AN: WOW! It's been what? 4 years? Sorry, I'm so sorry. I just lost muse for this story. AKA: I'm lazy af, not even gonna lie. But I'm back! and so is this story! However, don't hold me to super regular updates because my life is still very much fucked up. But I will DEFINITELY try to update this as regularly as I can.
To everyone that's read and reviewed this; THANK YOU!
To those who've read it and wanted to punch my face in; I'M SO SORRY!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
I really do appreciate all the feedback, after all, I really write these stories for your entertainment.
Don't like something? Let me know, I'll take it into account and we'll see where that goes.
Again, I'm so sorry that it's been hell and forever, but I'm going to finish this story, I'm determined.
After Tate and I's run in at the supermarket, we walked back to my home and I invited him inside for a drink. Which turned into lunch, and here we were, chatting about whatever came to our minds like we were old friends. It was easy. It was easy with Tate, like it came natural.
"So where are you from Goten?" Tate had asked, genuine interest in his voice.
It caught me off guard and I ducked my head, "Uh, Mount Paozu-in the East District, I mean. Have you heard of it?"
Tate smiles politely but shakes his head. "Can't say I have, but I suppose that's because I've been here most of my life. I lived somewhere else before, with my mother.." The blond man trails off abruptly and clears his throat sometime after. "What's it like?"
The sudden change of subject wasn't lost on me, sure Gohan might have outwardly expressed how intelligent he was but I wasn't the idiot most people assumed I was. I observed things quietly. He was dodging a subject that I took note not to bring up until I knew it was time. The light wrinkle between my dark eyebrows smoothed a little and I offered a smile; it'd be hard to talk about, remembering what'd I'd so recently and so suddenly left but I could try. "It's beautiful. It's away from the city with green pastures and fields, in the East Forest there are creeks and little ponds everywhere. It's..It's really hard to explain, but it's so beautiful Tate."
"Then why'd you leave?"
Well shit. Look at me being careful not to step on his painful subject but he smacks me right in the face with mine. I feel like my stomach's going to void everything I'd just eaten, my heart had made permanent residence in my throat and I felt like my lungs had been punctured and drained of all the air in my entire body.
"Goten?" he questions softly. I suppose by this point he's figured out that this is a sensitive question, because he offers me a apologetic smile and shakes his head, "Never mind, you don't have to tell me."
"Tru- My ex. I left because of him." The words vomited from my mouth before I could stop them, I don't know why it was so hard to tell him about Trunks. I couldn't even say his name anymore, I felt like it was trying to choke down bile.
"I'm sorry," Tate offers. I can tell he's being genuine, but the damage is done. The green pastures I'd been telling him about, they now contain the laughter of Trunks and I as we run through them, chasing one another. The forest I'd been telling him about, I can vividly see the treehouse Trunks and I had clumsily made (over the years we'd fixed it up and made it much more acceptable) when we were children overlooking one of the creeks from where it was nestled in the trees.
The only thing I can give him is a single nod of my head, I try to smile but it's not what it normally would be. He seems to understand and he clears his throat softly, "Where are you working?"
It's a welcomed distraction, except that I forget where my lies begin and end. "A diner."
"A diner has you moving around a lot?"
Shit. I wince. I'd forgotten that I told him that. He looks at me clearly confused and wanting an answer, but all I can do is duck my head and chew the inside of my lip. What can I say? I lied to you because my ex-fuck buddy's fiance has just told me that she and said ex-fuck buddy are moving here? I'm running again. Hell, I don't even know if Marron is telling the truth. Why would she and Trunks move here of all places? And to 'open a store'? Trunks is in line to be CEO of Capsule Corp. He didn't need to open a store.
She wants me farther away.
Things clicked into place like a key into a lock. Anger corsed through my veins and I shifted in my seat until my eyes met with Tate's. I needed to explain just a little, especially if I wanted to have at least one friend in my life here. "Sorry, I.." This was harder than I thought. I tried to choke down the anger and disgust boiling in the back of my throat. "I'm running. I'm running away from all of that. I'm running away from him, from my family, from my old life." I explain as fast as I can, feeling like I'm going to choke on my own words, "I told them I was getting a job as an architect, moving around to help design and build places. I told them anything that I could that would make it perfectly normal for not being home, for always being gone. Then," I met you. I was scared, I didn't want to get attached and end up leaving abruptly again. "I met you. I had to keep the lie going, in case I left again."
