Good times for a change

See, the luck I've had can make a good man turn bad

So please, please, please

Let me, let me, let me

Let me get what I want this time

Wake up…

He floated down to the depths of a sea that he knew nothing of. As the sun dimmed behind the waving water, a distant whisper swirled around his ears.

Wake up…

The soft voice swaddled him like a warm blanket. Was it his mother's, or did it belong to the one his heart yearned for?

I said wake up.

The voice struck his eardrums harsher than before. With a deeper and more aggressive tone, could it be his father, Zangetsu, or one of his close friends all along?

Within a few seconds, the whisper came from behind him.

What the hell are you doing?

The proximity didn't frighten him. Rather, the voice itself pierced his core. It sounded nothing like his previous guesses.

A pale, white hand reached out from behind him and slammed its open palm onto his nose and mouth. Unable to move or scream, Trunks could only hyperventilate as the unknown person pulled him under.

When I speak, you listen.

He couldn't turn and see the face, but he recognized the voice. It was maniacal, but without a doubt, it belonged to him.

Now, for the last time…

The fingers tightened around his cheeks. The breath of the man behind wafted into his ear.

WAKE UP!

Trunks' eyes shot open with an audible gasp. He sat up, only to see that he no longer floated in the water. He wore a hospital gown under the covers of a bed.

"Look who's finally awake." Trunks turned to Goten smiling. His friend sat in a bed next to him, clothed in the same gown. "How's it going, sleepyhead? Had a bad dream?"

The sunshine beaming through the window next to Goten caused Trunks to narrow his gaze. "What's going on? Where are we?"

"The Squad Four barracks. You've been out for two days."

"Two days? But… What happened? Where's Aizen?"

"Well, to sum it up, our dads fused and kicked the daylights out of him. Then a barrier sealed him up, and we brought him back with us. Oh yeah, and then another Espada came and tried to suck us into a black hole, but Grimmjow came back to save us. Regarding Aizen, Toshiro told me his trial is in four days."

"Uh-huh. That all sounds… eventful."

"I know I didn't explain it well, but I'm sure Ichigo can fill you in on everything when he comes back."

"He's here?"

Goten nodded. "He went to Karakura to get some snacks, but he'll be back soon. Toshiro swung by before but had to leave for some captain business."

"So… no one else came?"

Goten scratched his head as his smile left his face. "Uh… no. If you're talking about a certain captain, I haven't seen her, but I could imagine that she's busy these days. Unohana could be keeping our visitor list short, too. Either way, I'm sure she'd drop by if she could."

Trunks crashed back into his bed and stared at the ceiling. After Aizen humiliated him on a live video feed, word had probably spread throughout the Seireitei of his failure. No one would look in his direction after they heard such a damning thing. The thought of going outside made him uncomfortable. He wanted to crawl out of his skin and hide.

He couldn't figure why Soi Fon would ever want to see an embarrassment like him again.

She hates you. You're too weak.

"What?" Trunks shot his head to the doorway to find who whispered to him. A few Soul Reapers passed by, but nobody stood at the entrance.

"Something wrong?" Goten asked.

Trunks turned to his friend. "I just… thought I heard something."

Before they said another word, Ichigo entered with a plastic bag over his shoulder. "Sorry I took so long. There was a long line and this old woman in front of me started paying in change-" His face lit up once Trunks turned toward him. "Hey, it's a good thing I bought extra! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, but isn't it Monday?" Trunks asked. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"Took a sick day. I wanted to make sure you guys were okay. You were in a coma and Goten's had muscle spasms since we left Hueco Mundo."

"Muscle spasms?" Trunks shifted his eyes to Goten. "You didn't tell me that. What happened?"

"Yeah, about that…" Goten said. "After you got hurt, I kinda lost it and used the Kaioken. It ended up shredding my muscles and giving me spasms. I'm a lot better now, but Unohana put me on a limited energy diet. I can't do anything but fly for three months."

"Three months?! Are you serious?"

"Yeah. It sucks, but I'll be back and better than ever."

"Goten… you could've died."

"I know, I know. You're the fourth person to tell me that." Goten stared out of the window. His tone softened as he continued. "But… I just lost it. I thought you were gonna die, and if you did, that would be it. There'd be nothing I could do to bring you back."

You should have.

The voice appeared louder than before. Trunks sprung up and clutched his forehead.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Ichigo asked.

Trunks removed his hand. "… just a headache."

"Well, let's just all be glad we're alive. Also, I talked to Unohana, and she said you guys can get discharged on Wednesday. Now, how about we just take it easy and crack open these chips?"

Goten agreed, and Trunks sat back as Ichigo passed out the bags. As Ichigo and Goten lightened the mood with conversation, Trunks peered at his chips.

In the end, they won. They beat their enemy and lived to tell the tale. However, Trunks couldn't shake the pervasive sadness.

He couldn't share the joy of life with his friends.

Once two days of rest and recovery passed, the half-Saiyans gained permission to leave the Squad Four barracks. On the Wednesday morning when Ichigo attended school, they freed themselves from their gowns and dressed in the clothes they arrived in.

Goten tied his blue obi around his waist. "Man, only four days left till we leave for school. We better make the most of our time here. Did you wanna do anything today?"

"Actually, I was planning on heading back to Kisuke's," Trunks answered while he slid his arms through his jacket.

