Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Barracks ❯ Part 30 ( Chapter 30 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: chayron 
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Sci-fi / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.16.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 283 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Hentai / Sci-fi / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.16.2011 | Pages: 6 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 283 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z – it belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I am not making any money from writing it.
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.
A/N: <b><i>Starcut’s crew members</i></b>:
1. Captain
2. Backup Captain
3. Master Sergeant
4. Navigator - (Adriel)
5. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)
6. Programmer - (Rokunda)
7. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)
8. Arms Specialist - (Mandro)
9. Arms Specialist - (Hazel)
10. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)
11. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)
12. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)
13. Maintenance Technician
14. Maintenance Technician
15. Doctor - (Tamahi)
16. Medic
17. Head Cook
18. Cook
19. Soldier - (Edesha)
20. Goten
<b>Barracks</b>
by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom
Part 30
Reyn had finished his warm-up and was waiting for Goten now. The second-class could feel his anticipation mounting. It was not only the need to teach the insolent newbie a lesson; having watched the youth moving about smoothly, he was also looking forward to a decent fight. It had been a long time since he’d had a worthy opponent. But he was probably expecting too much.
The audience was chattering softly, commenting, gauging their chances. Reyn was certain that he was going to be reprimanded. The captain had come and didn’t forbid the spar, but that was as far as it went; he was going to have his ass for this. He was in for latrine duty for the rest of the patrol. On the other hand, that would at least give him something to occupy himself with instead of mooching about.
Goten finally finished his warm-up exercises and moved in closer. “How about I give up?” the youth offered heartily, wearing an innocent face.
The unexpectedness of the comment made Reyn laugh out loud; something had made the youngster change his mind. Reyn drew a circle with his hand around the room, indicating the spectators. “I think it’s a bit too late now.”
“A draw, then?”
Goten was becoming irritating, and Reyn ignored him. Something was telling him that the newbie wasn’t afraid of the fight, instead he was more worried about getting into trouble. But even if Goten’s words were serious, they had a particular tinge of amusement to them. The youth found the situation…stupid? Silly? Well, certainly it was stupid, but wasn’t Goten to blame for that? He had just lightly teased the newbie bastard – there had been no need to break his nose over a trifle like that.
Goten was still uncertain about the whole thing when the second-class attacked him. He blocked Reyn’s punch, shoved the guy away and kicked him in the stomach. Gasping, the flight officer skidded backwards, but caught his balance quickly and rushed at the third-class again. He and Goten collided in a blur of fists and hands, punching out and blocking.
The third-class was surprised, and he could see that Reyn was no less surprised than him. Reyn was an exceptionally good fighter. However, that wasn’t what surprised Goten – it was, instead, the extraordinary speed and strength behind the punches. It was also clear that the second-class was only testing him, measuring his abilities and strength. Goten decided to up the fight a notch.
The third-class tried to elbow Reyn in the face, but the second-class blocked the strike with his palm. Goten twisted around, his left arm about to backhand the flight officer, and was blocked again. The next time, Reyn simply moved away from him, letting the third-class’s fist lightly graze his side. Goten gasped as the flight officer’s elbow caught him in the chest. He hunched over and the next thing he knew was Reyn’s knee smashing into his face, swinging him backwards. Then the flight officer’s leg fully extended, his foot catching Goten’s chin, adding even more force to his already transpiring flight.
Goten dropped to the floor on his back, let himself be carried by the momentum, planted his palms by his head and shifted all of his weight to them. He shot back to his feet, punching out blindly, instinctively knowing that Reyn would be somewhere there. The flight officer tried to avoid the fist to his stomach, but it was too late. Then Goten planted his left palm on the floor and his right foot kicked out with all the might he could muster. The second-class whooshed across the hall, but instead of hitting the wall behind him, he turned in the air and landed on it with his feet. He jumped off the wall and dropped gracefully in front of Goten.
After upping the fight a notch, the third-class was and wasn’t surprised by the fact that Reyn could easily follow him. He had expected that, but it was still astonishing. It made Goten remember the spars he’d had with Toharu and the prince. Reyn was physically stronger and faster than the prince or Toharu had been. It wasn’t unexpected that he was better than Toharu, as, even if Toharu had been of mixed blood, Reyn was about ten years older. However, his being stronger and faster than the prince, an elite from the most powerful bloodline, was inconceivable.
The flight officer was undoubtedly physically stronger than Goten as well. However, something in Reyn’s fighting style reminded Goten of a plain classroom. It was nearly pure art: polished and solid, consistent, aristocratic even. Reyn was beautiful to watch. Goten, though, was never consistent in his fighting style. He had been toughened and hardened in infinite fights with elites and second-classes and could resolve to modifying his fighting style depending on whom he was facing. He didn’t avoid using tricks either; anything was fair as long as it helped to keep his teeth and bones intact.
Goten jumped, rolling over in the air to deliver a flying kick at the second-class’s face. Reyn blocked it with his arms and kicked out, but Goten dodged easily. The third-class fist dashed for Reyn’s head, but was caught in the second-class’s palm. Reyn grabbed it firmly and twisted Goten’s arm, intending to either dislocate his shoulder or force him to his knees. The third-class, however, turned together with his arm, fell to the ground and his foot shot straight into Reyn’s stomach. The kick was pure force, hardly moving the second-class from his place, Goten careful not to sprain his captive fist. The flight officer cried out, but didn’t even have the time to release Goten’s arm as the third-class whirled around, his other foot catching Reyn on his side, throwing him sideways.
The second-class rolled over the ground and out of Goten’s way and the third-class landed on the floor instead. It was possible that there was a dent now under his right heel. Reyn was on all fours and his leg caught Goten in the side, making him stumble and lose his balance. Supporting himself with his hands, Reyn delivered another kick to his shoulder. The second-class got to his feet and straightened, but the increased distance between them gave Goten enough time to recover and defend himself from the next attack.
