Disclaimer: I am far too lazy to come up with a quite complex series such as Dragon ball Z. I don't own it, nor do I wish I owned it, because that sounds like a lot of work...

Summary: 31 drabbles about Goten and Trunks' first summer as a couple.

Word count: 1282

Rated M for language, sexual scenes, etc.

Our First Summer

Drabble #30- Camping II (Revised)

Goten could see Trunks ahead of him again.

His heart had never pounded so hard.

Goten slowed his jog. Trunks was just in front of him, standing with his back to him. His arms were crossed and his back was tense. Goten wanted to know what he was thinking. Goten wanted to hold him. He wanted to hold him so badly.

A minute went by in silence. Goten took a step forward. Another minute. Another step. A dozen feet of grass stood between them. A minute of silence. Crickets chirped, distantly.

"What do you want?" Trunks eventually asked.

Goten really wished he would turn around. "What's wrong with you?"

"Really," Trunks scoffed weakly. "Are you seriously asking me that?"

"Yes," Goten said, unsure how else to answer.

"Why?"

Goten faltered. "I... because I'm your best friend."

"Oh, are you?"

Goten was starting to wish he had stayed on his log. "I... I want to be. If you don't want to be friends anymore then that's..." Goten gave a ragged sigh. "Please just tell me what's bothering you."

"Why would I tell you?" Trunks asked like the very thought was ridiculous. "You're just going to rub it in my face."

Goten took a step forward, protesting, "I would never—"

"You wouldn't, huh?" Trunks challenged, whipping around suddenly. "What do you think you're doing right now!"

Trunks was storming towards him. Goten took an unconscious step back. "I don't—"

You don't what, Goten?" Trunks was in his face now, anger bleeding from his eyes. "Don't you dare stand here and act like you don't know what my problem is!"

"I really don't know, Trunks," Goten said desperately. " Please just tell me!"

Like a balloon, Trunks deflated. His eyes dropped to the ground. "Why, Goten?" he asked, his words a rasp whisper. "What did I do wrong?"

Goten's gut felt tight. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

Trunks looked up at him, his eyes defeated.

"What did I do, to make you end us?"

Goten's jaw dropped. Trunks shook his head and turned away. Goten quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

Trunks instantly twisted his arm, breaking the hold. He walked on. "Leave me alone, Goten. Where you stand in this matter has been made pretty clear; stop making this harder for me. We can't be friends anymore, it's just too hard."

Trunks walked further and further away. Goten panicked.

'This can't be it! I can't let this be it! He's mine, and I'm not letting him get away from me without a fight. Not this time!'

Goten sprung into action. His feet left the ground as he flew the short distance over to Trunks Reaching out, he grabbed the other boy's wrist and spun him around. Before Trunks could protest, Goten clenched the front of his t-shirt, and pulled him off his feet. He flew forward and slammed Trunks up against a tree.

"What the hell, Goten?!"

"Don't walk away from me! We have to talk about this!"

"What is there to talk about? You made it clear that you don't want me anymore!"

There was something very wrong with Trunks' voice as he said that. There was something very wrong with all of this.

"I never said that," Goten stressed.

"You did!"

"I didn't!" Goten insisted, anger and pain fighting for control over his words. "You were the one who said you couldn't do this anymore! You're the one who doesn't want me! Did you ever want me?"

Goten dropped his eyes. His teeth grit painfully. "Why do you get to act all hurt? You're the one who lied to me. You're the one who never says what he's thinking or feeling. You're the one who trusts some dickhead pervert over me. Do you even care how that makes me feel? Do you even care about me at all? Do I seriously mean this little to you?"

"You mean everything to me!"

Goten's eyes popped at the outburst. Trunks was glaring at him, and Goten had no idea what to say. Trunks beat him too it.

"How dare you think I don't care about you! How dare you try and make this all my fault? You asshole! You fucking asshole! If you didn't want me you should've just said so from the beginning! Stop trying to hide behind my words and just... be honest with me..."

Trunks looked away, and once more his anger flowed away like rain down a street corner.

A moment passed. Another moment. Never in his life had Goten been so lost for words.

"I don't care about Cayon," Trunks said suddenly.

Goten gaped.

"Cayon is my friend. He makes me laugh, and listens when I talk, and relates to me on things that most other people don't. I can tell him about my exes and not worry that he'll judge me. I can also live the rest of my without ever talking to him again." Trunks looks up at him, his eyes earnest. "He knows that. That's why he's jealous of you. That doesn't make it right, but it's true. He knows that I can't ever the things I feel for you for him. I like Cayon, but he'll never have your smile, or your hair, or your infuriating personality, or your eyes. He'll never be you. Why don't you understand this."

"Why do we always have to fight about stupid things?" Trunks goes on. "If it's not school, then it's about Cayon, or other boys, or you constantly accusing me of something. If you really wanted me, you wouldn't be driving me away like this!"

Goten nearly stumbled from the volume and the words all at once.

"I miss you!" Trunks cried. "Don't you miss me too? I just want to be with you! Don't you want to be with me too? Then why won't you let me! Why do you keep letting everything else get in the way? I need you! I love you! Why don't you understand?!"

Goten's heart stopped beating. "You... You love me?"

"Of course I do!" Trunks shouted, like Goten asked him something idiotic, like whether or not the sky was blue. "When have I ever not loved you! We wouldn't be here right now if I didn't love you!"

Goten struggled to speak. This was not where he expected to hear those words. In his mind he always imagined these special words to come about somewhere more romantic, like a rooftop in a shoujo manga, or in bed, or on a beach at twilight. Not in the middle of the woods with Trunks glaring like he hated him. What was Goten supposed to say back?

Oh right. "Trunks... you know I love you too."

"You don't."

Goten flinched back, gaping in disbelief. "Why would you say that?"

"If you loved me you wouldn't be pushing me—"

"I'm sorry," he blurted suddenly. He felt the panic return. Trunks couldn't just... not believe him. He had to know. No matter how this day ended he had to know.Trunks asked him to be honest and that is exactly what Goten was going to be "I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry for letting Cayon get to my head. I'm sorry for drinking. I'm sorry for not calling and fixing this sooner. I'm sorry for everything! Please forgive me. I love you! I love you! I love yo—

Trunks kissed him. He pulled away. "I love you."

Goten swallowed hard. "I love you too."

"Let's start acting like it, yeah?"

"Yeah," Goten hugged him close, and doubted he'd ever let him go again. His eyes pricked, and this time he didn't fight it. "Let's do that."

End