When Spring Came
Chapter 11: hii I took a short break from this fic because I actually had a tough time writing this chapter, I had the finale scene written out for some time and was just like "what do I do?!" Enjoy!
To clear his thoughts, Trunks took an early day, not bothering with the traffic and flying to Mt. Paozu. This was an almost weekly tradition of his to visit Goten unannounced, so they could promptly beat each other into their senses. As his mother would say, a well exercised Saiyan is a well stimulated Saiyan.
As he soared through the clear blue sky, he searched exactly for his best friend's energy signature. Being able to sense the unique energy from miles away. That's the kind of thing you can do when you are practically fused at the hip. "Goten!" Trunks yelled out as he descended to the grassy patch, where he caught sight of Valese and Goten…having what seemed like a picnic?
Seriously, what a lame date, Trunks thought to himself as he watched as Valese was cuddled up next to Goten. "Looks like I'm interrupting," Trunks chuckled as an annoyed Goten looked up at him.
Did Trunks just have to drop in when he was making moves? "Trunks, my man, what the hell are you doing here?" Goten smiled as he straightened himself out. He tried to make it clear how annoyed he was by the acid dripping from his voice.
"I can wait, it looks like Trunks probably needs to talk if he came all this way," Valese replied cheerfully, a soft smile on her face as she nodded to Goten reassuring him. "I can keep myself busy, I can't promise all the food will still be here though," she giggled as she popped a grape into her mouth.
Trunks smiled at the brunette and patted Goten in the back. "See Valese, you are definitely insightful," he complimented her before turning to Goten. Trunks was frustrated he wouldn't be able to spar with him, especially with Valese around, but the energy was practically bouncing inside him. Trunks tilted his head to a further distance, he at least needed to get out his frustration verbally, right?
Goten groaned, and followed Trunks to a further away location. His arms folded as he looked at his best friend with impatient eyes. "What is so important that you had to interrupt my date?" Goten tapped his foot on the ground, "you better have something serious."
Trunks looked up at the sky, scoffing out with a laugh. "Honestly, man, that was hardly a date, but–" he began.
"Oh fuck you, dude, I put a lot of work into that!" Goten replied, scrunching his nose. "Hell, I know my girl likes it." Trunks had a tendency to be a dickhead about these kinds of things, so Goten wouldn't let it get to him that he was purposefully nit-picking his date choices. He wasn't loaded with cash to give her some novella style date, he was sure what he did was more than enough for the down-to-earth Valese.
Trunks chuckled, not expecting to see Goten so riled up. "Alright man, I got a code red," Trunks said seriously, putting a hand on his shoulder. "My mom invited Marron's parents over…and well, y'know…"
Goten's face paled for a moment, before he began to erupt into laughter. It was not a chortle, not a chuckle, but full blown tear-jerking and belly hurting laughter. "Oh…dude…you're fucked," Goten cackled as he wiped a tear from his eye. "I wouldn't want to be in your position, is all I'll tell you."
"Not supportive at all, Goten," Trunks replied deadpan. "I'm actually like…about to die if I don't figure out a strategy," Trunks said. His voice and face now begin to panic as he tried to get through Goten's fit of laughter.
"Why don't you talk to your girlfriend, this doesn't sound like a me problem," Goten replied. His arms folded as he looked at his best friend. "I mean, unless you don't want to confront her about it."
Trunks huffed, a bit frustrated at Goten's choice of words, of course…he had a point if he was actually dating Marron. "Look, man, you're right," Trunks lied, "I don't want her to know that I'm sweating this, so just…could you help me out here?"
In truth, Trunks wasn't sure why he was feeling so stressed about anything with Marron. She and him weren't dating. But the more the days passed, it seemed like she and him were both losing track of their original goal.
Goten shook his head. How was he supposed to help, exactly? Give Trunks a pat on the back and tell him everything would be okay? It probably would be fine, but the situation didn't involve him. "Look, just don't let Marron be alone with your dad, I'm sure you will be okay," Goten replied, patting the hybrid on the shoulder, "you got this dude."
Well…it wasn't much, but that was as much as Goten could give. 18 and Krillin loved his parents, and given Goten wasn't dating Marron, he wasn't sure he could offer any advice to ensure the conversations went smoothly. "To be honest," Goten said as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "I still find it hard to believe you guys are dating, honestly."
Trunks pressed his lips together into a thin line, as he nodded. "Me either," Trunks replied hastily as his hand clasped on Goten's shoulder. "Me fucking either."