Goten performed a side kick, which Reyn diverted with his arm. The flight officer kicked at the back of Goten’s left leg, sweeping the third-class off the floor. Goten, however, arched his back and caught himself on his left hand, his feet whirling around, one hitting Reyn’s chest, then his other leg going for the second-class’s footing. The flight officer slid to the ground, and Goten was already airborne, landing nearly on top of him. Reyn twisted aside, and this was where he made a mistake. The third-class allowed him to do that, then fell on his back like a ton of bricks, catching his wrists and trussing his arms up.
Panting, Goten struggled to keep his hold on the second-class. Sweat was pouring off his face and dripping down on Reyn’s back. It was stinging his eyes. Blinking, Goten lowered his head to wipe his face on the flight officer’s uniform. The fight had only taken a few minutes, but even the spar with the prince hadn’t left him so exhausted. He could hear Reyn’s harsh breathing as well. Overtaken by a sudden feeling, the third-class leaned to his ear.
He rasped out softly, “Have you seen the edge of the world?”
“The fucking what?” Reyn panted out.
It seemed that he was mistaken, but Goten wasn’t so quick to discard his suspicions – he remembered his and his father’s conversation about the old man. He had pretended not to know anything as well. Of course, most of it had been due to the shock, but still…
Reyn had stopped struggling, but Goten wasn’t certain about letting him go; he hadn’t felt anything from the older male which would indicate that he had given up. Gradually, he was becoming aware of the other crew members. It was absolutely silent in the training room. He could only hear himself and Reyn wheezing for breath.
“Shall we stop for today?” Goten asked tentatively.
Reyn sighed and lowered his head to cool his forehead on the floor. “Yeah. You’re freakin’ exhausting.”
Goten rolled off him and stayed lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t feeling that well. Reyn pushed himself off the ground and, for a moment, the third-class thought that he would conk him. Reyn didn’t, though. He just flopped on his backside and exhaled loudly. The sound, though, was lost in the sudden clamor that started among the rest of the crew members. Banknotes started trading hands.
“Can we do this again?” Reyn asked, raising his voice to be heard above the noise.
Goten laughed softly. “Yeah. But not too soon.” He looked at himself, then the second-class. Both of them had somehow managed to avoid serious injuries, which was rather unusual for a fight of such scale. Yet the adrenaline was wearing off and his body was starting to ache in various places. He got up slowly; it was about time to hit the showers.
Silently, Reyn followed him. Passing the noisy crowd, they stepped out into the corridor. They reached Goten’s cabin without saying anything. The third-class brushed over the lock with his card, then grabbed Reyn, who was about to go past the door, and pulled him inside his cabin.
“Hey, what…?!” Reyn struggled, protesting.
“What the hell are you?” Goten demanded, letting go of him.
“I wanted to ask you exactly the same question,” Reyn drawled, looking around. He seemed to be amazed by the hanging covers all around. He reached out to touch a damp pillowcase. “What the hell did you do to the cabin?”
Goten nearly growled at him in frustration. The second-class – or what appeared to be one – continued to inspect his surroundings while smoothing his uniform absentmindedly where Goten had grabbed him.
“I cleaned it,” Goten snapped, his annoyed voice finally forcing the other male to look at him.
“Can you do mine as well?” Reyn asked, and wondered why he had asked that. He wasn’t the playful sort, actually the opposite. Neither did he usually try to annoy the hell out of people, but there was something about Goten which made him want to tease the guy. Just like he did in the canteen and was doing now. Must be something disagreeable in his pheromones.
Goten glared, and Reyn gave him an apologetic smile. “You somehow make me want to tease the hell out of you,” he admitted.
“I suppose beating the shit out of me is also included,” Goten offered sarcastically.
Reyn rolled his eyes and brushed the covers aside to make himself a way to the chair at the malfunctioning terminal. He dropped into it ungracefully. “Well, you did break my nose. For no apparent reason.” He tried to turn the old terminal on without any luck. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked, pressing on the button again.
The third-class’s eyebrows twitched angrily and he whacked at the cover behind which Reyn had disappeared. “For no apparent reason? You make me want to break it again.”
“Won’t be that easy this time,” the second-class said, trying to make the terminal work. He thumped on it with his fist a few times – it was strange that it didn’t function. The cabin used to be inhabited by a programmer, Cid Alright. It had been, of course, his nickname. Reyn couldn’t even remember what his real name was. The man had been very meticulous concerning computers – he could fix any.
“What is your power level?” Goten asked.
The computer wasn’t being cooperative and Reyn decided to leave it alone. He turned to face the third-class. “It’s just above average.”
Goten rolled his eyes. “Oh, please… Be a bit more convincing. You aren’t a second-class.”
“Well, neither are you.”
Reyn was grinning at him, and Goten felt the urge to bash his face in. The older male just kept looking at him with a wide, amused grin on his face. If he was waiting for Goten to admit that he was of mixed blood, he could wait forever. However, there was a possibility that Reyn, just like him, was a third-class and suspected Goten of the same, but didn’t want to admit it first for safety reasons.
With an annoyed grunt, Goten went to his wardrobe and fished out a towel with a spare uniform to change into. He was so overwhelmed by the possibility of Reyn being just like him that he didn’t even know what to think. He felt impatient and irritated that he couldn’t just ask the older male directly. Frustration wasn’t even the word for it.
Reyn watched the third-class’s back disappear behind the washed covers, and, true enough, soon he heard the ping of the opening door. The newbie idiot had just left him alone in his room. He held no interest in Goten’s belongings at all though, and after relaxing in the chair for a few more minutes, he followed the younger male outside.
While Reyn went to his cabin to take his sponge, a towel, and the change of clothes, Goten had finished his shower. He was already toweling himself off when the older male entered. Red blotches from the spar were covering Goten’s skin, some of them already bluish. The third-class passed Reyn coldly and went to the door. He’d probably intended to dress in the spare uniform he had in his hand. Instead, he approached the door and leaned against it.
“Hey, are you alright?”