"Oh, sure. I probably should get back to the barracks anyway-"

Two knocks on the doorframe followed by a sing-song call interrupted Goten. "Knock, knock. Anybody home?"

Goten sighed. "Yes, and we're very naked. Don't come in."

Rangiku entered with a smile. "How gullible do you think I am?"

"I don't think you're gullible. I just wanted to see if you'd do it or not. What if we really were naked?"

"Then I'd slap you both for harassment."

"I… I'm not sure that's how it works. But anyway, where's Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya entered and leaned against the frame. "I stayed outside in case you weren't bluffing. Now come on, there's a surprise waiting for you."

The two Saiyans raised their eyebrows. "A surprise?"

"Yes, and you don't want to miss it, so we better hurry."

Trunks and Goten followed Toshiro and Rangiku out of their room and through a hallway.

"So what kind of surprise are we talking about?" Goten asked.

"It would ruin the surprise if we told you," Rangiku said.

"If you wait five seconds, you'll find out," Hitsugaya said.

As the anticipation continued to build, Toshiro opened a door to the outside. Goten and Trunks walked out in front, but jumped back when a boisterous roar of cheers erupted in front of them.

Goten's mouth shot open in awe. "Whoa, you're kidding. All of this is for us?!"

Toshiro nodded. "They wanted to show their appreciation for helping us defeat Aizen."

"Haha, this is unreal! It's like everyone in the Seireitei is here!"

"Take the moment in. I'm uncertain if we've ever done something like this, but given the situation, I guess they made an exception for a couple of outsiders."

Trunks found it difficult to share in his friend's elation. The sun's unforgiving rays shined down from the faded sky and narrowed his gaze. Every voice from the crowd blended and slammed his eardrums in unison. As Goten pranced into the crowd, Trunks lowered his eyes to the ground and followed behind.

Out of the multitude of hands that patted him and voices that thanked him, none seemed genuine. They probably gossiped about him once he walked away. The thousands of eyes fixed on him induced paranoia, and the number of people nearby suffocated him. However, if he could get through and not cause a scene, it would all end. Goten lost himself in the crowd, leaving Trunks to trudge across the cramped sea of people.

He remained oblivious to everyone, even Soi Fon, who tried to say hello when he passed her by.

He continued to push past bodies until one stepped in front of him and spoke in his ear. "Hey, would you mind doing a quick interview?"

The numeric face tattoo of Shuhei Hisagi greeted Trunks' eyes. "Um… sure." Once he agreed, he found a voice recorder shoved in front of his mouth.

"How do you feel now that Aizen's been detained?"

"Um…" Trunks shrugged his shoulders and huffed out. "I dunno. I'm glad it's over."

The surrounding people squeezed them together, leading Shuhei to withdraw his voice recorder. "It's too loud. We'll talk later."

Trunks nodded and carried on with his exit. After a few more moments of slipping past several shihakusho-cloaked bodies, he escaped. Once he breathed again, he turned and glanced at the crowd once more. Though he didn't see him, Trunks heard Goten's voice and noted how happy he sounded. He probably exchanged playful banter with a Squad Ten member or another Soul Reaper he'd gotten to know over his time in the Soul Society. Either way, a hero deserved a celebration and close embrace like this. They should celebrate Goten; not a coward like him.

He stepped away and flew toward the Senkaimon. Once he crossed over and entered the World of the Living, the frigid winds of early March blew onto his cheek and swept his hair. He ignored it and took advantage of his aerial position to observe Karakura Town. The fight that took place during their Hueco Mundo invasion left no damage he could note. However, he could see rescue teams still searching through the rubble that Nnoitra and Tesla left behind in the downtown area.

He killed Nnoitra, but he couldn't kill the true mastermind behind the attack. Their blood and ashes still stained his hands.

Trunks glided down to his final destination: Urahara's shop. He inhaled, then entered through the sliding door. Kisuke and Tessai engaged in a round of Uno at the small table in the center of the room.

"Well, look who's returned," Kisuke said with a smile. "How do you do, Mr. Briefs?"

"I'm fine," Trunks said. "Can't complain."

"A little birdy told me you got a big surprise once you left Squad Four."

"Yeah, it was cool, I guess."

"Is everything okay? You don't seem too peachy."

"Guess I'm just tired. I was coming back to take a nap, anyway."

"Go ahead. After everything, you could use some rest."

Trunks pressed his lips together and nodded. When he slid the door open, Kisuke stopped him.

"Before you go, we're all glad you're okay."

Trunks thanked him, then entered his room and shut the door behind him. He plopped down on his mattress and pulled himself under a quilt.

At that moment, he expressed gratitude that Jinta was at school. Trunks couldn't uphold a facade around him. The solitude gave him space for his mind to wander, but even that proved to overwhelm him.

Too many thoughts entered his mind to sift through, several too sensitive to scratch the surface of. Though the events from the last two weeks infiltrated his mind, he preferred them over leaving the comfort of his bed. Outside, he feared shame, judgment, and guilt. If he had his way, he'd choose to stay in the same spot forever. However, he only had four days until he needed to integrate back into society in Universe Seven.

For the time being, he pushed issues and introspection to the side. His eyelids drifted down, and his thoughts subside to grant him the reprieve of sleep.

As the crowd dispersed and returned to their duties, Soi Fon journeyed back to her quarters alone. She kicked a stone a few feet in front of her.