The raven-haired hybrid tilted his head at his best friend, confused onyx eyes at his response as Trunks began to back away. "I'll let you get back to Valese," he said as he looked back at the woman sitting politely on the blanket. And before Goten could utter another word, his best friend had taken off into the sky.
Marron watched the door nervously, she was standing idly in front of the Capsule Corp residential home in the dead center of West City. She sported a pink dress that wrapped around her body like a glove, and puffed sleeves that flowed to her wrists, pairing it with equally pink heels with a small pearl chain strap around her ankle. She took it was a more formal dinner, and regardless, she must make a good impression, even if it was Trunks.
She shifted her weight, nervously playing with the ends of her ponytail, before hearing a rustle at the door. "Marron!" A cheerful teenager graced Marron's presence, her clear aqua eyes wide and sparkling in excitement. The girl threw her arms around the older woman, nearly knocking the wind out of her.
"Bulla, hey how are you?" Marron's smile immediately brightened at the sight of Bulla, though troublesome, she was extremely excitable.
"Hanging in there, y'know the same old same old…"
Just then, a heavy step came up behind the teen. Marron's eyes slowly traced their way up from the leather dress shoes to meet with sapphire eyes and soft lavender hair. "Oh you made it, I was getting scared you wouldn't show up," Trunks' lips hung on a confident yet lazy grin. Marron always dressed so pink that the color was burned into the back of his eyelids. "Your parents are already here, making my day so much better."
Marron rolled her eyes, of course he had to complain. It was never a day that she could easily maneuver without hearing some gripe. "Oh, well are they now? Fantastic to hear."
Bulla's eyes flicked between the two, Marron and Trunks' eyes were not tearing from one another. She almost wanted to tell them to get a room. "Okay lovebirds, just totally ignoring me now?" she groaned, as she stepped to the side, letting Marron in.
Trunks quickly snapped from his trance, for a moment he lost himself and the entire room around him had basically disappeared. "Yeesh, alright, just tell mom Marron's here." He waved his sister away, extending an arm for Marron to hold on to. "Teenagers…shall we?"
Marron eyed his arm cautiously, her arm linking around his as she gently pressed her hand on his bicep. The deep red suit jacket he wore was a luxurious material. She was surprised as her fingers ran on the fabric. "I know a thing or two about good clothes," Trunks' voice was low, catching Marron by surprise as she looked up to see the hybrid was looking right at her.
Was he watching her?
"Ah, Marron," Bulma's voice rang through the room as she walked over to the couple linked arm in arm. They seemed to be getting along naturally…to Bulma's surprise. "How've you been?"
"Good, good, just…working hard." Marron smiled cheerfully, she always enjoyed Bulma's presence…she and Bulla exhibited many similar traits. Though Bulma had the maturity that Bulla lacked.
"And copulating with my son?" A stern voice boomed from behind the bluenette.
The statement made both Trunks and Marron's faces pale. It was a rather embarrassing thing for a parent to say, and even more so when it was untrue. Not that Vegeta nor Bulma knew that Trunks and Marron haven't done as much as kiss.
"Vegeta!" Bulma folded her arms, a click in her tongue at his outburst. "Don't mind him, he's in a mood."
"When isn't he?" Bulla replied as she glanced at her phone, not even bothering to look up at any of them.
Marron and Trunks' eyes met, almost as if they were asking the same question. "My mom hasn't–?" Marron began before getting interrupted by the taller blonde woman.
"Now when have I ever been the instigator?" 18 said coolly, as she walked up to Trunks, whose eyes carefully studied her icy blue eyes. "Your father's a hot head."
"It's nice to see you again, and thank you for having us Bulma," Krillin smiled at his daughter, who he could tell was dripping in anxiety. He watched as Trunks pulled her just a smidge closer.
"Of course, Marron's practically family… oh and dinner is almost ready," Bulma said as she guided them to the dining room. "Feel free to start sitting, I'll check in with the cooks."
The dining table was a long white rectangular table with a low modern chandelier hanging in the middle of the room, with equally sleek looking chairs lining the table. Marron and Trunks sat beside each other, across from them Bulla and Vegeta were seated beside each other, and at Marron's side was Krillin and 18.
There was an elaborate centerpiece in the center of the table with a gratuitous amount of flowers, nothing less than what Marron expected from Bulma. She was, after all, one of the best hosts she's ever known.
18's eyes shifted over to the other short man in the vicinity, guarded off from the rest of the party. "Vegeta nice to see you again."
"Hmph…"
"Well great, this isn't awkward at all," Bulla chimed in, with a small chuckle as she glanced down to her phone, getting the looks from both Trunks and Marron in utter confusion.
"Bulla–" Trunks cut in about scolding his sister for the comment.
