Twelfth Chapter!!
Startled by the loud, high-pitched noise, you look over to Trunks. Wearing a slightly annoyed expression, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the source of the sound: a large, blinking cell phone. Relieved but still surprised at the volume the contraption is emitting, you watch the demi-saiyan click the answer button and hold it up to his ear. "Uh, hi mom." he says, cheeks flushing a light pink. "Trunks!" you hear Bulma's voice from the other end of the line. "Where are you? I thought you said you wouldn't leave without telling me?!" Sighing, Trunks looks down at his hands. "It's ok, mom, I'm-" "What if the androids had gotten you?" the shrill voice interrupts shakily. "Or Cell? And I wouldn't know where you were!" Holding the phone slightly away from his ear, Trunks responds in a reassuring but slightly perturbed tone. "Don't worry, mom. I'm just camping out with ****. Everything's fine. I promise we'll be back by morning." The rest of Bulma's words are too quiet to hear, and after a couple more minutes, Trunks clicks the 'end' button and slides the phone back into his pants pocket, pink in the face. "Sorry about that." he apologizes with a small, embarrassed smile. "She gets really worried about me sometimes. I don't think she really gets that I can take care of myself." You smile back, finding the situation comical. "Well, I can see why. With Cell and all, I mean." Appearing slightly less nervous, Trunks stands up and gestures towards the tent. "I'm going to bed. You?" Nodding tiredly, you stand up and walk over to him. "Sure." you say, walking inside. Following Trunks through the living room and down the hallway, you halt as he comes to a stop in front of a door. Twisting the knob and opening it, Trunks stands to the side and allows you to step inside. The room is fairly small, with one queen bed and a closed door on the left side. "That's the bathroom." Trunks says, pointing at it. "You can take a shower if you want. There's extra nightclothes in the bottom cupboards, too." Nodding, you walk to the door and open it. "Thanks. Um, I'll see you in the morning, then." you say hesitantly. "Yeah. Night." Trunks replies, grinning. Turning away and walking into the bathroom, you close the door behind you and sigh, from both exhaustion and a strange tightness in your gut. After a few moments, you strip of your clothing and step into the surprisingly large shower. However, as soon as you turn on the water, you realize that there is no shampoo in sight. Stepping back out and searching through the cupboards, you roll your eyes in frustration when it appears that there is none. Deciding to ask Trunks where it could be, you crack open the door and stick your head out.
Just as you are about to question him, your eyes widen and your mouth opens as your eyes lock upon Trunks. He is standing in the center of the room, in the midst of pulling his tight black undershirt over his head. Upon seeing you, he removes it completely and throws you a questioning look, apparently unaware of your surprised expression. "Yeah?" he asks, tilting his head. "Need something?" Tearing your eyes away from his beautifully sculpted chest and directing them to his face, you take a deep breath. "Uh, is there any sh-shampoo in here?" you stutter, feeling like an idiot. He nods. "It's in the bottom left cupboard in the back." Throat tightening, you nod quickly. "Thanks." you say in a small voice, withdrawing your head and shutting the door quickly. 'Wow,' you think to yourself. 'He's...' Unable to finish your thought and feeling a stab of embarrassment in your gut, you breathe in deeply and preoccupy yourself with seeking out the shampoo. Once it has been discovered, you slip into the shower and wash up hurriedly, wanting nothing more than to get to sleep and relinquish these confusing thoughts from your mind. Once you have completely dried off, you dress into a loose pair of black pajama pants and tee shirt and open the bathroom door, walking out into the bedroom. Remembering the fact that there is only one bed, you gulp and glance down at Trunks, who lays asleep on the left side of the mattress. His eyes are closed and he lays completely still, the only sound his light breathing. Slipping under the covers and drawing back when you feel your leg brush against Trunks', you pull the pillow under your head and shut your eyes, taking a deep breath and letting sleep overcome you.