Why would he ignore her in front of all of those people? Didn't he realize how embarrassed she'd feel? He didn't care like she had believed before.

Soi Fon caught up to the stone and gave it another kick, sending it rolling farther than before. A deepening scowl appeared as she continued on her path.

Two could play that game if need be. She'd return the favor and have him find out how much he enjoyed the cold shoulder. She walked to the stone again and kicked it with more force, skipping it out of sight.

Trunks made everything more complex, which only led to distracting thoughts. She couldn't bear the impracticality of it all. If only she could tear all of her emotions out and maintain a singular focus on her duties, but that proved impossible. His face wouldn't exit her mind. Did she want to stop thinking about him? What was wrong with her?

"You'll start getting wrinkles in your face if you keep frowning like that." Soi Fon perked up and swiveled to her former superior's smile.

"Lady Yoruichi!" Soi Fon gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just in the neighborhood paying Yushiro a visit. Then he started annoying me, so I found Byakuya, but he didn't seem too happy to see me. And now I'm here watching you daydream about a certain someone with lavender hair."

"I wasn't daydreaming! I was just… thinking."

"Well, whatever it was, you looked like you were about to blow steam out of your ears. How about we go somewhere a bit more secluded and talk?"

A Flash Step caused Yoruichi disappeared. Soi Fon followed, and within a moment, she led them to a lush forest. Yoruichi chose a hulking tree that stood above the others as her resting spot. She sat down at the midpoint of a branch, while Soi Fon opted to stand at its base.

"It's such a beautiful view from up here." Yoruichi gazed down into the woods. "You should show Trunks this before he leaves."

Soi Fon scoffed. "I will if he decides to speak to me."

Yoruichi turned back with a raised eyebrow. "He's ignoring you? What happened?"

"Beats me. I didn't do anything. But when we all gathered in front of the Squad Four barracks, he walked right past me. I stood in that stupid crowd just to see him and he acted like I didn't exist."

"Maybe he just didn't hear you."

"I was so close to him, I could've breathed onto his jacket."

"Huh, that's odd. Well, has anything happened between you two?"

"I haven't spoken to him since he left for Hueco Mundo."

"You didn't visit him while he was recovering?"

Soi Fon's eyes fell to her feet as she put her hand on the back of her head. "No, but I checked on him through his window while he slept."

"But why didn't you go? I'm sure he would've wanted to see you."

"Because… I felt guilty. He shouldn't have had to fight Aizen on his own, and even when I could've helped, I didn't. All of his wounds should've been mine, at least to share. But while he recovered, it didn't feel right to see him."

"I see. So you finally got the nerve to talk to him, and he blew you off. Even if you didn't visit, I can't imagine him ignoring you on purpose. Is there anything else you noticed? Did he look in your direction at all?"

Soi Fon picked her head up. "He didn't. He kept his head low and walked through the crowd. Something about his expression seemed… gloomy. He flew away a few minutes after he saw the crowd."

"You really should note these things before you take something to heart. He's probably still upset about his fight with Aizen, which is understandable considering what we watched. I'd normally say to give him time, but since he might leave any day now, go talk to him."

"Talk to him?" Soi Fon ran a hand up and down her armband. "What would I even say?"

"Just ask him how he's doing. That shouldn't be too hard…" Yoruichi leaned in with a sly grin. "Unless you're nervous."

Soi Fon folded her arms and turned her head away. "Of course I'm not nervous! Why would I be nervous about a simple conversation?!"

"Oh, Soi Fon, it's written all over your face. Come on, you know you can be honest with me."

Soi Fon gritted her teeth, but relented. She slid her back down against the tree and covered her face with her hands. "Okay, maybe I am, but I don't know why. I've never felt like this, especially not toward another man."

"Aw, poor girl. You're just finding yourself in the early stages of love, that's all."

"Love?! Oh no, what does that entail?"

"Lots of things. You're at the infatuation stage now, but then the next step is for you two to go out on a date. You'll go out to a place where the both of you can have fun and learn more about each other. The two of you can touch each other…"

Soi Fon's eyes grew. "T-touch?"

"Hold hands…"

"Holding what?"

"Possibly hug…"

"But hugs are so… invasive."

"And if you really like each other, then you'll lean in and kiss."

Soi Fon dropped her head between her knees. "No, no, no. This is all too much."

"But I haven't talked about the juicy parts yet."

"Please, spare me."

Yoruichi sighed, then fell back from the tree to hang downward. "Well, what do you want to do, then?"

The captain lifted her head but averted her gaze. "I don't know. I want to be close to him, but all of that sounds so strange. Is that what they do in the World of the Living?"

"Mhm. You would only do things when you're ready, of course, and if you're not comfortable, then that's something you guys can talk through."

"But if that's what he's expecting and I can't provide that, then I shouldn't get my hopes up. I'm a Soul Reaper and he's a human that lives in a different world far from here."

"Half-human. Soi Fon, don't deny yourself because you fear the unknown. Here, I'll tell you what. Let's make a list of everything you like about him. Once we weigh the positives and the negatives, you can see if it's worth the effort.

"Lady Yoruichi, is this really necessary?"

"Of course it is. Let's start on something easy: appearance. Do you find him physically attractive?"

"Um… I suppose. He looks fine, but that's not what's important to me."