"Trunks, how are things at Capsule Corporation since taking over again?" 18 asked. The question almost threw him off, his brain instinctively going into his corporate thinking. It hasn't been that long since he took over, so there wasn't that much to gloat about.
"Well, good, actually we're gearing up to make another acquisition, but I can't spill too many details," Trunks replied. In truth, the acquisition was currently a pissing battle between him and the other shareholders on whether it should even happen. Including his mother.
"I take it you must be pretty busy then?" Krillin asked, his smile warm, but his eyes were analyzing Trunks' every move.
"Oh, yeah – all the time," Trunks exhaled, a faux smile gracing his lips as he hooked his arm around Marron's shoulder. "But y'know...never busy enough for Mar–"
"Eugh! Don't give us the deets," Bulla gagged. Wasn't Bulla the same one excited about Marron and him dating him? What's with the sudden change? Marron figured it was probably just that she was just in a mood.
"Do you like…mind?" Trunks shot a glare at his younger sister, who rolled her eyes dramatically at him. Why did she always insist on being a pain? Trunks would never know.
"Sorry, sorry, just trying to fill the air," Bulla huffed as she kept tapping away on her phone. "It's awkward as is."
Marron blew some air out of her nose, almost as if she were trying to laugh. "It's okay, Bulla, this is new for all of us," she replied, her hand snaking Trunks arm off her shoulder…yet somehow ending up with his finger laced between hers.
"Well, it's good that you guys aren't totally lost in the honeymoon phase!" Krillin cut in cheerfully. "I know Marron definitely can–"
18 quickly nudged her elbow against her husband, stopping him from speaking. "Marron can be a bit of a romantic." Marron being thankful her mom stopped her dad from spilling any embarrassing information.
"You know, you guys don't need to delve into the specifics–" Marron began, her free hand held up. Though her mom was tactful, she also could say some embarrassing things about her
"Oh no, I'd love to hear about it!" Trunks placed a hand on his chin, leaning against the dining table with a grin on his lips. His eyes lazily scanned her up and down. How much more insufferable could he get?
"No. You. Don't"
"Dinner is ready," Bulma announced, as she nestled into her seat between Bulla and Vegeta.
"Finally." Everyone glanced over to the gruff Saiyan momentarily. He was quiet, and when he spoke, it genuinely surprised all the guests.
Waitstaff came into the room with multiple platters of food. Fortunately, they knew of all the Saiyan's eating habits, so the surprise of the amount of food was not anticipated. Charcuterie boards lined the center of the table, with meals catering to everyone's dietary habits.
Bulma knew the ins and outs of just about everyone in the room, it seemed. Marron glanced down to her plate to find lobster thermidor served with a glass of chardonnay. Admittedly, Marron was fond of all seafood, given she grew up mainly eating fish. This was no exception.
"So, what did I miss?" Bulma asked as she looked around the table, before taking a bite out of her food.
"Nothing," Bulla replied, not even looking up from the plate, causing Trunks to roll his eyes at her.
"Well, we were just catching up with Trunks, he has been doing such a fantastic job with Capsule Corp," Krillin said as he wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin.
"I know, it's like Vegeta's idea of a space excursion helped him get his head straight," Bulma giggled. Marron looked up, was that the reason he was sent out? She remembered back when she had just started to attend university and visited Capsule Corp. She recalled Trunks was constantly ditching work for other reasons.
Trunks swallowed his bite of food, staring at his mother, who seemingly showered him with compliments out of nowhere. "You guys know I'm right here, right?"
Bulma chose to ignore that, looking towards the younger blonde. "Say Marron, what brought you guys together – last I remember you had quite the dislike towards Trunks?" Bulma asked, watching as Marron squirmed in her seat slightly.
"Yeah, I'd love to know this too, enlighten us," 18 said as she leaned her hand against her cheek, glancing at her daughter with the same icy stare she usually held.
"Well uh…" Marron's hands began to fidget under the table. Six pairs of eyes were burning into her, including Vegeta, whose eyes were like daggers threatening to chop her down. She looked up at Trunks for any sight of support. "Trunks, why don't you–" Her voice quickly shut off the minute she felt his hand on hers, stopping the anxiety-induced hand movements.
"Ah…I think you said it best," Trunks began, with a chuckle as he glanced over to her. How would he bullshit this? Marron did it so eloquently in front of Goten, what is stopping her now? "But…sure, why not…we uh, found ourselves in a unique situation and…" Trunks paused, trying to stop himself from using any filler words.