What at first Reyn thought was demonstrative disregard directed at him appeared to be something else. The newbie was hardly standing, putting most of his weight on the door. The clothes he had been holding previously were scattered around him. He clearly wasn’t alright – he needn’t have asked. Briskly, the flight officer walked over to Goten to prevent him from slumping onto the wet floor.
“Hey.”
“D-don’t touch m-me.”
Reyn thought about letting him flop onto the soaking floor. Just to teach a lesson. Goten, though, didn’t seem to be a good student. Nothing had come out of his attempts to teach him.
“Stop fussing, you idiot. If I let go, you will whack your head against the ground.” The newbie tried to push him away, but his attempts were so meek that Reyn could hardly feel them. “Struggle some more and your towel will fall off,” he warned, half-serious, half-amused. It didn’t seem that the newbie registered the warning at first. Then he stilled. Reyn pulled the younger man off the cold steel door and accepted most of his weight, Goten’s head lolling forwards, his chin thumping against the flight officer’s shoulder.
“Is this some kind of seizure?” Reyn wondered aloud. “Do you have medicine for that?” Goten’s unfocused gaze was drifting over his shoulder and flitting all over the opposite wall. “Calm down,” he said when he noticed how anxious the younger male was and how hard he was trying to concentrate, his breathing now coming in quick short spasms. “I’m not the least bit interested in you. Not in that way, anyway. Just calm down, okay?”
Goten hummed out what seemed was a positive answer about five seconds later, which gave Reyn the insight into how slow his responses were. The flight officer wondered if he should wait for the attack to pass by itself or it was better get Goten to Tamahi at once. It seemed, however, that the doctor was at a loss as to what was wrong with the newbie as well.
“Hey, Goten?” Incredulous, Reyn realized that the younger male had fallen asleep. He slapped Goten’s face lightly. “C’mon, I’m not going to carry you to your cabin. Wake up, dammit!”
Goten’s eyes blinked open. “Mmm?” he hummed, absolutely disoriented. His eyes skidded across the shower stalls absently, then Reyn felt Goten’s head come back to rest on his shoulder. He freed his hand and took hold of the third-class’s head. Sleepily, Goten blinked at him. It was useless.
“Can you walk?”
Goten smiled at him stupidly. Reyn sighed and, using his acrobatic skills to keep the younger male upright, bent down to gather his wet clothes off the floor.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Jadenas froze at the sight of the other flight officer and Goten appearing in the corridor. Goten’s towel hardly covered his hips and he was plastered to Reyn.
“Close your mouth and help me get him to his cabin.”
“Uh. Sure.” Only now he became aware at how limp the youngster appeared. “What happened?” he asked, rushing to Goten’s other side to help Reyn support him.
“He fainted in the showers.”
“A concussion?”
Reyn shook his head. “No. I never hit his head so hard to give him a concussion. It’s probably similar to what happened that time he slept for three days straight.”
“A genetic defect?”
“Most likely.”
They approached the door to Goten’s cabin and Reyn wondered if the newbie had already programmed it to open only for him. The keycard was probably somewhere amongst the clothes he had picked up.
“He hasn’t changed the code yet,” Jadenas said, seeing how Reyn was trying to shake the card out of the clothes he had in his fist.
“Why?”
“I don’t think he knows he can. Shall I go and fetch Tamahi to take a look at him?”
“Sure. But help me get him into the bed first. There are clothes hanging all over his room.”
Jadenas fished his card out of his pocket and drew it over the slot in the lock. The door slid open. They maneuvered Goten inside and through the maze of hanging covers until they reached his bed.
“He doesn’t react to anything,” Jadenas wondered, pulling the covers off the bed. He watched the other flight officer seating the youngster onto the bed. Reyn let go of Goten in order to take his boots off and barely had time to grab his shoulders again to prevent him from falling backwards and whacking the back of his head against the wall.
“Can you take his boots off?”
“Sure,” Jadenas said, squatting down at Goten’s feet. He started pulling at the shoelaces, then grabbed the boot firmly and tugged. The kid’s toenails were in need of trimming. Curious, Jadenas lifted his head a fraction.
“Stop peeking.”
Blushing, Jadenas lowered his eyes away from the towel. He cleared his throat. “Just a habit. He’s quite attractive, isn’t he?”
“Is he?”
Jadenas stole a look at Reyn. The other flight officer had never shown much interest in men, or sex in general. The common opinion on board was that Reyn went only for females. However, Jadenas suspected that, due some kind of hormonal unbalance or mental trauma, Reyn was simply frigid. Practically asexual.
“Done,” Jadenas said, arranging the boots next to the bed.
“Thanks. Can you get Tamahi in here?”
Jadenas nodded. He watched Reyn pulling the damp towel off the younger male’s hips and thought that, if this were any other man, he’d have serious doubts about leaving Goten in his care.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Goten woke up to the voices inside his cabin. Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes and turned to his side. Something touched his forehead, but whoever was standing next to him didn’t exude any pheromones indicating aggression. Actually, the opposite. His instincts told him that he could trust him, and Goten didn’t react to the touch. He hummed out something incomprehensible and opened his eyes. Reyn moved his hand off Goten’s forehead.
“Well, you aren’t feverish,” he informed the third-class.
Frowning, Goten stared at him, not certain why the flight officer was in his cabin and wondered why he hadn’t reacted to him at all.
“What’s going on?”
Jadenas saw the youngster’s confusion increase when he realized that, under the covers, he was naked.
“You fainted in the showers,” Reyn explained. “Tamahi asked us to check on you. Don’t you remember?”
Something hazy and damp floated out of the third-class’s memory. Now it had become clear to him why he hadn’t reacted to Reyn – the man had helped him out back then, and he trusted him on a subconscious level. It wasn’t wise, of course.
“Oh.” Goten ruffled through his hair. He felt fine now, rested and refreshed. He looked at the two flight officers in front of his bed. “How long have I been out?”
“You slept through the night. It’s eleven o’clock.”
“Does this happen to you a lot?” Jadenas asked.
“More often than I would like.”
“You should go and eat something,” Reyn said. “You look pale.”