"Sure, but being attracted to a potential partner is a positive. Moving on, what do you think of his personality?"

"Personality? Well, I've never encountered someone so… nuanced. At first, I thought he was carefree and lazy like Urahara, but that's not the case. He's aware of the situations around him and he trains hard. He's a gentle person, and he tries to be as kind as possible. And when we speak, there's no judgment in his eyes. It's more like… intrigue and curiosity. I can be myself."

"I've noticed the same thing. It makes him an amiable person to get along with."

"But behind those soft eyes, there's fire. In battle, he exudes confidence and shows no mercy. He seems intelligent, and his power is incredible. I don't even understand it, but once I sensed it for the first time, I couldn't take my mind off of it. I'm sorry, am I saying too much?"

"Not at all. Now that you've said all the positives, what about the negatives? What are your least favorite things about his character?"

"Hmm…" Soi Fon leaned back onto the tree and hummed as she pondered the question. "I'm annoyed with the way he succumbs to his fear, and I don't like how he throws himself into danger to save someone's life. He should seize those opportunities to kill the enemy. He can also be too relaxed, sarcastic, persistent, rude, and most recently, foolish."

Yoruichi sat up and straddled the tree. "Well, if he didn't throw himself into danger, then you wouldn't be sitting here right now. "

"I guess you're right, but still… "

"And didn't you almost cut my arm off when I tried to stop you from saving him?"

Soi Fon gasped. "I forgot about that! I am so, so sorry-"

"No need to get so worked up. It's in the past. So, do those negatives outweigh the positives?"

"Well, of course they don't, but what if it doesn't work out?"

Yoruichi slid forward and took Soi Fon's hands into her own. "You can at least say you tried, and I'd say that's better than going on for the next thousand years knowing you didn't. On the flip side, you may meet someone else, so the choice is yours."

After a moment, she raised her eyes and sighed. "I guess it wouldn't kill me to try."

Yoruichi yelped out in excitement. "Ahh, I'm so happy for you!"

"So what's supposed to happen now?"

"Now that you've sorted out your feelings, you two can talk and plan a date together. And tonight will be the perfect event for you to do that. You should wear that lovely necklace he gave you, too."

Soi Fon's eyes narrowed at Yoruichi. "Just a second. How are you so knowledgeable about romance?"

Yoruichi gave a sheepish grin. "Hehe, well, a very long time ago, Kisuke and I used to have… a thing."

"A thing?! With Kisuke?! Kisuke Urahara?! I'm going to be sick."

"We eventually called it off and decided we were better off as friends, but we used to do it all together, even-"

Soi Fon shoved her fingers in her ears. "Please, I've heard enough today."

"Rise and shine, Mr. Briefs," Kisuke whispered after he slid Trunks' door open. The light from the main area shined into the dark bedroom.

Trunks groaned and opened his eyes. He rolled over and squinted at Kisuke. "What time is it?"

"A quarter after five. I'd let you continue resting, but Goten stopped by and asked that you meet him in the Soul Society at six."

"Six? Shit… okay. Thanks for telling me."

Kisuke slid the door back, leaving Trunks in darkness. He'd slept for eight hours and still experienced weariness. He didn't want to get up, but he had no choice. Lifting himself upright proved more difficult than it ever was.

Trunks made it to his feet and stared at his bag of belongings on the floor. What did Goten want in the Soul Society? He hoped it wouldn't be another surprise like before. Either way, he needed to get ready.

He left for the bathroom, and after taking a long, scalding shower, he entered his bedroom to stare at his bag once more. A comfortable outfit would suffice, so he drew gray sweatpants and a solid black T-shirt from his bag. He dressed and chose a pair of shabby sneakers to wear, along with a yellow jacket to combat the frigid weather.

With his shoes in hand, he exited his room and peered at a clock on the wall. He let out a sigh- 6:08. He bid the others farewell and left the shop. Without a sense of urgency, he put his shoes on and flew into the Senkaimon, traveling slow enough to prepare himself for whatever may come.

Once he crossed into the Soul Society, Ichigo and Goten stood before him.

"Look who showed up," Ichigo said. "We were about to come and kidnap you."

"Sorry, I had to help Kisuke with something," Trunks said.

"Well, at least you're here," Goten said. "Let's get moving. We're already late."

Without another word, Goten flew high into the air, prompting Ichigo and Trunks to follow.

"Late for what?" Ichigo asked. "Would it kill you to explain?"

"Hang on for a couple more seconds," Goten said. "It's just up ahead."

Trunks spotted a group of people congregated on the ground. He exhaled through his nose as the three of them landed in the gathering.

Goten turned to them with a wide, beaming smile. "Here we are. Captain Ukitake threw a feast!"

Streamers and balloons decorated the grassy field inside of the Squad Thirteen barracks. Next to the field, a pond surrounded Ukitake's quarters. As the sun fell behind a host of trees, interspersed lanterns provided light. Tables filled with food and drinks lined the edge of the area.

"Wow, he pulled out all the stops," Ichigo said. "What's the occasion?"

"We're celebrating Aizen's defeat," Goten said. "And it's exclusive to only the captains and lieutenants. I'm sure this is a lot better than that crowd we got before, huh, Trunks?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, I'll say."