You wake the next morning in a daze, feeling yourself sway slightly as you open your eyes. Sitting up and glancing to your left, you see that Trunks no longer occupies the space next to you. Yawning and standing up, you walk wobbly to the bathroom to wash your face. Once you get inside, however, you notice a small, folded bundle of black clothing sitting next to the sink. A small piece of paper rests on the top, and you can see that there is a type of penmanship inked into it. Picking up the sheet and letting your eyes travel over the words, you read the following: ****. Here's some clothes for you. Let me know if they don't fit. Trunks. Smiling at his courtesy and directing your attention to the black bundle of clothing, you separate the articles and lay them out. There is a tight black undershirt identical to the one he was wearing the night before, along with a pair of loose, light green pants and denim vest. Finding it strange but slightly funny that you have been presented with an exact replica of the clothing he wore the day before, you smile to yourself and slip it on, tugging the vest into place and looking at yourself in the mirror. Considering that the articles were manufactured for men, they fit you surprisingly well and you admire your reflection, noticing the 'Capsule Corporation' patch on the vest's right pocket and observing it with interest. Once you finish combing your hair and washing your face, you walk down the hallway and into the kitchen. Trunks is sitting at the small coffee table, sipping a dark beverage from a light blue mug. "Hey," he greets you, standing up. "Sleep well?" You nod, smiling. "Yeah. Is that coffee?" you ask, eyeing the mug in his hand. He chuckles and walks up to you. "Nope. It's hot chocolate," he says, grinning. "Want some? There's more in the pot over there." Nodding appreciatively, you pour yourself a cup and sit down at the table, Trunks seating himself on the opposite side. "It looks like the clothes fit alright." he comments, gesturing towards the vest you are wearing. "Yup." you say, taking a sip of cocoa. "Thanks for leaving them for me." "No problem." After a few more seconds of silence, you are about top ask him if there is any food when Trunks stands up hurriedly, a serious expression entering his face and his hand gripping the table. Confused, you cock your head. "What-" "Don't move." he says loudly, causing you to draw back in surprise.
After a few more moments of tense silence pass by, Trunks' eyes widen and he opens his mouth slightly. Without warning, he grabs your arm and pulls you towards the front door. "Trunks! What are you doing?" you ask in bewilderment and fear as he pulls you outside. "It's Cell," he says, slamming the front door and pressing a button on the side of the tent. A burst of smoke cloaks the surrounding space, clearing a few seconds later as a small capsule lays on the ground in the tent's previous place. Bending down and snatching it, Trunks runs off towards the trees ad gestures for you to follow. Remembering your last encounter with Cell and shivering in fright, you follow Trunks deeper into the forest, weaving through the trees and gasping for air. After a few minutes of running, Trunks stops in a small clearing and you do the same, leaning against a tree to catch your breath. Once you can muster up the strength to speak, you turn to Trunks. "Cell?" you ask. He nods, directing his eyes to the small patch of visible sky. "Yeah. He was angry, I could sense it." He looks over to you. "He must have realized that I destroyed android 18. Now he knows he can't reach his complete form, and he's not happy about it." Frightened, you look up to the sky, searching for any trace of the insect-like creature. All of a sudden, Trunks bends down behind a tree and gestures hurriedly at you. "Get down!" he whispers and you obey, kneeling down next to him and pressing fearfully against his shoulder. Looking up to the sky, you tremble when you see a single green figure glide over the open space, the sharp point of it's tail visible from the ground. After it passes in the opposite direction and out of sight, you let out a breath that you hadn't realized you had been holding and look over to Trunks. "It's ok," he reassures, standing up. "He's gone." Raising yourself shakily from the ground and leaning against the tree trunk, you sigh in relief. Trunks turns towards you and looks you in the face, light blue eyes softening slightly. "Sorry I pulled you out of the tent like that." he says, looking down nervously. "I had to make sure you got out in time." Surprised, you shake your head. "Hey, you just saved my life." you say, still in a slight degree of shock. "Don't be sorry." Giving you a wan smile, Trunks turns in the opposite direction. To your surprise, you see his cheeks flush a light pink. "C'mon, let's get back home." he says, hovering up into the air. "Mom'll be furious if we keep her waiting any longer." Laughing, you hover up next to him and slowly begin your journey back to CC....