The third-class nodded. “Thanks. Really. For taking care of me.”
Reyn shrugged. “There isn’t anything much to do here anyway.”
Once Reyn and Jadenas left, Goten took his clothes off the line and started dressing. Just to be certain, he thoroughly searched both his new uniforms one more time. Nope, the prince’s phone number didn’t magically appear.
“Ah, fuck it, fuck it, and fuck it one more time!” Goten chanted, summing up all the recent events. He stuffed the dirty uniform into a garbage bag with the intention to wash it later. He threw the bag into a corner and left his cabin again.
His search in the medical room gave no results: there was nothing on the floor, and the doctor said that he had never seen any paper slips lying around. The third-class walked forwards and backwards to check all the corridors and places he had been, but his search appeared to be fruitless. Somebody had taken it.
Finally, Goten gave up and went to have lunch. After that, he returned and flopped back onto his bed. He thought about reading one of the magazines he had found in the large cupboard, but his inability to concentrate at the moment would probably result in him getting even more frustrated and then throwing them all around the cabin.
A knock at the door echoed throughout the room and Goten was instantly grateful for the distraction. He shouted for the person to come in, and a soft ping indicated that the door opened.
“I heard you’re… Damn. And you were pretty serious about spring cleaning…” In a few moments, Adriel’s head appeared from behind the curtain of covers. “Can you do mine?”
Not moving, Goten rolled his eyes at the ceiling. His cleaning service would definitely be popular. “Sure. Thirty credits.”
“No, thanks.”
Maybe not.
“Here are your winnings,” the navigator said, holding out a few banknotes above Goten’s bed for him to see. “Most of us put our bets on Reyn, so you have doubled your sum. A hundred and two credits.” Goten reached out for the money, but Adriel moved his hand away. “Can you actually explain what that was in the training room, though?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t bullshit me, Goten. We have known that Reyn is not your average second-class for quite some time now. But what’s the deal with you?”
<i>Here it goes again</i>, Goten thought. “Mmm… I eat a lot of brussels sprouts?” he offered.
“What’s that?”
“A vegetable,” Goten explained, realizing that staying in the kitchens with Kyon had rubbed off on him much more than he would have ever believed. By Saiyan standards, he was practically an expert in cooking now. The third-class suddenly felt a bout of nostalgia and with that came the urge to go and ransack his suitcase for the cookbook and read those lines Kyon had left for him.
Adriel seemed to finally understand the intent for a lame joke, and waved the money in the air. “You’re not getting this until I know what the hell is going on.”
“You know,” Goten said, “I can just easily beat it out of you.” He didn’t look all that intimidating while lying lazily in his bed, but the navigator was giving him a rather concerned look.
“Yeah, you could,” he agreed. “But you won’t do that,” he said with much more certainty than he felt.
“Nah, I won’t. I don’t particularly like violence.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
Goten knew that he was treating Adriel in absolutely the same way Reyn had treated him. Both of them were protecting themselves. It was not that his awareness of that made it any better, though.
“I suppose I am not your average second-class either,” Goten muttered. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. The thing was, he didn’t know the truth himself. Maybe Reyn did.
“Tell you what,” the third-class said suddenly, “give me the money and I will treat you to a drink.”
“It’s dry law on board,” Adriel said. “We’re working full time here; it wouldn’t do for the enemy to catch us drunk off our asses.”
Goten thought back to his first day on board when he found empty beer bottles in his cupboard. He chuckled. “Don’t bullshit me. There’s always a way.”
The navigator’s sly grin would have put the Cheshire cat to shame.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Goten’s eyelids fluttered open. He lifted his head and wiped at the drool on his right cheek. He swallowed; the taste in his mouth was that of rotten fish. Groaning softly at the hammering in his head, Goten cast his hazy eyes around. He was lying on his stomach on his bunk in his cabin. The floor was littered with crumbs, cards, magazines, covers, a body, and hell knew what else. There were also a few empty bottles of something which Sildara had called Antimatter.
So much for his cleaning.
The third-class only vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. It all started with Adriel bringing a bottle of <i>Antimatter</i>. It seemed only fair when Sildara joined them a few minutes later. The news went around and, in about ten minutes, Jadenas and two arms specialists (the twins) appeared with another bottle of <i>Antimatter</i>. The doctor was the last to join the company, and they locked the door.
After that, Goten’s memory turned even hazier. He had probably drunk no more than two or three shots of Antimatter, but the effect had been outstanding – nothing mattered after that. He remembered the twins dancing a striptease while he, Tamahi, and Sildara were singing and clapping their hands to show their appreciation of the show. Adriel had taken the sheet off the line and had been walking around wrapped in it, flapping around like a bird in a disoriented fit. Jadenas had been chasing after him, imagining that he was some kind of a hungry predator. Later, Jadenas threw up into the cleaning bucket, which Goten hadn’t had enough time to return, and passed out.
Stunned, Goten stared at the sleeping Jadenas, who had curled up in the corner next to the terminal. He had wrapped himself into the sheet Adriel had used as wings. He was snoring loudly. Both twins were lying on another unmade bed, hugging each other. They were completely naked. Sildara, the doctor, and Adriel were missing. They probably had work to do.
With a loud curse, Goten’s eyes shot to the clock above the door. It was past eleven. Everyone was at their posts already.
Right. He didn’t have a post to go to. He wasn’t at the officer training school anymore.
The realization was both relieving and disappointing: he didn’t need to hurry anywhere, but he had no place where he was needed either. Goten’s head flopped back onto the pillow and he winced at the pain which bore through his head. Goten couldn’t remember ever being <i>that</i> drunk – the stuff was unbelievable.
Breakfast was over long ago. Goten wiped at his damp face with the back of his hand and rolled out of the bed. His hand thumped against something. He turned to see Kyon’s cookbook next to his pillow. Had he been hugging it before falling asleep or something? Embarrassed, he patted the thick cover. He felt sticky with sweat and his uniform was clinging to his skin. He pushed the recipe book deeper under the pillow and left the room for the toilet.