With all the Seireitei's elites besides Yamamoto in one space, Trunks' sense of uneasiness rose. To make matters worse, he sensed Soi Fon a respectful distance behind him. He stayed in place and rotated his eyes between his friends and the grass.

Before they continued any further, Rangiku ran toward them with two small ceramic cups in her hand. "You're finally here!" She handed off her cups to Goten and Ichigo. "Now we can start the party. Don't worry, Trunks. I'll be back with yours in a second."

"Hang on, hang on," Goten said. He took the cup from Ichigo and handed it to Trunks. "It's a school night for this little guy."

"Hey!" Ichigo said. "I can handle myself. I'm not the one who threw up everywhere at Urahara's."

"First off, we don't talk about that." Goten held the cup to his nose and sniffed. "And second, this smells like sake, and as long as it's sake, I'll be fine. But that other drink… tequila. That's the nectar of Hell. It makes me shiver just thinking about it."

A voice called out from beside them. "May I have everyone's attention for a moment?" Everyone in attendance turned toward Captain Kyoraku, who cleared his throat and raised his cup above his hat. "I'd like to make a toast. Cheers to being rid of Sosuke Aizen and the Arrancar."

"I'd like to add to that, Shunsui," Ukitake said. "I'm glad to see you all come tonight. Let's raise a toast to your diligent efforts throughout this war. We emerged victorious and without a single death. Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your night."

The party raised their cups and sipped their drinks. Goten turned back toward the Rangiku and posed a question. "Hey, can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need?" she asked.

Goten made a covert motion to his side. "Do you see Toshiro and Momo way over there?"

Rangiku looked over and nodded. "Mhm, what about them?"

"I need you to spy on them for me. I wanna know if he's flirting or not."

"Ooh, that sounds exciting. I'm on it."

Once Rangiku departed, Goten placed his hand on Trunks' shoulder. "Now that she's gone, let's talk about you, big guy."

Trunks groaned and slumped his shoulders. "Guys, come on…"

"It's a perfect time," Ichigo said. "What's the matter? You don't like her anymore?"

"Are you still upset she didn't visit you?" Goten asked.

"No, it's none of that," Trunks said. "I'm still into her and I'm not upset about that, but… I don't think I'm ready."

"And that's okay. Sometimes you won't feel ready, but that's just you stressing yourself out over nothing. All you have to do is talk to her like you did before. Everything else will fall into place."

"But what if I don't say the right things? What if I screw it up? I just need a little more time to at least think this through."

"You're running out of time," Ichigo said. "If you don't make use of the moment now, you'll leave and miss a chance you never knew you had."

Trunks combed his fingers through his hair. "I get that, but I'm not sure if I can do it. I physically can't turn my body and walk toward her."

Goten furrowed his brows and lowered his tone. "Hey, pick your head up." Trunks did as he said. "Now drink your sake."

Trunks relented with a sigh. In one motion, he tilted his head back and gulped the rest of his drink.

Goten nodded. "Good." He grabbed the cup in Trunks' hand and replaced it with his. "Now drink this one."

"Seriously?"

"I'm not getting you drunk; you just need to loosen up. Go ahead."

Once Trunks downed the next cup, Goten removed his hand from Trunk's shoulder. "You know how a mother bird pushes her kids out of her nest and hopes they fly?"

"Yeah, what about… No, please. Don't do this."

"We have to. We're gonna step back and let you do your thing. Right now, Soi Fon's standing with Yoruichi, but I'm gonna motion Yoruichi out of the way so that you two are alone. Good luck, bro. Take deep breaths and stay calm."

Goten and Ichigo stepped away, but Trunks followed them. "Guys, wait. I can't-"

Goten stuck his hand out to halt him. "You can. I've seen you do this before in high school. I believe in you, Trunks. Now spread those wings and fly."

With Trunks left by himself, his nerves grabbed hold. He held his empty cup to his chest as he looked left and right, but never behind. He turned his head right once more and looked at the pond. It sat distant from the party and void of any people. It served as something to observe instead of him looking foolish. He walked over to it and watched the koi swim past him.

Ichigo and Goten left to serve themselves food. As Ichigo scooped rice onto a plate, he glanced to see Trunks staring at the water.

"Uh… Goten," he said. "He doesn't look okay."

Goten stopped stacking meat onto his plate and turned his attention to Trunks. "Doesn't look like it, but he's been like this ever since he woke up. When the huge crowd surprised us earlier, he made it to the other side and took off."

"I noticed something when I visited, but I didn't know it was this bad. It's probably the residuals from the fight with Aizen. We watched him get tricked into thinking he won, then Aizen came back and tore him apart. Who knows what was said, but I can't imagine Aizen left his ego intact."

"I can attest to that. Aizen said and did things to me I don't think I'll ever forget. Shit, I've never been more thankful for both my arms. I can't imagine what Trunks is going through. Damn, I should've listened to him."

"You did what you thought was best, but why didn't we all go talk to Yoruichi and Soi Fon together? We could've helped break the ice."

"I didn't know he needed help. I've only seen him talk to a couple of girls before, and both times he made a point of wanting to do it alone. " Goten sighed. "Alright, let's go back."

Ichigo placed more food on his plate until he noticed Soi Fon walk toward Trunks. "Looks like it's too late. She's taking matters into her own hands now."

Goten massaged the top of his head. "Welp, I've got my fingers crossed. It's times like these where I'm thankful I'm single."

