Goten sat in his room, a tear rolled down his cheek but honestly he'd stopped noticing them when they did. He was kind of numb to it. He'd heard what had happened outside. He was livid, livid at Trunks for showing up, still even now thinking he knew best, thinking that just because he wanted to see Goten that Goten in return should have to see him.
Same. Old. Trunks.
He was livid with the universe that something like this could happen, that you could find the person you love, and they could love you back. That this person would be your best friend, and continue to be, except now you loved each other too. That you might get to live and share your lives together. And then that it could go so terribly wrong and be wrenched out of your hands, just like that. Goten took no pleasure in leaving Trunks, he just knew that he had to. Some things you just have to do.
Right now though, the person who his anger was focussed on had just slammed the back door into the kitchen, Goten wiped the wetness from his cheek impatiently, he could feel Gohan hovering at the bottom of the stairs, Goten knew he was unsure whether he should come up and explain himself, he wouldn't want to, Goten knew, but he was too damn honest. Goten moved into the hall, and met his brother at the top of the stairs, he wasted no time.
'You didn't have to hurt him.' He said, angrily.
'I did, he won't be told.' Gohan said simply.
Goten's anger seemed to diffuse with his brother's matter-of-fact attitude. Perhaps he realised he was trying to take it out on someone. Perhaps the fight had just gone out of him.
'You didn't, he would have given up eventually.' Goten replied sullenly.
'You and I both know that's not true. I warned him, and I didn't enjoy it.'
Goten stood there sulking for a minute longer before turning to go back into his room. 'Goten, didn't you have class today?'
'Didn't go.' He said tonelessly without turning around. He shut his door behind him.
Gohan sat at the kitchen table, he looked into a cup of tea, as if trying to find answers swirling around in there.
Normally he, well not that he wouldn't be bothered, but break-ups happen all the time. Young people break-up, that is life, and they feel like the world might end, and that everything they know has been lost, but it won't, and it hasn't, and life does eventually go on.
He was old enough to know this, everyone found this fact out the hard way, and everyone was entitled at some point to feel this way. Gohan knew he was one of the few lucky people in the known universe whom this particular rite of passage hadn't punched in the gut. The thing was however, Trunks and Goten, they kind of were all each other knew, even if they couldn't be together, then Gohan wasn't sure what would happen if they couldn't find a way to at least be in each other's lives.
Their relationship was different. Intertwined, interlocking puzzle pieces, bound together by life and loss and experience. It was these uneasy thoughts that kept him at his mother's kitchen table and prevented him returning home to he and Videl's house nearby – he had to voice his concerns to her, he was a big brother, and he was worried.
She returned not too long after, shopping bags in hand, he helped her carry them in and she paused looking flustered and relieved to be back.
'Has Goten been down?' She asked.
Gohan shook his head.
'Trunks has been by again.'
She nodded.
'I, um, discouraged him from continuing to do so.' Gohan said, rubbing the back of his neck.
'Yeah I wondered how long you'd stomach it for.' She half smiled and half looked scolding.
'Well Goten wasn't happy with me, but he calmed down. He didn't go to class again.'
Chi-Chi nodded again, she wasn't surprised, but he couldn't keep it up. She wondered whether it might be time to get tough. She understood he was hurting, but he'd always regret it if he didn't finish his studies, he'd look back on this time and wish he had.
'I'll talk to him.' She said heavily, Gohan looked somewhat relieved, 'Thanks mum.'
Chi-Chi stood outside Goten's door with a cup of tea and a sandwich balanced in one hand, she knocked with the other.
No reply.
She knocked again.
A slight groan came from within, but otherwise she received no invitation to enter. She got tired of waiting and threw open the door into the dark room. Her youngest son was lying face down on the bed.
She set the plate down and threw the curtains open.
'That's enough now Goten, you have to get up.'
'No mum, I don't, get out.' He said through a mouthful of duvet.
'Goten, you have to try and get back to normal. I know it's hard but the world's still turning.'
Goten covered his head with his arms. 'As if I can just get up and go to class. You don't understand, I couldn't if I wanted to, I don't think I'd make it out the door.'
'You can. Don't be such a baby.' She sat down and rubbed his back until he turned his head and peeked an eye out from under an arm to look at her.
'It'll be hard, and scary, and I'm not saying it will be fun.'
'Wow, you're really selling it.' He said sarcastically.
'But if you don't go back to class and finish what you started, do you know how much you'll look back and regret not listening to me? This will be the day you wish you could do differently, forever. No matter what you do, whether you get a good job, have a great house, you'll always wonder what would have happened if you would have sucked it up and carried on trying at the thing you love when times got hard. So it's 12:30, don't think I haven't got your timetable young man, there's a class at two, get a wash you're going to it.'
Goten groaned and looked at his watch, 'Mum I won't make it.'
She was heading to the door as she turned around with her eyebrows raised,
'I'm sorry, are you not a Super Saiyan? Can you not fly?'
He looked at her in surprise. His mother had never been a big fan of his transformation, and she was always petrified someone would see him flying. She looked at him questioningly, he sat up in bed.
Goten suddenly felt the impulse to ask a question that had been playing on his mind.
'Mum, does dad know?'
Chi-Chi looked at him in surprise, 'You've been crying into your mattress for a week honey, even your father isn't that slow. Maybe you could take the time to explain to him though.'
Goten considered this. 'Maybe, yeah.' He said vaguely. He lifted himself off the bed and went over to his wardrobe. She turned to head down the stairs, a small smile of victory on her face.
Goten caught his father on the lawn doing sit-ups as he ran out for his afternoon class, he had a feeling that whenever he explained himself to Goku, it probably wouldn't be a long conversation anyway.
'Hey son, how are you?'
'I'm okay dad.'
Goku continued to exercise and Goten watched him for a moment.
'Dad, you know I'm gay right?'
Goku's face seemed to scrunch up in thought as he continued the repetitive motion.
'I know you've moved home and you cry a lot. I also know Gohan hit Trunks pretty hard earlier.'
'Okay, well that's kind of why. Are you cool with it?'
Goku sat up and looked at his son seriously.
'I love you no matter what Goten, you know that.'
Goten smiled, and broke into a run, 'thanks dad.' He called back as he flared his energy, transformed and took to the sky.