When Goten returned, he found Mr. Elite inside his room, snoozing on his still warm bed. In order to check his presumption, Goten caught the cat and, with Mr. Elite sitting in his arms peevishly, went back into the corridor. His theory proved to be right – as soon as he and the cat approached any door, it opened. The third-class inspected the cat’s collar. Obviously, it had a microchip installed which allowed him to wander through the spaceship freely. The only places he couldn’t enter were the captain’s bridge, the captain's cabin, and the training room.
Thinking that the spaceship’s security had been entrusted to a bunch of idiots, the third-class left the cat in the corridor and returned to his room. Jadenas was already up. He was sitting on the floor, still wrapped in the sheet. He blinked blearily at Goten, then stood up slowly.
“Uh,” he stuttered awkwardly after catching sight of the naked twins on the bare bed. He stared. “Do you have a camera?” he asked finally.
Goten chuckled softly and shook his head. “No. But you can lend them the cover,” he said, pointing at the sheet the flight officer was still wrapped in. “It’s not very warm in here.”
Jadenas took in the sheet, clearly wondering where he had gotten it from. He walked over to the bed and tossed it over the arms specialists.
“Those two are a bit weird, aren’t they?” Goten asked, watching how the cover settled and billowed over the two still forms.
Jadenas shrugged. “Most twins are.”
“Well, yeah,” Goten agreed. The birth of Saiyan twins was a very uncommon occurrence. They usually had an exceptionally deep connection and most of them spent their entire lives together. The third-class wasn’t certain, but the widespread judgment was that twins shouldn’t be separated as it made them suffer and sometimes even caused mental damage. They were mostly viewed as one entity.
“Let’s go to the canteen,” Jadenas suggested. “Maybe we’ll manage to beg out some leftovers, and then I will help you to clean up again.”
“Aww… How sweet of you.” Goten grinned. “I knew you were a softie.”
Jadenas rolled his eyes. “Well, sorry, but this is how I am.”
“Don’t worry,” Goten whispered, approaching him. He winked. “Softies are my favorite.”
“Oh, gods,” Jadenas gagged to show his disgust. “It’s hardly morning and you’re already flirting shamelessly.”
Goten pointed at the clock above the door. “It’s already past eleven. I am allowed to flirt, aren’t I?” He laughed at how fast the flight officer’s eyes shot to the clock.
“Oh, fuck,” Jadenas cursed. “Those bastards left me sleeping on purpose! I’m gonna rip Adriel’s throat out!”
“Are you supposed to be somewhere?” Goten wondered with a little worry evident in his voice.
“At Reyn’s. We were supposed to discuss…”
A soft ping echoed, cutting him off, and the second flight officer entered Goten’s lair. Speak of the devil.
The messy cabin rendered Reyn speechless for a few seconds, then he took in the people in the room. “That was some party…” he muttered. “Hello, Goten.” Then his index finger pointed at Jadenas. “You forgot our appointment.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I overslept,” Jadenas said sheepishly.
Lowering his hand, Reyn sighed, “Yeah, I can see that. Let’s postpone it for the evening. And wake Hazel and Mandro up – Monteira has been looking for them all over the place; there is something he wants to ask them about the new RNM 281 in storage.”
“Crap.”
Goten watched Jadenas waking the twins. Mandro and Hazel rolled out of the bed and started stumbling around the cabin, gathering their clothes. Mandro and Hazel were at least ten or more years older than Goten and, even if they didn’t act their age, Goten somehow felt the age barrier. There had always been something which made him reluctant concerning elder males.
The third-class could feel Reyn’s gaze on his back. The flight officer stood at the door without moving.
“Why don’t we go to the canteen?”
Goten enjoyed the sight of the two naked twins for a few more seconds, then turned around to see Reyn’s back disappear behind the door. Without saying anything, the third-class followed. The two of them had many things to discuss, providing Reyn consented to talking.
The canteen was empty, if one didn’t count the sleepy cook staring forlornly at a bowl of cereal. They sat down in the corner in the farthest end of the canteen. Goten didn’t feel like eating, thus he took two teas. He set one in front of Reyn and took a place opposite him.
“Thanks,” the flight officer said, his fingers wrapping around the mug. He preferred coffee, but he wasn’t about to complain. “Not hungry?”
“No, not yet,” Goten said, sipping his tea. “My head’s killing me.”
They sat silently, Goten drinking, Reyn watching the leaves swimming in his tea.
“Well…” the third-class said, breaking the silence. “Where are you from?”
The flight officer lifted his mug to his lips to hide his smile. Goten was an amusing guy. “Toska, south of Velora.”
Goten nodded. “Why did you pick on me?”
Maybe he wasn’t all that amusing after all.
Reyn suddenly felt tired. For some reason Goten had managed to bring out all of what was worst in him. “Sorry about that. I really am. I simply had a spat with my father just before the flight. Then you, an easy target – a usual newbie idiot – appeared, and I took it out on you.”
Goten wondered if Reyn would answer if he asked what he and his father had argued about. Probably not. Everyone’s family business was only their business and interference was unwelcome.
The third-class sighed. “Yeah, newbies always have it tough, don’t they?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen anyone faint as much as you,” Reyn bit his tongue and immediately raised his hands. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”
“Your apologies piss me off even more than your insults,” Goten informed him, sipping his tea. That was a lie as, in fact, he didn’t care what Reyn thought of him at all. He simply couldn’t be bothered. The only things he wanted from Reyn were to know what he was and whether he needed to get worked up over the fact that Reyn’s abilities were so similar to his own. Only that.
Reyn gave him a scrutinizing look. He wasn’t good at judging people, but even he could tell that the youngster in front of him was too undisturbed to be insulted. He watched Goten pick a leaf off his tongue and look at it absently.
“What?” Goten asked when he had flicked the leaf onto the floor and noticed that the older man was grinning at him.
“Nothing. I just remembered the showers.”
“What about them?”
“No, nothing. Never mind.”