"There's no one you've got your heart set on?"

"Fuck no! All I see around me is everyone trying to sort through their bullshit. Trunks is a mess, Toshiro can't figure out if he's flirting, and you're gonna wait a thousand years before you tell Orihime you like her. So no, even while I'm surrounded by lovely women, I'm fine without a relationship."

"What do you mean a thousand years?! I'll make it happen when the time is right!"

"Sounds like an excuse, but I'll take your word for it. By the way, where is she?"

"I invited her, but she had to work."

Goten whipped out a pair of chopsticks and took a bite out of his food. "Anyway, the show's about to start. Let's see what happens."

Trunks' stomach churned as his eyes remained glued to the pond. His fingers tapped on the side of the cup in his hand. He couldn't do it. He didn't have the nerve to turn and glance at her with his peripheral vision. So many things could go wrong, especially in his current mental state.

What if he said something offensive? What if he couldn't maintain a conversation at all? How would he tell her about the bombshell Aizen dropped about her brothers?

The questions poured into his mind with no answers. He stood paralyzed, watching the water, the koi fish, and time flow away.

"I took you for more of a socialite than this."

His heart slammed against his ribs. He shot his head up to Soi Fon beside him.

"Oh, hey!" he blurted with a smile. He cleared his throat, then tried to act as calm as possible. "How's it going?"

"Did I scare you?"

"No, no. I kinda… lost myself in this pond."

"You like to look at nature?"

Trunks relaxed a bit and dropped a hand into his coat pocket. "Sometimes. It can be relaxing, you know?"

Soi Fon crossed her arms. "I suppose. Why are you here by yourself?"

"Well, I guess I'm not by myself anymore."

"You know what I mean."

"Oh, uh…" Trunks turned and spotted his friends. "They went to get food. I didn't feel like eating, so I just came over here."

"I see."

A momentary silence fell between them before Trunks broke it. "How are you? It's been a little while since I've seen you."

"I've been busy. I would've come to the visit you, but with Aizen's trial-"

Tell her.

The voice in his head returned with a loud whisper, preventing Trunks from hearing the end of her sentence. He kept a straight face and read her lips. "Oh, don't worry about it. I think Unohana restricted the guest list, anyway."

"I... heard the same thing. At least you've healed from your-"

You can't hide it.

The whisper grew louder, but he did his best to suppress it. "Yeah, Unohana did a great job." His stare fell to a necklace resting on her collarbone. "That looks nice on you."

Her eyes lit up, and she placed a hand on her jewelry. "Oh, it's wonderful. I've never received a gift like this before, but… you shouldn't have spent your money like this."

"I wanted to buy something nicer, but Kisuke doesn't pay me that much. Yoruichi said you don't normally celebrate your birthday, so I figured a gift would be nice. I wanted to do more, but-"

You can't love her.

Trunks winced and shook his head, much to Soi Fon's confusion. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just a migraine, I guess." Trunks removed the hand in his pocket and rubbed the side of his head. "Sorry, I lost my train of thought."

Soi Fon's gaze dropped to the pond below. "I um… wanted to thank you for saving my life and asking Kisuke to increase the gravity in the chamber. I wouldn't be here now without your intervention."

"Well, I would never forgive myself if I watched you die, and I figured you'd get bored with five hundred G's. I wanted to do everything I could to help. How'd the gravity training go? Did you see improvements?"

Soi Fon looked up to Trunks. "Crunching all of that training into two weeks was a challenge, but when I made it manageable by increasing it increm-"

You'll hurt her…

It reverberated in his head. He clenched his teeth and strained to listen, but the noise in his mind overwhelmed him.

"Around six hundred is when my body felt exhausted," she said. "I had to schedule rest, but make sure I still-"

You'll push her away…

"By the time I reached the limit, -"

You're…

"-tremendous increase in my spiritual pressure-"

Too…

"-want to go back in-"

Weak!

His ceramic cup shattered, and Soi Fon choked a gasp. "What the- Are you alright?"

Trunks snapped back and looked down at his hand. Blood trickled down from a slight cut in his palm. "I'm so sorry! I-I'll be right back."

She reached a hand out. "Wait, let me-"

He backed away. "No, don't worry. Give me a minute and I'll be back."

Once Trunks departed, Soi Fon stood perplexed and frustrated. Did she do something wrong? She approached him with good intentions, tried to be as confident as possible, had a decent conversation, yet he continued to act strangely toward her. His attention drifted in and out as if the conversation bored him.

She clenched her fists and marched in his direction. No more. She had enough.

Trunks made his way to a garbage bag and threw the shards of the cup inside. He then snatched a nearby napkin and applied pressure to the cut.

What happened? Just when they had the prolonged conversation he dreamed of, a mental breakdown got in his way. Perhaps stress caused it; maybe he couldn't escape from what happened in Hueco Mundo. Either way, he'd blow his chance if that voice in his head didn't leave him alone.

"Psssst!" Trunks twisted his head to find Goten and Ichigo vying for his attention.

"Is it going well?" Ichigo mouthed.

"What happened to your hand?" Goten asked silently.

Trunks shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He mouthed back, "I don't know. I'm trying."

Ichigo and Goten turned away, leaving Trunks confused until a familiar voice spoke from behind.

"Are you finished?"