Tate looked at me with disbelief. I was going to lose this guy too. Lose the one shot I had at making a friend, starting my life over. He was going to run screaming- "I understand," is all Tate says, and it sounds sincere. He offers me another smile and continues on, "I'd...be secretive like that too if I'd been hurt. I can see it, he hurt you bad didn't he." It's clearly not a question because he continues, "I don't blame you for lying, you're trying to cover your tracks if they do figure out where you are-or were."
Well, you're not wrong. But you're not right either, I mused to myself as I look over at Tate. It's sweet. I'm thankful that he's such an understanding man but I don't know what to say other than nod my head once and offer him the slightest of smiles. "Thank you."
We sit in a comfortable silence then, I hold my cup of tea with both hands and stare into the dark, warm liquid trying to think of something I can say to fill the silence. Tate's obviously doing the same thing because he's glancing out the kitchen window, the sounds of birds tweeting creates obvious contrast to the silence that's overtaken us.
"Should I go?" he questions, drawing my attention up to him and I study his face. Do I want him to leave? No. Does he feel the comfortable silence like Trunks did? No. But I certainly don't want him to leave.
So I shake my head and smile apologetically, "No. I'm just thinking of the right things to say, I guess."
He agrees, laughing softly and nods his head while he speaks, "The conversation took a very strange turn, I admit. Which diner did you say you were being employed at?" Tate tries to shift the conversation and I'm thankful for it.
"Teuchi Soba Daian, it's an Izakaya style restaurant just inside the city." I answered simply, a small smile appears on my lips and I glance him over, "You've got to try it some time, they're wonderful people and the food is delicious." Boldly, I wink at the other man, causing a chuckle to bubble from his lips.
"I will." It's a simple statement and yet it still has my stomach twisted in knots.
Eventually Tate and I bounce back into light conversation and soon we're chatting about anything and everything from our favorite foods, favorite places, do we like sports, music, politics. It bubbled out and it was easy. Sooner than we knew it, it was well past dinner time and I found myself up, making something suitible for the both of us. However I damn well knew that I'd have to eat twice the amount I was making for us both, when he left.
Tate was even helping, we made Sashimi and Udon and several Gyoza, Hayashi Raisu, Yakisoba to compliment the Gyoza. It smelled so delicious that I was almost certain we'd have it eaten before the meal was even prepared.
Laughter erupted softly from the other man as he exclaimed, "This is a dinner! Where'd you learn to cook like this Goten?"
I beamed but also blushed modestly and ducked my head, "My mother. She cooked for my brother, father and I; we eat. Like a lot," I laughed shamelessly and started to munch on one of the Gyoza, earning a playful slap to my wrist from Tate, who grinned at me. "We'd have these family dinners where my family and..." Trunks' family, "..my father's friend's family would all get together, along with their childhood friends and their families and we'd cook and eat and it'd be.. it was great."
Tate looked like he was afraid he'd stepped into some scary territory by bringing that up, so I wasn't too surprised when he passed me the Gyoza he'd just rolled. Happily, I brought it to my mouth and stuffed the whole thing in, earning an amused chuckle from Tate.
Once we'd finished making the food, we set the table and started to eat. I drew bowl and plate after plate to myself and Tate did the same. However he'd only eaten 1/3 of the meal we'd made before he groaned and pushed back just a little from the table and laid a hand over his stomach. "I'm so stuffed!"
Me on the other hand, I was still shoveling food into my mouth. My Sayian appetite thankfully hadn't scared the other man away, instead he was making himself at home and helping himself to a drink. As he walked around my kitchen, he spoke, "You're not really leaving are you?"
I'd almost choked on the narutomaki in my Udon. Where had that question came from? After righting myself, I gulped down some water to buy myself more time to come up with an answer. However all I'd done is successfully earned myself a curious look until I smiled sheepishly at him. "I don't know," I replied honestly. I'd lost my appetite, so I pushed my food away from me and sat, looking up at the blond man.
He was still expecting an answer, I grinned almost sadly at the way he'd already figured me out. "I really don't know, Tate." The sudden shift in the atmosphere almost had me sick, it'd became too serious, too fast. "I'd like to stay here.." Stay with you. "It's nice here.." You're nice to me. You help me forget.
It was like he'd known what I was thinking because he said, "I'd miss you."
I thought I was gonna throw up. Is he serious? I took a shaky breath and watched him where he stood. "I've only just met you and I know that I'd miss you Goten, think it over. If you decide to leave, I need you to give me a number or..or come back to see me. I don't know, it's just...when I talk to you I forget Kyle."
Wow, that was. Unexpected.