What is something he liked about Marron? She could be annoying, insufferable at times, but there was something about the way she held herself in most situations. The air of her fake confidence and inflated ego that drove him nuts. "I think I fell for her fire…and stubbornness."
He glanced down, watching as her cheeks grew red, but her eyes remained looking down. Something about that made him let out a soft exhale out the nose, and a soft smile grace his lips.
"That's so sweet, y'know…Marron would be the second–" Bulma began before Bulla cut in.
"Marron, what about you?" It was a more pointed question from Bulla, but it seemed to have a reason, almost like Bulla was trying to stop Bulma from saying the wrong thing.
"Me?" Marron's eyes grew wide, she thought she could escape the question. "Well uh," she looked back up to Trunks, their eyes met and did not tear away. His hands staying atop hers. It was a strange sensation that was stirring within her. "Trunks can be an ass, but–" she said before stopping herself. She didn't need to insult him in front of everyone…she could just say the truth. "I feel myself with him."
"Hm…" 18 said as she held up the glass of her red wine to her lips. "Are you guys planning on getting married?"
The question made Trunks' eyes widen in shock. "W-Well, it's only been two months– I–"
"So it's a no?" 18 pressed.
Marron's head felt like it was spinning. Marrying Trunks? She was having trouble coping with fake dating him. "Ah– I think it's a bit soon for such things, right?"
"Laying it on thick huh, hon?" Krillin asked, a slight chuckle as he continued to eat.
"I just wanted to make sure," 18 said as she sipped her wine, resuming to finish her food.
"Ah, but they would have such cute babies, right?" Bulma cooed, looking at the duo in question.
Trunks' hand squeezed Marron's incredibly tight, almost as if he was refraining from bursting out in some kind of emotion that would give them away. Kids? With Trunks? Marron silently prayed this evening would finally come to some sort of end.
"You guys–" Bulla began noticing Marron's discomfort from the get go.
"I only want the potential for powerful grandchildren, their looks are indifferent," Vegeta chimed in as he glared down at Marron. "I'm not sure if this will bear any fruit."
"And what does that mean, Vegeta?" 18 asked, her voice getting threateningly low.
"Exactly what it means…to–" Vegeta said, before Bulma burst out laughing
"Haha…" Bulma began, as her hands fanned, attempting to dissuade any flames before they began to rise. "Saiyans will be Saiyans."
"You guys, honestly, we haven't even thought of anything of the sort and probably won't for a long time." Marron was not about to have an entire conversation with her fake boyfriend's family about the potential for warrior babies. She just wanted to get through the evening peacefully.
"Yeah, agreed," Trunks nodded, relieved Marron was putting a stop to this.
The group was nearly done with their dinner, and as Bulma stood up to straighten out her dress, she called the wait staff to collect the food. "Alright, dessert should be out shortly, while we wait…I do have cute baby pictures to show you guys," Bulma cooed. 18, Krillin, Bulla all walked behind a giggling Bulma as Trunks quickly ran behind them.
"Do not show them mine!" Trunks shouted, leaving Marron and Vegeta alone in the dining room.
Marron watched Vegeta from the corner of her eye. This man hated her, truly. What…was she not good enough for the Sayian Prince? Marron eyed him from behind the chair, her blue eyes icy as she watched his every move. She could be meek when she wanted, but she had enough self respect to stand on her own two feet when needed
The man was eyeing her like prey. Why did they leave him alone with her! "Do you have something to say?" Vegeta asked. "It's rude to stare."
Marron held her tongue, she saw where Trunks got it from. "Likewise," Marron replied as she gingerly pushed in the chair.
Vegeta grumbled as he readjusted his body to fully face her, his arms crossed against his chest whilst doing so. "You truly believe you are worthy of being with Saiyan royalty?" Vegeta's words cut like a knife.
Marron was worthy, she was worthy of being with anyone of her choosing. "Why do you think I'm not worthy of your son?" Marron asked as she turned her body now to face him fully, her icicle-like eyes attempting to calculate his move.
"No," Vegeta responded plainly. "You are worthless to the Saiyan bloodline, really," the smirk on his lips irked her. It was filled with the self-satisfaction of tearing her down. "You're weak," Vegeta pushed further to see what kind of reaction she would give him.
She licked her teeth, she needed to calm herself down before she exploded on the man. She didn't need a detractor from the fake relationship…it was more than enough to have Trunks and her bickering.
"Oh," Marron tried to keep her anger in check, but she could feel her face growing hot at his comments. She knew she had a tendency to have her ki flare in the most inopportune times. Given half the people in the building knew how to read energy, she didn't want to tip anyone off. "I guess I am, hm?"