He spun around to Soi Fon's glare. "Yeah, sorry about that. I-"

"Good." She turned away. "Follow me. I need to speak to you in private."

She vanished from sight. Trunks threw the napkin away and dragged a hand down his face. Nothing good would come from their next conversation.

Somebody. Anybody, please. Kill me. He leaped into the sky and took off to follow her.

Ichigo exhaled and put a hand on his hip. "And there they go. This could be the beginning, a steamy middle, or the end. Guess we'll find out soon."

"Unless Trunks fumbles the hell out of this situation - a very possible outcome - I think we'll see them together," Goten said. "I have to say, getting an answer this fast is a better than playing the 'long game'."

"You know, I could get an answer if I wanted."

"Oh, could you now? Well, since you're so confident, then how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? On what?"

He rubbed his hands together as a devious smile crept onto his face. "Hmm… Okay, I've got it. So let's bet on if Trunks asks Soi Fon out first, or if she'll ask him out. If I win, you have to ask Orihime on a date tomorrow."

"And if I win, I'll string up all of those pictures from Trunks' birthday around the Squad Ten barracks. All the ones where you were covered in cake, and the ones that get the best angles of your projectile vomit."

"That's all?"

"And while we're at this party, you have to down another bottle of tequila."

"Oh, that's cruel, but I'll take it. How about I make this easier for you? I'll bet that Soi Fon asks him first."

"Guess you really wanna blackout again in front of everybody." Ichigo grinned and extended his hand. "You better get ready to make a run to the liquor store. Go ask Toshiro to borrow some cash."

Goten clasped his hand and chuckled. "Don't have to, but you should start practicing what you're gonna say to her."

"No faith in Trunks, huh?"

"With how he was acting before, I doubt he'll-" A fit of coughing caused Goten to turn away and cover his mouth.

"Still got that cough?" Ichigo asked. "I think you need to get that checked out."

Goten cleared his throat. "Eh, I think I'll be fine. Unohana said she was running some tests on me though, but she never got back with those results."

Trunks followed Soi Fon into a dense forest populated with trees and various greenery. She landed on the center of a branch attached to the tallest tree, leading Trunks to stand next to the trunk. Glimmers of orange light peaked through the edge of the forest as the sun lowered behind it.

Soi Fon gazed outward and took in her surroundings. "I found this place earlier today. I thought you'd appreciate it since you enjoy nature."

Her true intentions kept Trunks anxious, but he acknowledged the scenery. "It's an amazing view. And the air's refreshing and calm. I didn't know places like this existed inside of the Seireitei."

A light breeze brushed Soi Fon's bandaged braids to the side as she faced Trunks. Her expression had softened.

"I'm glad you like it," she said. For a moment, the tension in Trunks eased. Then, her eyebrows furrowed. "Now tell me what your problem is."

The hair along Trunks' arms stood to attention. "A problem? If this is about before, I'm sorry if I bothered you. But there's no problem with me."

"It's not just before. This has gone on since this morning. You've been upset, you're avoiding people, and your mind is wandering to where you're not even present half of the time. Now address your issue."

"But I'm telling you everything's fine. Seriously, I-"

"Bullshit!" Soi Fon marched toward Trunks and grasped his jacket. "We've been down this road before; I can tell when you're lying. Now stop this and tell me what it is! Is it something I did to you?"

"No! You've never done anything to me."

"Then tell me!"

"Okay, okay!" Trunks took a deep breath. "I'm just… down, I guess. I was one of the few people that didn't see Kyoka Suigetsu, and because of that, I thought I could kill Aizen. Instead, I rushed in, thinking I could beat him with my new Bankai, but I ended up getting demolished and berated for everyone to watch. I was an idiot; everything that happened after directly resulted from me being cocky."

"Why are you placing all the blame on yourself? Sure, it wasn't smart, but you didn't know-"

"I made him immortal!" Soi Fon's eyes widened. "If I waited for at least one other person, we wouldn't have had to suffer, my friend wouldn't lose his arm, and we all wouldn't have the constant fear that one day when we least expect it, he'll come back and kill us! Aizen will draw breath for the rest of eternity and we have to live with that until the day we die!"

Her anger subsided, and her gaze dropped. In response, Trunks averted his eyes and spoke in a reserved manner.

"I keep screwing up every time I fight. Before Aizen, I failed in Karakura Town. If I acted faster, those people wouldn't have to die. It gets harder and harder to live with these mistakes when they cost hundreds of people their lives and nearly cost billions more. I wanted some time to process it all and figure out if I can keep fighting. It doesn't seem viable when I'm too weak to protect anything."

Soi Fon stared at him once more with a rekindled blaze in her eyes. "I understand, but that doesn't mean you give up on everything. We've all made mistakes, especially against Aizen. He made me look like a fool in battle. I know that doesn't compare, but you have to learn from the past and move on."

"But even if I move on, I still don't have the strength to change anything."

"You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, and you'll only get stronger in time. But that'll only happen if you have the will to make it so. Even though you've lost that will, it's not gone forever. You just need a push to find it again."

"I wouldn't even know where to start… "

Soi Fon gulped, then proceeded with a restrained voice. "Well… do you have anything scheduled for tomorrow morning?"

Trunks' eyes swelled at her question. It seemed like time had stopped moving. His lips parted open as he tried to fight through his shock.

"No, I don't have any plans. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Possibly, if you'd be willing. Would you like to… spar with me?"