Goten shrugged. He scratched the back of his head. The cook had finished eating his cereal and put his aluminum bowl into the sink with a clang. With a long, bored sigh, he started washing it.
“You give quite a wrong first impression, you know,” the flight officer said.
Goten’s eyes left the cascading water to concentrate on Reyn’s face. “So do you.”
“Yeah. I’m glad we didn’t kill each other.”
“Would have been such a waste.”
Reyn chuckled at the way the words were dripping with sarcasm. He realized he liked the youth’s unyielding personality. “How old are you?”
“Just turned eighteen.”
The flight officer shook his head in amazement. “Ten years younger than me.”
“Huh. I thought you were a bit younger.”
Reyn shrugged. His eyes suddenly turned serious. “Why are you here, Goten? Why aren’t you fighting in the front lines? It’s an absurd waste keeping you on this god-forgotten ship. Your power level must be at least over a hundred thousand, right?”
Goten’s eyebrows rose. “Right back at you.”
Reyn’s lips pressed into a thin dash. “I prefer keeping my life uncomplicated.”
“So do I.” Goten watched Reyn’s untouched glass of now-lukewarm tea. It hadn’t been his choice, though, Starcut. Somebody else had chosen for him. And he had no idea why. Just like Reyn said, there would have been much more sense in keeping him in the front lines.
“Are you hiding yourself?” Goten wondered.
Reyn chuckled. “Hmm… I wouldn’t call it ‘<i>hiding</i>’. I just keep a low profile.”
“Everybody on the ship knows you’re not an ordinary second-class.”
“So what? They don’t tattle.”
Goten had to agree with that. Since his very first moments on the ship, he had felt that there was a very strong sense of camaraderie among the crew. It was a well-working team. This was one of the reasons he had been received so coldly. They were comfortable with each other and didn’t know what to expect from their new member.
“Have you met any more guys like us? This was first time for me.”
Reyn gave Goten a strange look. “Like us…” he drawled. “I’m not certain what you mean. I suppose, yes, there is one.”
“Who?”
Reyn shrugged.
Goten understood suddenly. He laughed softly. “It’s your father, isn’t it?”
The flight officer looked at him suspiciously, then laughed as well. “I suppose yours is the same, isn’t he?”
“I don’t really know,” Goten said. “My brother was the same. I, somehow…I don’t really know about my father.”
“I see.”
Goten returned to his cabin with more questions than answers. Reyn either didn’t know what was going on either, or he was very good at pretending.
His room was empty, though the mess was still present. With a longwinded sigh, Goten cast his eyes around his dirty kingdom. He flopped onto the bed. Something was hard under the pillow. His hand reached under the pillow and pulled out Kyon’s cookbook. He smiled unconsciously when a wave of warmth spread through his body; the book flooded him with fond memories.
Savoring the moment, Goten opened the cover. He frowned in confusion: under Kyon’s message there was a second one. Goten’s eyes skipped over Kyon’s words where he promised to have Goten’s ass if he damaged the book, and set on the new paragraph in a different handwriting. Goten read it slowly:
<i>Dear Kyon,
If you so much as touch Goten’s ass, I will fucking kill you.
Best wishes,
Trunks</i>
Taken aback, Goten stared at the prince’s distinctive handwriting. When did the bastard… Must have been when the prince entered his room and he was still in the bathroom, taking a shower. Or maybe when he returned there to dress. Either way, the claim was painfully clear. Goten’s face flushed red. The screaming possessiveness in the letter made his heart beat faster. A wave of heat surged through his body. He groaned softly in embarrassment and hid his face in his hands. He could nearly feel the prince’s lips on his own again, his hands roaming over his body. He shivered, remembering the demanding tongue in his mouth.
Grunting, Goten turned to his side to face the wall and started fumbling with his belt. Already, while unzipping his trousers, he knew he was making a mistake, but the realization was fleeting. The wave of lust that came crashing down on him made him forget all caution. Seizing himself in his palm, he stroked slowly. His eyes fluttered shut. He was already hard as a rock, even before he had touched himself.
A soft moan escaped the third-class’s lips. Wiggling, he pushed his trousers further down his hips to give himself better access. He teased himself with languid strokes, his left hand rolling and squeezing his testicles lightly. He bit his lower lip to keep another groan inside. His body felt tight like a string. Damn. He should have let himself be fucked in that room at the National Air Force headquarters. He knew the prince had wanted to do him.
“Ah… Mmm… Gmm…”
Goten’s right hand moved up and down faster and faster, his thumb flicking over the head of his cock, then boring into the slit. His breathing was becoming quicker. He could feel warmth spreading from his cock and fist, the heat starting to coil in his lower belly. He could feel his chest and face flushing in arousal. His tail had unwound from his waist and was writhing on the sheets behind him in wanton abandon.
“Mm… Fuck…”
He was almost there.
Goten screamed when the bed dipped and something suddenly grabbed his tail painfully. Still screaming, he rolled out of the bed, tried to run, but his feet got entangled in his trousers, and he went down to the floor with a deafening crash. He pushed himself up with his palms, and his head shot up, his wide eyes flickering all over the cabin. His heart was hammering in his chest madly, and it was not because he had just been about to orgasm.
“Wh- Who’s here?!” he gasped out.
He couldn’t see anyone in the room. His head whipped to look back at the bed. Two yellow, surprised eyes stared back at him from the black muzzle for a few moments. Panting, with his trousers still down, Goten leaned his side against the bed. He closed his eyes in relief and concentrated on just trying to get his breath back.
If it had been the enemy, he would be dead already. He would be lying dead in his bed with his underwear down his hips and his cock in his fist.
“Fuck you, you stupid cat!” Goten spat, mortified by the probable prospect. “Shit,” the third-class cursed again, starting to calm down. “That’s it,” he said, grabbing Mr. Elite by his collar and dragging him closer. “I’m taking it off.”
TBC
Warnings: Alternate Universe. Yaoi (male x male). Goten x Trunks and vice versa. Other pairings.
