it, I get it."
"We'll think of something else." Mirai promised delivering a swift kiss to Goten's forehead, "Speaking of training I'm exhausted from all the sparring we didn't do today."
Goten shoved playfully at his arm, "And whose fault is that?"
"Yours for kissing me," Mirai smirked, "Better go to bed now, tomorrow we'll need all our wits about us."
Rolling his eyes Goten moved to stand up, "Fine, I know when I'm not wanted." He sniffed sarcastically and moved towards the door when his hand was suddenly grasped in a desperate hold. He turned and found Mirai staring at him. Something that looked like nervousness made Mirai's elegant brows crinkle and his mouth thin. It was a look not often seen, and Goten couldn't help but marvel at how vulnerable it made him seem. The strong Mirai, never wavering in his bravery, until he was only with a meager seventeen year old.
"I was thinking you could… sleep with me tonight."
All words froze in Goten's throat, not even the heat that simmered up his neck could melt them. "I… I don't…"
Once again Mirai came to his rescue with crisp shake of his head, "We'll just sleep I promise. I won't take advantage of you or anything."
The thought of having another warm body to curl up against was nice. Goten wasn't use to sleeping alone. He'd always had his brother or Trunks at least in the same room as him. During the night their bodies would always gravitate towards the other until they woke up the next morning, intertwined. It had been the same way ever since they were kids.
He ached for that feeling again. Quietly he nodded, watching as a reassured smile twitched Mirai's lips into place. They turned off the lights and shucked their clothing before curling up as close as possible on the small bed.
Mirai's arms wrapped around Goten's waist and his chin tucked itself onto of a mop of spikey black hair. It was comfortable, it felt safe. Sleep took them both faster than ever before.
Goten woke up to soft kisses fluttering across his eyelids and cheeks. It wasn't the type of wake up he expected but he wouldn't complain. Instead he tilted up his mouth and let the kisses continue to fall. The thought of the past and home were far from his mind. Even Trunks, who was always a close kept memory, faded into the background.
'I love this,' he thought to himself, unconcerned that the L-word had snuck into the sentence. He groaned, a low guttural noise that only made the body next to his move closer. Slowly, Mirai started to grind against him. His hands moving to the strong muscles of Goten's abdomen where they drew small circles. Goten's entire body twitched in reaction, curling to protect the sensitive skin.
"Mirai!" Goten cried in surprise, "Knock it off. I'm up! I'm up!"
"Good," Blue eyes smiled down on him before their owner placed one last kiss across the back of Goten's neck, "Because we've already slept in."
They got dressed slower than usual. Goten took his time to appreciate the body in front of him. Before he had been cautious about watching Mirai, hoping that his stares wouldn't be noticed. Now he hoped the other man would notice the appreciative looks. In the dim morning light he could see the sleek muscles better. He now counted the numerous scars that covered the sculptured body. Goten wanted to know them, all of them, and each story behind them.
When they walked into the kitchen it was as if nothing changed. Bulma had another platter of food set out for them to eat as she tinkered with a lumpy metal object on the counter. As they walked into together, her head snapped up, and a sly smile welcomed the saiyan men. "What's this? My son slept in?" she teased.
"I'm allowed to sleep past dawn aren't I?" Mirai asked grabbing his food.
Bulma made an uninterested noise, "You're a grown man Trunks. You can do whatever you like." She looked up at the last word, eyes locking onto Goten before she winked.
The teen froze, half way between putting a piece of toast in his mouth. His heart thumped heavily in his chest at the look.
Mirai either didn't notice or easily shrugged it off, even as his mother's bright blue eyes bore holes in him. Goten had seen the technique before. Bulma's trademark look that alerted she knew something, not the whole story, but once she locked her sights onto someone the truth would come out sooner or later.
"So," Bulma drawled easily, "Are you planning to train again today?"
"Actually no," Mirai answered.
Goten jerked in surprise and Bulma was left oddly speechless for a second before she managed to find the ability to speak. "You're not?"
Mirai shook his head, "with the attacks becoming more and more frequent training will only get us so far. Today Goten and I are going to come up with a strategy."
A slight frown pulled at Goten's mouth. They'd already tried this the other night and had come up with nothing. But Mirai was right, they needed a plan that was more than just training. In the past, his father always preferred training to building a battle plan. He wasn't a great strategist, and somehow it always worked out in the end. But that wouldn't help them in the future, where their numbers were down to a measly two against an entire army. Every battle counted, every move they made could easily be their last.
Unfortunately, like Goku, Goten wasn't the best at coming up with a plan other than punching his way out of a situation. The fusion idea had fallen flat, and Mirai wasn't keen on the Bite Bond.
