Saying goodbye to Trunks had been a strange feeling for Gohan, as if it was a preview of what was to come. Sure he was sad about not seeing the man ever again, but he barely knew him. And yet he confided in him, in the Room of Spirit and Time.
He had asked whether Trunks loved his version of Gohan. He feared he might have seen right through him, through his ploy for the real information he was looking to obtain, but if Trunks noticed, he was polite about it, and answered in a way that was truthful and sincere. Unlike Tora, Trunks had been far less guarded, far less wrapped in mystery, far less.. wounded. He was an open book, even, and Gohan could only imagine how much harder his world, his '767' had been for Tora, with Cell and Trunks' Time Machine.
Trunks had told him he was similar to Tora, when he traveled to the past; guarded, a little distant, focused on his goals. Was that Tora's fate, once he would return home and destroy the Cyborgs and Cell? Gohan hoped so, but he knew he would likely never witness it.
And yet, as much as saying goodbye to Trunks had moved him, saying goodbye to Tora.. the thought hurt him in ways he finally started to comprehend.
He waved goodbye to Tora and Sixteen when they went out after dinner, and he didn't fully grasp the concept of a 'night out' as Bulma had phrased it, but considering how everyone was dressed nicely, he had to wonder what was that all about, but he figured it was adult stuff. It was getting quite late already, so he didn't protest when Chichi took him to bed.
At peace with the doubts about his father being gone, Trunks undoubtedly left to enjoy a peaceful life with his mother and Dende watching over that world, Sixteen having returned thanks to the Briefs' hard work... Everything was looking bright. And he could sleep in peace, nightmare-free, and on his own.
Vegeta left Bulma's bedroom when she expressed her need for sleep, even if she insisted he could sleep with her. He knew he was going to finally face his heir, at dawn even, and as much comfort as the woman had given him, he needed to focus and prepare. He did leave Bulma with something to do in the morning, something that needed to be completed before the end of his confrontation with Trunks, and didn't care to be berated by giving her even more work on such short notice. Vegeta had to promise to participate in whatever the whole 'romantic dinner' thing was, and Bulma promptly accepted the deal. He hoped he didn't agree to some ungodly torture, but there was not take-backs in his vocabulary. He was willing to learn and pay the price, clearly, his request was that important. After rolling in bed unable to find sleep, Bulma decided she would sleep later and got to work.
Vegeta saw and consciously realized how many efforts the brat had been trying to make to understand him and his ways, but there was only so much he could reasonably expect from Trunks' earthling ignorance. He'd have to heed Bulma's advice even more so: be explicit and use words. So he practiced his words all night.
Seventeen shouldn't have been surprised at how rough Trunks was when she (he?) kissed him. He could feel the nervous fingers in his hair, the strong grip and the hesitation. Seventeen had experience, far more than others his age, and Trunks certainly wasn't the first newbie attracted to him, but it was the first who actually took such a bold first step. Not that he was complaining, Seventeen had been the confident type of man, believing himself to be invincible in all fields, 'of course I have a shot, have you looked at me? I'm me!' he had told Piccolo.. Old-him would have taken the first step, would have seduced Trunks but ever since facing Cell, facing death, he doubted and his confidence was nothing but an armor, an illusion. An armor not unsimilar to Trunks', in a way, as he came to find out when the whole story was told at Mika's place. Yet, despite her (his?) reluctance, distance, hatred even, Trunks came to him.
And Seventeen decided he was going to make the most of the opportunity, pulling the other closer by the hips, parting his lips and inviting. He had been sincere in his offer of a good time. Prior to everything, a 'good time' was usually something shallow, to trick others into giving them what he wanted, but not anymore. He wanted to lose himself in this strange teenager who without a doubt went through a lot.. because of another version of him and his sister.
The moment his tongue ventured to touch Trunks' lips, however, had unintended consequences. The grip on his hair became just the right side of pain, only for Trunks to break contact and shove him off. He could only see a flash of green in the time traveler's eyes.