Forgetting the food on the table, forgetting everything really, I pushed my chair back away from the table and looked up at Tate. He looked...scared. Like he instantly regretted it, like he was open and vulnerable. I supposed he was. It's a very delicate and sensitive subject. His ex...Trunks. It was all so. Sensitive and delicate and upsetting.
With a small jerk of his head, signaling Tate to walk over, Goten frowns at the other man. His nerves were frayed and he was shaking, heart in his stomach and stomach in his throat. It was like he couldn't get enough breath in his lungs when Tate obliged him and approached Goten. It was evident that at this point neither of them were quite certain what was going to happen next.
A flash of lavender dances behind his eyes and he thinks to the older Sayian's actions, mimicking them. Goten reaches out to lightly grasp Tate's wrist and he pulls him down to sit sideways on his lap, he leans against Goten's firm chest and he locks his onxy colored eyes to Tate's golden brown. "I.. You help me forget Trunks." Saying his name was a blow to my chest, knocked all of the air from my lungs.
What would Trunks have done? Why this, he'd have done this:
I brushed one of my thumbs over his jawline and tilted his head downward, angling it perfectly so I could reach up to press my lips against his. I was nervous, not like it was my first kiss or anything, but because it was the first one after Trunks. Tate opens his mouth a little more to allow me more access, which I obligingly take and slide my hand up his jaw, brush his cheek, and thread my fingers through his hair. It was short, it was sweet and it was simple, just a soft kiss.
When we parted, I kept my hand at the back of his head and he stayed pressed against my chest.
"What was that?" Tate breathed out softly, his golden brown irises never leaving my direction. He makes no attempts to move either, I suppose those are both good signs.
"I don't know," I admit softly, "but I liked it. It felt right."
I continue to look over his face, hoping that I don't find a shred of doubt or disgust. Instead I'm surprised by Tate leaning in once more and pressing his lips against my own. This time the kiss was a bit more intense, like we both needed it and I suppose we did. He bites my lower lip very lightly but it's still enough to draw a feral noise from my throat; Trunks always did that, always bit down because he knew how I liked the pain. Pulling his head closer, I deepen the kiss. It's all teeth and tongue and lips, before I know it we're parting again. This time our breaths are coming in faster waves and neither of us look away. We don't want to.
"Goten?" Tate questions and I smile softly at him. I peck his lips one more time before I pull away and caress his soft cheek.
"Are you okay, is this okay?" I hold my breath, waiting for an answer.
It's unexpected, but Tate laughs. It sounds so wonderful filling the silence. It sounds so wonderful in general, his laughter. He leans in and he kisses my cheek this time, "Of course it's okay, Goten. I've wanted to kiss you for a while now, I'm glad you were the one that made the first move though, I never would have-I didn't think you'd thought of me like that."
It's my turn to laugh now, I shake my head with a smile, "You're something else, you know."
We sit like this for a while, one of my arms wrapped around his slim waist and my opposing hand on his thigh. He's got one arm around my shoulders and his other hand pressed against my chest. Eventually Tate begins to yawn from where he's tucked against my chest and I let him up with a laugh.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes as he turns to look at me, I stand too and shake my head, ignoring his apology.
"You should head home, you're tired."
Tate shakes his head and reaches up to wrap his arms around my shoulders and he presses closer to me, I laugh at this and he squeezes his arms around me. "I don't really want to leave you Goten."
I know it's only been a few days of knowing him and all, but that statement has my heart racing and I don't want to let him go. But I know I need to. So I press another tender kiss to his lips and rest my hands on his hips before murmuring softly, "You don't have to leave me forever Tate, just for the night. We'll go out for lunch tomorrow," I promise him.
Of course he's reluctant to leave, I'm reluctant to let him go. He's the first good thing to happen to me in a matter of months. Terrified doesn't begin to describe how I feel about him leaving and possibly never coming back, but I've got to choke that fear down and stop being so greedy.
We walked to the door, hand in hand, and I saw him off. Not without another kiss of course, I laughed softly against his plush lips before he left. After watching him disappear around the corner down the road, I return inside and lean against my closed door. The first genuine smile appears on my face as I reflect on the day.
It gave me hope. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad here.
AN: I made this chapter as long as I possibly could and as sickeningly sweet as I could, a treat for my readers for being so patient. Besides, we need a little insight to Tate and Goten, don't you agree?
As always, I really hope you'll leave your reviews because they mean the world to me.
I'm hoping to have a new chapter within the week or so. I'm already starting on it!