He tried not to let the worry show too much on his face as Bulma nodded in agreement. "Alright, so what are you boys thinking?"
Mirai sighed heavily, a deep dip in his brows showed his deep concentration, "They have us out numbered but their strength isn't in their foot soldiers it's in their Captains. Take those away and they just have a million Elysians with no one to lead them."
"So we take out the Captains." Goten nodded, recalling his first and last encounter with a Elysian Captain. They were strong, but that first time he and Mirai weren't fighting together.
"One by one ensures the best chances of winning, which is a problem. Where one is the others are usually close by, and we're also at the disadvantage that we can't feel their kis." Mirai pointed out.
A noise of frustration escaped Goten before he could smother it. He took another bite out of his toast and was disappointed when the taste did little to make him feel better. "This is hard," he mumbled quietly.
Mirai smiled at the comment but stayed pensive as they continued to think. The ki problem was a challenge. Especially when the Elysians could sense their energy. At any moment they could launch a full scale attack, and if they weren't careful, they could be hunted down with ease. Goten's stomach twisted at the thought, but then something occurred to him.
"They can sense our ki," he said softly, rolling that thought around before the idea finally clicked. "What if…"
Both Mirai and Bulma's eyes shot towards him, pinning him with their interest. He gave a weak smile in return "What if we had something that could mimic our ki."Goten's gaze fell on the gadget in Bulma's hands. "A machine," he finished.
Mirai's eyes widened at the idea, "We could use that to lure the Captains out."
"And possibly confuse them," Goten added, "something like this would make it easier to battle them one on one."
"Mother, do you think you could make something like this?" a strange tone was in Mirai's voice as he asked the question. After a second, Goten realized it was hope.
Bulma pulled her lower lip between her teeth. "Well," she said consideringly, "It wouldn't be too hard. I mean, I reconstructed a entire scouter before. But I won't be able to do both the time machine and this gadget at the same time." She waved the gizmo in her hand at them. The metal skeleton had a familiar shape, Goten blinked, realizing exactly what was in her hands. It was the same machine that had brought him to the future. Only… it was in its infancy of becoming a proper working machine. "The last scrap metal we have was going to make the time machine. I'll have to reuse it to make this ki duplicator you're talking about."
Her blue eyes were looking at Goten. As if seeking his permission to abandon the progress for something else. Suddenly the embarrassment flared inside his heart.. She shouldn't be asking his permission for anything, especially if this device could save their world.
Besides, getting home was no longer a top priority. It wasn't even on his mind. All that mattered was stopping the Elysians.
He cleared his throat, finding the words lodged somewhere deep inside. "If this can help us end this war I don't care about the time machine. This is more important."
Mirai's mouth dropped in quiet surprise. "Goten…"
Bulma nodded, her face falling just the tiniest bit at his words before hardening in a determination. "I can probably finish it in a few days. I'll need help from both of you boys though."
Goten nodded but Mirai still looked unconvinced. His mouth had closed into a grim line. "Mother, can you give Goten and me a second to talk?"
"Of course," the woman didn't look surprised by the request. When she moved it wasn't to stand up. Instead her arm reached out and gave Goten's lax hand a squeeze. The action left the demi-saiyan speechless. "I'll just go listen to the radio for a little bit."
She disappeared out the door without another word and both saiyans watched her quietly. As soon as she was out of earshot, Mirai let out a long sigh.
Goten knew what was coming next, he decided to beat Mirai to the punch and get the first word in. "What was that about?" he asked, pulling his face into a serious look, "You put down the idea of Bonding, I can understand that. But this may be our only shot."
Mirai brushed his hair out of his eyes, a futile effort as the purple strands easily slide back into place. "Goten, just think about this for more than a second." his voice was rough, making him sound older than he actually was. "This idea might not even work and your family in the past…"
"Didn't I make it clear to you yesterday?" Goten huffed, "You are my family. Mirai, I'm serious about staying here."
"Forever?" Mirai asked, as if it were a point Goten had overlooked. "You may feel this way now but in a few months what will you do when you miss your family? When the Elysians are gone this world won't need you anymore."
Those words stung but Goten shook his head. "How can you say that? After all this is over you'll need me more than ever," he forced a laugh and tried to sound more confident than he felt. "You'll need to rebuild everything, my mother will still need me, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but you'll miss me."
He tried not to look into the brief emotion that flashed across Mirai's face. The other man rubbed at his face, looking lost. "You're still so young. I just don't want you to have any regrets."