A/N: <b><i>Starcut’s crew members</i></b>:
1. Captain
2. Backup Captain
3. Master Sergeant
4. Navigator - (Adriel)
5. Communications Specialist - (Sildara)
6. Programmer - (Rokunda)
7. Gunnery Sergeant - (Monteira Fawa)
8. Arms Specialist - (Mandro)
9. Arms Specialist - (Hazel)
10. Flight Officer - (Reyn Dueri)
11. Flight Officer - (Jadenas Ealt)
12. Head Engineer - (Nohail Ofura)
13. Maintenance Technician
14. Maintenance Technician
15. Doctor - (Tamahi)
16. Medic
17. Head Cook
18. Cook
19. Soldier - (Edesha)
20. Goten
<b>Barracks</b>
by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by quatreofdoom
Part 30
Reyn had finished his warm-up and was waiting for Goten now. The second-class could feel his anticipation mounting. It was not only the need to teach the insolent newbie a lesson; having watched the youth moving about smoothly, he was also looking forward to a decent fight. It had been a long time since he’d had a worthy opponent. But he was probably expecting too much.
The audience was chattering softly, commenting, gauging their chances. Reyn was certain that he was going to be reprimanded. The captain had come and didn’t forbid the spar, but that was as far as it went; he was going to have his ass for this. He was in for latrine duty for the rest of the patrol. On the other hand, that would at least give him something to occupy himself with instead of mooching about.
Goten finally finished his warm-up exercises and moved in closer. “How about I give up?” the youth offered heartily, wearing an innocent face.
The unexpectedness of the comment made Reyn laugh out loud; something had made the youngster change his mind. Reyn drew a circle with his hand around the room, indicating the spectators. “I think it’s a bit too late now.”
“A draw, then?”
Goten was becoming irritating, and Reyn ignored him. Something was telling him that the newbie wasn’t afraid of the fight, instead he was more worried about getting into trouble. But even if Goten’s words were serious, they had a particular tinge of amusement to them. The youth found the situation…stupid? Silly? Well, certainly it was stupid, but wasn’t Goten to blame for that? He had just lightly teased the newbie bastard – there had been no need to break his nose over a trifle like that.
Goten was still uncertain about the whole thing when the second-class attacked him. He blocked Reyn’s punch, shoved the guy away and kicked him in the stomach. Gasping, the flight officer skidded backwards, but caught his balance quickly and rushed at the third-class again. He and Goten collided in a blur of fists and hands, punching out and blocking.
The third-class was surprised, and he could see that Reyn was no less surprised than him. Reyn was an exceptionally good fighter. However, that wasn’t what surprised Goten – it was, instead, the extraordinary speed and strength behind the punches. It was also clear that the second-class was only testing him, measuring his abilities and strength. Goten decided to up the fight a notch.
The third-class tried to elbow Reyn in the face, but the second-class blocked the strike with his palm. Goten twisted around, his left arm about to backhand the flight officer, and was blocked again. The next time, Reyn simply moved away from him, letting the third-class’s fist lightly graze his side. Goten gasped as the flight officer’s elbow caught him in the chest. He hunched over and the next thing he knew was Reyn’s knee smashing into his face, swinging him backwards. Then the flight officer’s leg fully extended, his foot catching Goten’s chin, adding even more force to his already transpiring flight.
Goten dropped to the floor on his back, let himself be carried by the momentum, planted his palms by his head and shifted all of his weight to them. He shot back to his feet, punching out blindly, instinctively knowing that Reyn would be somewhere there. The flight officer tried to avoid the fist to his stomach, but it was too late. Then Goten planted his left palm on the floor and his right foot kicked out with all the might he could muster. The second-class whooshed across the hall, but instead of hitting the wall behind him, he turned in the air and landed on it with his feet. He jumped off the wall and dropped gracefully in front of Goten.
After upping the fight a notch, the third-class was and wasn’t surprised by the fact that Reyn could easily follow him. He had expected that, but it was still astonishing. It made Goten remember the spars he’d had with Toharu and the prince. Reyn was physically stronger and faster than the prince or Toharu had been. It wasn’t unexpected that he was better than Toharu, as, even if Toharu had been of mixed blood, Reyn was about ten years older. However, his being stronger and faster than the prince, an elite from the most powerful bloodline, was inconceivable.
The flight officer was undoubtedly physically stronger than Goten as well. However, something in Reyn’s fighting style reminded Goten of a plain classroom. It was nearly pure art: polished and solid, consistent, aristocratic even. Reyn was beautiful to watch. Goten, though, was never consistent in his fighting style. He had been toughened and hardened in infinite fights with elites and second-classes and could resolve to modifying his fighting style depending on whom he was facing. He didn’t avoid using tricks either; anything was fair as long as it helped to keep his teeth and bones intact.
Goten jumped, rolling over in the air to deliver a flying kick at the second-class’s face. Reyn blocked it with his arms and kicked out, but Goten dodged easily. The third-class fist dashed for Reyn’s head, but was caught in the second-class’s palm. Reyn grabbed it firmly and twisted Goten’s arm, intending to either dislocate his shoulder or force him to his knees. The third-class, however, turned together with his arm, fell to the ground and his foot shot straight into Reyn’s stomach. The kick was pure force, hardly moving the second-class from his place, Goten careful not to sprain his captive fist. The flight officer cried out, but didn’t even have the time to release Goten’s arm as the third-class whirled around, his other foot catching Reyn on his side, throwing him sideways.
The second-class rolled over the ground and out of Goten’s way and the third-class landed on the floor instead. It was possible that there was a dent now under his right heel. Reyn was on all fours and his leg caught Goten in the side, making him stumble and lose his balance. Supporting himself with his hands, Reyn delivered another kick to his shoulder. The second-class got to his feet and straightened, but the increased distance between them gave Goten enough time to recover and defend himself from the next attack.