The moment Seventeen kissed her back and tried to get more, a sudden rush of panic took over Trunks and she pushed him off of her, and jumped back. Her eyes darted left and right, then focused again on the wide-eyed and disheveled Cyborg in front of her, who slowly moved his hands back to his own hips, expectant.
"Why'd you stop? I'm not him."
"Seventeen—"
"Lapis."
".. I cannot allow any of this. You, or anyone else."
"Then why'd you kiss me?" Seventeen wasn't playful, even if his bluntness could be a little too much, he was curious about pointing out the contradictions, and if his step forward was any indicator, he wanted to be the one to engage.
Trunks tried to come up with somewhat of a coherent answer, that she made a mistake, but she didn't regret it. Before her brain could put her feelings into words, noises nearby got her attention; Krillin, Eighteen and Sixteen coming their way. Sixteen's radar and Krillin's awareness noticed the sudden ki surge nearby, so they ran over to investigate. Trunks wanted none of the upcoming questions, she got the hell out of there in a wind gust, leaving behind two confused Cyborgs, one clueless Earthling and one Android who tried vainly to make sense of the data.
Trunks didn't think things through and found herself landing on Mika and Syowa's balcony. The pair had been a safe haven for her doubts about her own identity, in a way she couldn't fully express to anyone else but the older Trunks, whom she wouldn't see again. She knocked lightly on the glass of the living room, where she could see light through the blinds, and only after she saw movement and the blinds open to see, that she realized the rudeness of it all.
Syowa, in pajamas was visibly enjoying a late night snack in front of the TV, and seeing Trunks at her balcony left her speechless, until she managed to actually go and open the door for her.
A few minutes later, they were sitting on the living room couch, the TV muted on some random romance movie from the looks of it, and Syowa had given Trunks a serving of ice-cream. Mika was absent, out for a late-night call, which Trunks acknowledged at face value. It didn't even cross her mind to wonder what Mika did. She was just a little too lost to put anything into proper words, so she just focused on calming down near the other teenager and eating the sweet and cold snack.
"Did Lapis misbehave on your date? I'll kick his ass. Or Laz? If it was Laz I'll kick her ass too." Syowa eventually broke the silence, one hand on Trunks' arm in support.
Trunks couldn't help but chuckle. The idle friendly threat soothed her, she took another spoonful of ice-cream.
"No, they.. behaved well. Seventeen didn't bring me flowers, though." She ate another spoonful, the complaint clearly superficial. "It wasn't a date. I needed to tie another loose end before leaving." Explaining Sixteen seemed a little too much though.
"That ungrateful bastard." Syowa ate her own spoonful, then wiggled her spoon Trunks's way, half-accusatory. "See, you should've dated me, not him."
"You're too young, though, Syo-chan."
"I'm turning eighteen in a couple of weeks, and aren't you, like, my age?"
"I doubt your father would appreciate that."
Syowa shrugged. "It's dating, not a marriage proposal, and I don't think you'd harm me. Plus you were super cool during your fight against the monster.. Can't believe you guys are letting Mr Satan get away with taking all the credit."
".. No, it's actually a good thing. They don't like fame, and neither do I," Trunks sighed and finished her ice-cream, trying to forget about having been recorded.
"Besides, don't you think I'm pretty?"
"You are very pretty," Trunks admitted without blinking, perhaps a little too earnest about confirming, and Syowa got beet red at how honest the other was. The lazy ponytail gathering all those beautiful brown curls, the cute full bangs, the youthful and genuine expressions, the lighthearted approach to life, the leaf-shaped earrings, those deep green eyes, so different from the super Saiyan ones, from Tapion's.
"And I like you, so there's nothing wrong with it."
"I won't be staying in this world, I'm leaving very soon."
Syowa wanted to say she was joking about dating, not to take everything that seriously, but seeing the Golden Defender of Central City so serious and so down was intriguing, to say the least. So she put down her and Trunks' cup and properly put both arms around Trunks' shoulders for a comforting hug, kneeling on the sofa.
"I know you're not staying. But that's later, focus on now."