He stared at the blonde woman, who just silently stared at him. Something inside him said she was holding back, but why? "Tell me girl, has Trunks ever told you about his past lover?" Vegeta asked. "Because I find it increasingly difficult to believe he'd choose you."
Marron wracked her brain, trying to remember if Trunks has spoken of a girlfriend before. She recalls something about them growing apart, but that's a normal sentiment for such long-term relationships. "I am a perfectly acceptable option," she responded, her voice guarded with a stoic tone.
"I take it he hasn't," Vegeta's smirk remained, almost as if he was trying to one up her at any given chance. "I believed her to be a suitable mate, at least she had the will to fight — a perfect match for a Saiyan."
Marron's lack of reaction was unnerving to Vegeta. Was she also emotionally stunted from being born from an Android? Impossible, he recalled many times her snotty nosed tears as a child over the smallest things. She had something in her back pocket that Vegeta wanted to extract.
"I'm sure she was," Marron replied dejectedly. Was this man comparing her to whoever his ex was? If Marron was actually dating Trunks…this is crossing a line. But, Marron remained composed. Could someone come and save her from this conversation? "I recognize I may not be what you expected."
"You will not be here long," Vegeta said as he pushed the chair in. Almost like a final futile effort to break down her walls. "The boy is still broken-hearted over her –pathetic."
And, for some odd reason, that almost set Marron off. Not the part that she won't be around for long, that went without saying. It was the comment about Trunks being brokenhearted. "What do you mean?" Marron asked, falling right into Vegeta's trap.
"It should go without saying, my son has immense strength…but he lacks the spine and grit of a Saiyan," Vegeta stated matter-of-factly. And there again, that bothered Marron. Trunks may be an ass, but he was part human too – he didn't deserve to have his character dragged through the mud because he didn't have such a guarded personality like his father. "He's already soft, you would make him weak...at least his previous woman didn't lack in her pride and strength."
What was that supposed to mean? "Vegeta,"
Marron carefully began to craft her words. "You don't know the first thing about me," her voice dripped in acid as she watched him from the corner of her eye. "You make crass
statements about me, as if they were fact."The flame-haired prince walked up to her, facing her directly with his arms folded over his chest.
Despite being short in stature, he towered over her. "What?"
"And even if I cared for your opinion," Marron replied, "it still wouldn't change that I know that I am enough." She was done entertaining him, all he was trying to do was get a reaction out of her. But it still bothered her… Trunks wasn't brokenhearted, was he? She wasn't even aware he had been in such an important long-term relationship."You know the girl," Vegeta said, a smirk on his lips, "well, you knew her."
Marron paused, mouth slightly agape at his revelation, was he referring to Mai? She remembered her vaguely, she hadn't the slightest idea that they even dated. Judging from Vegeta's words, it was something serious. "What does that have to do with anything?" Marron asked as her stare hardened.
"You should know," Vegeta glowered at her.
"Marron!" A panicked Trunks burst through the door, he did the one thing Goten told him
not to do. He sensed the tension as his father's eyes glared at him. He carefully grabbed Marron's arm, who was still staring at Vegeta with the same glare.
"Let's go Trunks."
The two found themselves alone in the atrium in the center of the residential wing of Capsule Corp. The pale glow of the moon shining between them from the glass ceiling as Trunks knelt down to Marron's level on the bench. His hand clasped over hers as she glanced dejectedly towards the cobblestone path. Did his dad hurt her? A panicked look struck him as he searched her face to find any sign of pain.
"You okay?" Trunks asked as he looked up at her, "I'm sorry Marron, I didn't know you were alone with him."
Marron shook her head as she patted the seat beside her, beckoning the hybrid to sit. "Your dad did nothing; he's intimidating — sure, but I think he means well," she began. "If we were actually dating, I'd be livid at the insults… but hey, that's not what's happening."
Trunks knitted his brows together, searching Marron's expression for any sign of emotion. The girl had thrown up her walls again. "What did he tell you?" Trunks grip on her hand tightened. He couldn't understand why he was getting defensive? It's not like it mattered…it shouldn't matter…but his blood boiled at the sight of seeing her so…empty. This wasn't like her.
"He brought up Mai…" Marron said, tilting her head as she played with the hem of her dress. "I guess it was supposed to mean something, but I honestly didn't spend too much time trying to make sense of it," Marron continued as she glanced over to Trunks, whose expression had turned into something unreadable.
Mai? Why Mai? Of all people, why bring her up? His voice was caught in his throat, unable to produce a response. Though many years have passed, that old flame still burned faintly in the back of his mind. Marron wasn't aware of the extent of his relationship with her…it wasn't her place to know, was it?