"Spar? Sure, sparring sounds great. Where would you want to meet?"

"The Squad Two barracks. Does nine o'clock work for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect…"

Whistling leaves filled the space between them as he fell into the depths of her eyes. Through her dark pupils, he desired to peer into the mysteries of her mind. If only he could close the distance…

Soi Fon snapped back and let go of his jacket. After she took two steps backward, she cleared her throat. "Anyway, I need to prepare for tomorrow. Be there at nine o'clock sharp."

Trunks lifted his hand to wave. "Okay, did you want me to-" With a Flash Step, she disappeared. "Walk… you… home…"

His hand sank to his side, and his back bumped against the tree. Sliding down the bark, he left one knee to his chest while the other leg stretched out.

Where would he begin with processing all that occurred? Was Soi Fon being nice, or did she ask him on a date? Did an awkward stare creep her out, or were they close to embracing each other? Either way, he sat dumbfounded.

"Hey, did she leave?" Ichigo asked. "How did it go? Tell me you asked her out."

"It went well… I think," Trunks said. "There was some talking, some yelling, but she asked me to spar tomorrow morning. She didn't specify if it's a date or not."

"Sounds like a date to me!" Goten said. "See?! What did I tell ya?!"

"Goten?" Trunks asked.

"Congrats, bro!" Ichigo said. "Also, fuck you!"

Goten burst out in laughter as Trunks still sat in confusion. "Wait, what did I do?"

"We bet on which one of you would ask each other out first," Goten clarified as he stifled his laughter. "I bet on Soi Fon and he bet on you. Now that he lost, he has to go ask Orihime out tomorrow."

"Sounds like it'll be an interesting day."

"You're damn right it is, and I'll be there in person to make sure his ass doesn't flake- hang on, Trunks. Kenpachi's asking me if I wanna fight. We'll talk later, but congrats, ladies' man."

Once again, Trunks found himself alone. After he considered what happened at Ukitake's gathering, things could go well, or borderline catastrophic. He cradled his racing mind with his palms.

He held the world in his hands, yet he feared he'd drop it into the sun.

Near the streets of the Seireitei, Soi Fon appeared inside the gate of her squad's barracks. Once she confirmed she was alone, she shoved her hands over her face.

"What was that? What the hell was that? I was just… staring into his eyes. Oh no, he probably thinks I'm strange. What do I do now?"

Yoruichi arrived next to her and wrapped an arm across her back. "Why so glum? I thought it went well."

"What?" Soi Fon raised head toward her. "You watched us?"

"I figured I'd eavesdrop to save you the time of explaining."

"I just asked him to spar on a whim. None of this was planned out."

"Spontaneity isn't a bad thing, but how about we flesh this out a bit?" Yoruichi moved in front of Soi Fon and grasped onto her shoulders. "Sparring at the training grounds is nice, but I have a better idea. Kisuke and I have a secret underground room we used to use. I'm sure that'd be a more intimate setting."

"But I told him to meet me here…"

"Once he gets here tomorrow, I'll lead him. Now, have you thought about what you're going to do after you spar?"

"We need to do something after?"

"Of course you do! You can't be in there all day. You two can go eat, explore, take a trip to Karakura Town or anywhere, really. Since you're the one that asked him, it's your responsibility to figure it out."

"But there's too much to consider. I don't know his favorite foods, or what he likes to do. I don't know what he's seen, or if he'd like to go anywhere at all. This is so much more complicated than I imagined; so many details I neglected. How could I be so stupid?! I should've-"

"Shh!" Yoruichi placed a finger over Soi Fon's motor mouth. "You're not stupid. We've got plenty of time to figure something out together."

Soi Fon drew a deep breath to relax. "While we plan, would you mind telling me more about him? I feel like I should go into tomorrow knowing more than I already do."

Yoruichi nodded. "I'll try, but you'll have to ask him about the things I can't tell you."

"Thank you." She brought her hands to the side of her head and massaged her temples. "Who knew it would be this stressful?"

"It's your first date nerves. The most important thing you have to remember is that tomorrow's a day to be relaxed and have fun."

Yoruichi's optimism proved to relieve some of Soi Fon's stress. She returned a half-hearted smile and looked to the next day with hope.

Fun… I wonder what that would look like.

A/N: This is a big one. In fact, it's the biggest chapter I've ever written. I had an absolute blast writing this. I love action, but when it's time to zone in and focus on character interactions and dissection, it's so much fun. Considered splitting it up, but it didn't feel right. Also considered using "Easier to Run" by Linkin Park but... nah.

Also did some formatting changes throughout all chapters. Just tryna constantly improve as a writer and tighten things up. Most notably, I'm going to be denoting telepathic conversations with italics and quotes instead of just italics.

Now the next chapter... I'm gonna keep my mouth shut and let it happen. I'm just gonna pour my soul into it and allow it to speak for itself.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I know it's a switch up from what we're used to, especially with a lot of raw emotions being thrown in. If some of ya'll didn't like it, that's understandable.

Here's the link to lil playlist I threw together: openDotspotifyDotcom/playlist/33GdXl9il5S4kTFm6elFWn?si=ca6bcedbd68a47aa (this shit be deleting the link but just replace Dot with a period and you'll be good)

As always, thanks for reading. Have a great day and I'll see ya'll next time.