Trunks remained stiff, but didn't fight her off. She was accepting of her situation, and she couldn't be more thankful for it, leaning in the hold and breathing in the light fragrance she could smell on the cotton pajamas.
"I.. don't even know what dating is," she managed to admit, eyes closed.
"It's spending time together and getting to know one another, by doing a fun activity. Watching a movie then talking about it, going to the beach…"
It felt a little too odd to her, so Trunks just shook her head to express how she didn't really understand any of it, and ended up snuggling herself just a little closer, appreciating even more the unique scent and peace that came with being in the arms of someone with whom she could be a girl, at least marginally so.
"I do not want to be missed, nor to be remembered."
"Too late."
Syowa wasn't motherly, either, which made it all even more special compared to the touch her mother or even this world's Bulma gave her. So it shouldn't have surprised Trunks when the teenager reached to kiss her. She could have stopped the earthling, but didn't and instead indulged, kissing back softly, hesitant, her fingers taking out Syowa's scrunchy and pressing the back of her head to bring her close in a sudden desire to taste more.
The teenager let out a little protest, the hold a little too strong, and Trunks promptly released, red-faced and apologetic. Syowa didn't hesitate to straddle her guest before she could stand up and leave. Trunks stared through, unsure how to react confused.
"Syo-chan, I'm a girl—"
"I know. I still like you."
Oh. Ok then.
Back at Capsule Corp, Trunks' nap back was short, but comfortable. She thought a thousand ways to apologize to Krillin and the three Artificial Humans, but eventually decided against it. It was best to disappear and let them carry on with their lives.
A good hour before dawn, Trunks was up, washed, dressed and fed, her mind having returned to the last thing she needed to do before heading home: accept Vegeta's apology. Her senses found him already in the Gravity Room. She didn't go directly to him, opting first to spend a few minutes with the sleeping baby.
Except the baby wasn't there. Trunks was confused for a moment, until she heard the baby monitor that Bulma had left on and put the pieces together; the baby woke up, Bulma heard him through the monitor, fetched him, took him back to her room, and didn't turn off the monitor.
Hearing Bulma's voice singing something soft to her baby brought a sense of nostalgia Trunks didn't know she could have. The melody sounded so familiar, her senses reacted and hit her with a sense of déjà-vu. She sat in the armchair where Bulma used to sit to feed her baby, and listened in, enjoying the song and her mother's voice for a few minutes before she left to meet Vegeta. She needed to be gone before Bulma came back with the baby.
Soon, she would be back home, and would ask her mother to sing to her like she used to when she was a baby.
Vegeta was quick to pick up his heir's ki spike by the GR's door. He ordered the gravity to be turned off, then for the door to open. Trunks walked in with a black tank top and gray loose pants; an outfit Vegeta recognized as the one he had borrowed in the Room of Spirit and Time.. and the one Trunks wore when killing Freeza and Cold. No gloves, as usual. No sword either. The existence of the weapon was a mystery, but Vegeta was satisfied with his heir's ability to fight without it. Even without any technique.
Trunks closed the door after entering, and Vegeta ordered the computer to ramp up the Gravity to 50G. The computer recognized the newcomer.
"Trunks, the future one, 171cm, 58kg, eighteen years old and four months."
"Overwrite. My age is eighteen and seven months old."
The computer acknowledged the correction, then asked whether the two fighters wanted to test anything, offering a menu of different activities.
"Shut the fuck up," Vegeta spat with a growl mid-way through the menu. "Keep the gravity at 50G, do not record nor measure anything, log off, and do not let anyone interrupt unless we're both dying."
The computer acknowledged once more, while Vegeta cursed the piece of tech under his breath, then he removed his armor, his top and his gloves and dropped them to the side. His heir promptly guarded, believing an attack was imminent, but Vegeta instead started wrapping his forearms in white tape. He noticed how Trunks had been attentive of what he did, and gave the situation the gravitas it deserved. Especially when glancing over to the gloves and armor.
'Use your words, like we practiced.' Bulma's words echoed again in his mind.