But was that actually fair to Marron? She laid everything out to him, displayed her most vulnerable moments about her feelings for Goten; the continuous failures, her insecurities, she trusted him. "So…I've been open and honest with you, haven't I?" Marron asked softly, not being able to look Trunks in the eye.
Trunks hitched his breath. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and part of him wasn't ready to lay it bare for her. He licked his lips nervously, "Yes, sometimes brutally," Trunks replied.
"I told you how I felt about Goten, pretty extensively in fact," Marron's voice was faltering, "did you just…not want to tell me about Mai?"
His heart rattled against his chest, Marron's eyes brimming with disappointment. An emotion he didn't expect from her, of all people… and in truth he didn't want her to look at him that way ever again. "I—" Trunks couldn't get the words out, it was as if there was a block around his vocal chords. "I wanted to tell you."
"I felt like we were becoming friends," Marron replied as her hands pushed back the blonde tresses away from her face. "I've relied on you a lot, more than I want to admit..." She bit her lip, holding herself back from saying anything that would come across as incriminating to the secret whispers in the back of her mind.
"W-We are friends," Trunks emphasized, turning his body towards her, reaching for her hands. "I just…didn't know how to talk about these kinds of things, I mean — not even a month ago, we could hardly hold a proper conversation."
Marron sighed as she nodded softly. "You're right," she bit out, "I guess, when we made this stupid arrangement, and I let you in such a vulnerable place — I thought you'd reciprocate." A stupid idea to think of, she wasn't sure why she even felt like she deserved to know anything about him. She wasn't entitled to his life, nor is he to hers. "I'm sorry, this is stupid," Marron muttered as she looked to the side, groaning as she threw her face into her hands.
"No, it's not," Trunks fastened his resolve. "How are we going to pretend to be in a relationship when we hardly know the first thing about each other?" Her words were caught in her throat. There was a silence between the two. But Trunks' eyes drilled into her as his grip tightened on her hands. "We don't talk much," Trunks emphasized, "all we do is bicker."
"Marron, I've told you…I'm going to learn everything about you, and you'll have to do the same for me… got it?"
She stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. "You know Trunks, if I didn't know any better, it sounds like you're falling for me," she teased, trying to ease the passion in his words. She took to it quickly, and if she was with anyone else, she'd melt into a puddle over such a sentence. But she knew better.
"Yeah, okay," Trunks scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That will never happen."
Marron chuckled in response, glad she could lighten the mood. She stood up and stretched, staring up at the moon that shone through the glass ceiling. "You know, for as much as I have come to your family's house, I hardly spent time here."
Trunks stood up, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Really," Trunks said, casting a side glance over to her with a small smile on his lips. "Do you wanna take a walk around?"
She nodded, a soft smile on her lips as she walked side by side to him. There was a massive fountain sitting dead center in the atrium, still sputtering out water upwards. The air in the room was chillier. It could be from how cold the outdoors have been, but Marron's arms are filled with goosebumps. There were tall palms, likely to grant shade during the day, but they were cowering over them. The duo walked down the cobblestone path.
"Okay, so since we want to get to know each other, tell me about space," Marron's face was a bit brighter than earlier. Strangely enough, this was a relief to Trunks. An admission he would never say out loud.
"Well, what do you want to know?" He asked as he stared over to her. "I've basically spent all my twenties there."
"Well…what's it like?" Marron's eyes were wide, like a child yearning for adventure. It dawned on him, Marron had never been to space, nor has she seen half of the things he'd seen whilst traversing planet to planet.
Marron lived an average life, without any true space adventure. There were so many beautiful and horrifying things laying dormant out there, and there was a small whisper within him wishing he could share those memories with someone.
Trunks snapped out of his short-lived stupor. "Boring, lonely…very vast." A half-truth, he found space boring when it was just him traversing through planets like Imecka with nothing but a small droid to keep him company.
"Ah…" Marron's voice was soft. Her eyes looked back at his forearms, remembering the scars that laced around his arms. "Well, I noticed you had some scars…so I wondered if…"
Trunks paused, a cocky grin tugging at the corner of his lip. "Are you checking me out, Chestnut?" He knows Marron wasn't the kind to ogle him, but it was an interesting observation nonetheless.
Marron's cheeks grew furiously red. "W-Wha– no…I just happened to notice it, so I wondered about it" He should know by now that she was not looking at him that way. At least, that's what she thought to herself.
"It's okay, I'm known to be irresistible." He expected that response, but Marron's reaction was not. She felt as her heart beat rapidly, glancing over to Trunks for milliseconds at a time.