"I know you're just watching out for me, but I don't know how to make this anymore clear." Goten said softly, his body already moving forward, "Because I already told you what I've decided." Mirai didn't protest when he brushed their lips together in a light kiss. It took only a moment before the older saiyan warmed up to the kiss, turning it from a shy touch of lips to a demanding war of tongues.
Obediently Goten opened his mouth and moaned as he felt long fingers dig into his hair bringing their heads closer. When Mirai pulled back, he looked reassured. " I would miss you," he admitted.
A laugh bubbled out of Goten's throat at the comment as Mirai placed another soft peck against along his adam's apple. "Kami knows why," the teen lteased as he tried to straighten out his mess of black hair. Soon he felt Mirai's fingers brush against his own, helping to smooth down the strands that were sticking out more then normal.
The smile on Mirai's face was as warm as the sun. "Because you're a strong fighter, you have a big heart, and you're a genius for coming up with that ki machine idea."
A blush threatened to engulf Goten's entire face. "No one has ever called me a genius before." he admitted.
"Well if this plan works," Mirai purred, "I'll be sure to remind you every day as long as you're with me."
Always, Goten thought, happy to see that Mirai had decided to trust his decision. He could hardly remember the last time that happened.
The noise of clattering metal drew them both away from each other as Bulma reappeared in the doorway. Her sudden arrival made Goten acutely aware of how close he and Mirai had been. He wondered how much had been heard.
As if in response she gave an off-handed huff and smiled at the two of them, "Are you done?"
"Bulma…" Goten began, already feeling a blush heating up his cheeks. The idea of his or Trunks' parents finding out about their relationship had terrified him in the past. Things had been so new, and there was no telling how any of the adults would react. That fear still seemed to be with him, even in a different world.
Mirai didn't seem as nervous as him, but he did surprise Goten by moving his body closer. Almost as if protecting him. He was still resonating an astounding amount of confidence that always fascinated the teen.
Bulma didn't wait for the excuses that were building on their tongues. She practically rolled her eyes at their tense muscles, "Oh stop looking so guilty you two. It was hardly a secret."
"W-What?" Goten squawked, "I- we… don't know what you're talking about."
"Goten," Bulma said with a shake of her head, "I know I look a lot older than you're used to but I'm not senile. You two have been spending a awful lot of time together lately and the way my son looks at you made things painfully obvious."
At this a blush touched Mirai's nose, "Mother…"
Goten held his breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He expected yelling, at least a lecture. However, Bulma looked pleased as her eyes darted between the two of them. The smile on her face was built completely out of love. "So how long has this been going on?"
"Er… since yesterday," Mirai answered.
"Oh I knew it," Bulma said smugly as she hugged her arms around her waist. The two saiyans in front of her continued to stare, pulling out another light hearted laugh. "Really you two, what did you expect me to say?"
Mirai was the first to speak up, but not before a loud clearing of his throat, "It's just… you're taking this very well." He took the words right out of Goten's mouth.
Bulma tilted her head at the two of them, her eyes locked on her son. "I'm just happy that you seem happy Trunks." she said sweetly, "you deserve it."
Goten's heart gave a painful squeeze, either out of happiness or jealousy, he wasn't sure. Beside him Mirai's chair scraped against the floor as the purple haired saiyan pushed back. Goten could only watch as Mirai moved and engulfed his mother in warm hug. Her voice was muffled but still sounded happy as she called out, "Trunks!"
Even Goten's keen saiyan hearing couldn't pick out the words Mirai whispered against his mother's ear. Only the loving tone in which the words were said. Bulma's giggles answered as her hand swatted him away. The sight made Goten almost wish he would have told his parents in the past. Or at least Bulma. They deserved to know.
But he wouldn't regret would could have been. He still had this time. He still had the future and a mother in it.
"Goten," Mirai's soft voice brought him out of his thoughts. When he looked up the mother and son duo were staring at him. "We'll need your help too with this. Shall we get started?"
"Sure thing," Goten pushed himself to his feet and quickly moved towards the doorway. As soon as he was within range, Mirai pulled him close for a warm embrace and nuzzled his hair. A contagious new sense of hope filled their space. Whether it was because of Goten's decision to stay with Mirai, or their new battle plan, he wasn't completely sure.
He just prayed it was enough to carry them through the upcoming battles that lay ahead.
Author's Notes: Sorry there has been such a long pause all- Work has started to get busy and all the writing time I had was lost. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. Things are going to start picking up! Once again, sorry about the spelling errors. I was eager to post this chapter since everyone has been so awesome. I really appreciate the support for this story.
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