"Yeah, sure," Marron scoffed as she flipped her ponytail behind her. The soft heat emanating off her cheeks sizzling down as she felt herself regain control of her emotions. "Irresistible to who?"
"Ouch, my girlfriend doesn't find me attractive?" Trunks replied, a hand pressed against his chest. There was something about the way the moonlight shined on him that drew her to cast more gratuitous glances at him. She tried to squash the implications of her wandering eyes. "You know how to drive a knife into my heart, Marron."
"And you know exactly what buttons to press to get me in a bad mood," Marron's lips graced a cheeky grin.
"Oh come on, we both know you can't stay mad at me for long," Trunks' smirk gave away that this was the case for him. It was true, she found herself unable to stay mad at him – a change that's slowly snaked around her as of late.
"I beg to differ, I think I stayed pretty peeved at you for five years," she turned her nose up, holding her laughter as she watched him from the corner of her eye.
"Oh come on," Trunks began, crossing his arms. "It was a little singe, besides your hair grew back," he approached her just a bit, playing with the ends of her hair. The slight movement made Marron jump. The sensation of his fingers twiddling with her hair made her skin fill with goosebumps from the surprise.
There was a momentary pause as Marron looked over to Trunks, her eyes watching as he seemed a bit entranced by the blonde hair. "I wonder if I had sucked it up and did it, would I have been in a different situation then?"
Trunks blinked, snapping out of his spell as his gaze changed noticeably. In truth, he had completely forgotten about Goten at that point. A dangerous thought…it seemed like lines were blurring more and more as of late. "I don't know…don't we all have regrets like that?" Trunks asked, dropping the ends of her hair. "I think Goten's just blind, as annoying as you may be, you're great."
"So, am I allowed to know?" Marron asked, glancing up at him with curiosity in her blue eyes. "About her?"
Trunks let out a labored breath, nodding as he couldn't find it within himself to look her in the eye as the story of the woman he loved resurfaced in his mind. "I don't know if you remember Mai, I had a huge crush on her," he stared out into the sky. "She was beautiful," a soft smile on his lips.
His voice was so warm as he remembered her, even his face was lit up with an expression she'd never seen. Marron's eyes grew as she listened to him speak. "We were together for some time, and… she taught me a lot… about myself, about being a good partner to someone." There was love interwoven in every word. He spoke of Mai the way she wished Goten would speak of her.
That made it all the harder for Marron. She could hear his voice becoming more strained as he attempted to continue through his story. The tenderness in his voice, the raw emotion simply pouring out of him. She didn't realize he was capable of being so multi-faceted. Trunks shook his head, letting out a sad laugh. "She'd conveniently left out a crucial piece of info about herself—" Trunks paused, looking up at the moon in the center of the Atrium. Though the emotion wracked through him, he managed to choke out the words.
"She was thirty-three years older than me," Trunks swallowed hard, watching Marron's expression fall.
"What?" Marron's tone was full of disbelief, while she searched in Trunks' eyes. To her, this seemed impossible. Marron met Mai. She saw her age with Trunks. "What are you talking about, Trunks..." There was a sense of mistrust, but he wouldn't produce such a raw reaction if it weren't true. "Trunks, she was a child, we all met her!"
Trunks shook his head, his voice seemed to falter as he pushed his hair back. "She… wasn't…" Trunks replied softly. "She and the rest of the Pilaf gang wished themselves into the body of a kid; her mind was still that of an adult."
"Well, I mean…" Marron started, at a loss for words, as she pushed her hair back and looked up at Trunks, whose expression went from a warm and tender gaze into something much sadder and forlorn. "Age is just a number, right...you could make it work, can't you?"
Trunks gave a sad smile. "They all started forgetting."
The revelation caused Marron to gasp silently, covering her lips as she saw the pain that plagued his eyes. If she was in a horrible spot with Goten, Trunks had it far worse. Much worse than she would have ever imagined. "I noticed when she started confusing me for my mother, and talking about a kid named Goku…after talking to Pilaf and Shu… we decided it'd be best to wish them back to their original age, then maybe it'd reverse the effects of the wish."
"Trunks…" Marron responded softly, her eyes brimming with sadness. Trunks, over anyone, understood her…she saw that now. He suffered with these feelings silently, knowing the woman he loved was somewhere. Marron threw her arms around him, tightening her embrace as Trunks stood there…shocked. "I'm sorry." He looked down at the shorter blonde, unsure of what to do. He felt paralyzed…by his emotion or by the physical sensation of feeling Marron comfort him.
Why was she comforting him? Trunks could feel as his voice disappeared; verbalizing the story is never easy. Trunks never allowed himself to be vulnerable around anyone.
But around Marron…Why was she so gentle with him? Why wasn't she screaming at him or teasing him? Trunks pulled her from him, still close enough to feel her breath against his skin. Her eyes blink away any tears as she stood on the tips of her toes. Her soft hands reached up, cupping the side of his face as she looked him in the eyes. He didn't realize he was crying.
She allowed him to cry, to mourn the loss in a safe space, something he'd never truly accomplished. Trunks stared down into Marron's eyes and found himself drowning in her impossibly clear ponds of blue. He could feel his heart pound hard against his chest. That was an unfamiliar sensation. The tip of her nose was red, likely from the tears, and her lips… slightly parted. The soft light of the evening made him see her in a different light, and Trunks wasn't sure if he could resist the urges thrumming through him.
She sighed softly as her hands still remained on his cheek. Their faces were so incredibly close… and she wasn't running away. This was him at his most delicate, and his most vulnerable, hurt and lovelorn and seeking comfort. She sensed it in his eyes as his hands cupped her flushed cheeks as her face stayed tilted towards him.
"If you don't pull away, then I won't be able to stop…" Trunks whispered, his nose barely grazing against hers as he pulled her body closer.
They were past the point of no return; Marron could hardly focus. She was truly melting into a puddle in his grasp, his touch…. Who was this Trunks standing before her, and where did the insufferable man who teased her go? Maybe beneath the surface there was an emotion bubbling that Marron didn't anticipate. Why couldn't she pull away from his tender gaze, and hot yet gentle touch? She closed her eyes, surrendering to the desire.
But before their lips met, Bulla squealed… just a bit too loud. Making the two tear apart, snapping out of whatever spell they were under. Their faces were deep red as they separated. What had overcome them?
"Giru. Body heat index irregularly high, Giru."Trunks gritted his teeth, as he glanced over to Marron, watching as she avoided looking at him in the eye. "Bulla, what are you doing here?"
The teen held the phone in her hand, her head tilted. "Trying to get evidence for Pan…"Trunks groaned, covering his face in embarrassment. There was already so much that just occurred that Trunks did not expect. Almost kissing Marron was definitely not one of them.
"Leave!"
He watched from the corner of his eye as his sister dashed away, turning back to the red-faced blonde. "Don't even…" Marron stated, covering her lips with the tips of her fingers, "let's pretend that never happened."
Trunks nodded, but felt a pang of sadness wave through him. That wasn't the reaction he expected to hear nor expected.
Bulla sat alone in her room, a pout on her lips as she stared at Giru, who she had propped up on ribbons. She had taken off her makeup and is currently in her favorite fuzzy robe. She just didn't understand why Trunks and Marron acted with such push and pull. Bulla groaned as she laid on her back. "Giru, I just don't get it," she said. Great…now she was talking to the robot. "Trunks and Marron are dating, but won't even kiss."
"Giru. Affirmative they are dating. Giru." The droid blinked, not even panicked at this point as he laid in the ribbons.
"So okay," Bulla sat up, staring at the small robot. "You are like Trunks' pet or whatever–" she said approaching it, "don't you worry about him?"
Giru didn't reply, just staying silent by Trunks' orders. Causing Bulla to frustratedly throw her hands into the air. She just didn't get it, they were so close. She watched the whole time and nothing! There was so much passion in that one small interaction, she was sure there was something there.
"Giru, I know you know something," Bulla groaned as she threw her pillow on her face. "Please, I promise I won't tell anyone what is with them?" Bulla asked. Give her a sign? Some kind of hope?
Giru's red light blinked. "Do you promise? Giru."
"Promise," Bulla said as she approached the little droid.
Giru didn't seem too keen on giving her the information, but it seemed like the sentient droid decided to trust Bulla."Trunks and angry blonde lady helping each other. Giru, Giru. Not in love." Giru replied, his red light blinking once more, making Bulla's eyes widen in shock in response.
Suddenly, everything clicked for the bluenette. The haphazard way they got together, the awkward tension. It all made sense. However, what she witnessed…told her something different. Two adults who are faking a relationship wouldn't almost kiss when no one was watching, especially the two who had sworn to everyone they knew they couldn't stand each other.
There was something brewing in them, and as far as Bulla was concerned, that meant she still had a bet to win.
AN: that was long... Hope you all enjoyed. let me know what you think. love you all! :p i had a mix up with the editing software so if there are any weird formatting issues this chapter. please call me out on it. I tried to catch all of them but I might have missed one or two