Goten performed a side kick, which Reyn diverted with his arm. The flight officer kicked at the back of Goten’s left leg, sweeping the third-class off the floor. Goten, however, arched his back and caught himself on his left hand, his feet whirling around, one hitting Reyn’s chest, then his other leg going for the second-class’s footing. The flight officer slid to the ground, and Goten was already airborne, landing nearly on top of him. Reyn twisted aside, and this was where he made a mistake. The third-class allowed him to do that, then fell on his back like a ton of bricks, catching his wrists and trussing his arms up.
Panting, Goten struggled to keep his hold on the second-class. Sweat was pouring off his face and dripping down on Reyn’s back. It was stinging his eyes. Blinking, Goten lowered his head to wipe his face on the flight officer’s uniform. The fight had only taken a few minutes, but even the spar with the prince hadn’t left him so exhausted. He could hear Reyn’s harsh breathing as well. Overtaken by a sudden feeling, the third-class leaned to his ear.
He rasped out softly, “Have you seen the edge of the world?”
“The fucking what?” Reyn panted out.
It seemed that he was mistaken, but Goten wasn’t so quick to discard his suspicions – he remembered his and his father’s conversation about the old man. He had pretended not to know anything as well. Of course, most of it had been due to the shock, but still…
Reyn had stopped struggling, but Goten wasn’t certain about letting him go; he hadn’t felt anything from the older male which would indicate that he had given up. Gradually, he was becoming aware of the other crew members. It was absolutely silent in the training room. He could only hear himself and Reyn wheezing for breath.
“Shall we stop for today?” Goten asked tentatively.
Reyn sighed and lowered his head to cool his forehead on the floor. “Yeah. You’re freakin’ exhausting.”
Goten rolled off him and stayed lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He wasn’t feeling that well. Reyn pushed himself off the ground and, for a moment, the third-class thought that he would conk him. Reyn didn’t, though. He just flopped on his backside and exhaled loudly. The sound, though, was lost in the sudden clamor that started among the rest of the crew members. Banknotes started trading hands.
“Can we do this again?” Reyn asked, raising his voice to be heard above the noise.
Goten laughed softly. “Yeah. But not too soon.” He looked at himself, then the second-class. Both of them had somehow managed to avoid serious injuries, which was rather unusual for a fight of such scale. Yet the adrenaline was wearing off and his body was starting to ache in various places. He got up slowly; it was about time to hit the showers.
Silently, Reyn followed him. Passing the noisy crowd, they stepped out into the corridor. They reached Goten’s cabin without saying anything. The third-class brushed over the lock with his card, then grabbed Reyn, who was about to go past the door, and pulled him inside his cabin.
“Hey, what…?!” Reyn struggled, protesting.
“What the hell are you?” Goten demanded, letting go of him.
“I wanted to ask you exactly the same question,” Reyn drawled, looking around. He seemed to be amazed by the hanging covers all around. He reached out to touch a damp pillowcase. “What the hell did you do to the cabin?”
Goten nearly growled at him in frustration. The second-class – or what appeared to be one – continued to inspect his surroundings while smoothing his uniform absentmindedly where Goten had grabbed him.
“I cleaned it,” Goten snapped, his annoyed voice finally forcing the other male to look at him.
“Can you do mine as well?” Reyn asked, and wondered why he had asked that. He wasn’t the playful sort, actually the opposite. Neither did he usually try to annoy the hell out of people, but there was something about Goten which made him want to tease the guy. Just like he did in the canteen and was doing now. Must be something disagreeable in his pheromones.
Goten glared, and Reyn gave him an apologetic smile. “You somehow make me want to tease the hell out of you,” he admitted.
“I suppose beating the shit out of me is also included,” Goten offered sarcastically.
Reyn rolled his eyes and brushed the covers aside to make himself a way to the chair at the malfunctioning terminal. He dropped into it ungracefully. “Well, you did break my nose. For no apparent reason.” He tried to turn the old terminal on without any luck. “What’s wrong with it?” he asked, pressing on the button again.
The third-class’s eyebrows twitched angrily and he whacked at the cover behind which Reyn had disappeared. “For no apparent reason? You make me want to break it again.”
“Won’t be that easy this time,” the second-class said, trying to make the terminal work. He thumped on it with his fist a few times – it was strange that it didn’t function. The cabin used to be inhabited by a programmer, Cid Alright. It had been, of course, his nickname. Reyn couldn’t even remember what his real name was. The man had been very meticulous concerning computers – he could fix any.
“What is your power level?” Goten asked.
The computer wasn’t being cooperative and Reyn decided to leave it alone. He turned to face the third-class. “It’s just above average.”
Goten rolled his eyes. “Oh, please… Be a bit more convincing. You aren’t a second-class.”
“Well, neither are you.”
Reyn was grinning at him, and Goten felt the urge to bash his face in. The older male just kept looking at him with a wide, amused grin on his face. If he was waiting for Goten to admit that he was of mixed blood, he could wait forever. However, there was a possibility that Reyn, just like him, was a third-class and suspected Goten of the same, but didn’t want to admit it first for safety reasons.
With an annoyed grunt, Goten went to his wardrobe and fished out a towel with a spare uniform to change into. He was so overwhelmed by the possibility of Reyn being just like him that he didn’t even know what to think. He felt impatient and irritated that he couldn’t just ask the older male directly. Frustration wasn’t even the word for it.
Reyn watched the third-class’s back disappear behind the washed covers, and, true enough, soon he heard the ping of the opening door. The newbie idiot had just left him alone in his room. He held no interest in Goten’s belongings at all though, and after relaxing in the chair for a few more minutes, he followed the younger male outside.
While Reyn went to his cabin to take his sponge, a towel, and the change of clothes, Goten had finished his shower. He was already toweling himself off when the older male entered. Red blotches from the spar were covering Goten’s skin, some of them already bluish. The third-class passed Reyn coldly and went to the door. He’d probably intended to dress in the spare uniform he had in his hand. Instead, he approached the door and leaned against it.
“Hey, are you alright?”
What at first Reyn thought was demonstrative disregard directed at him appeared to be something else. The newbie was hardly standing, putting most of his weight on the door. The clothes he had been holding previously were scattered around him. He clearly wasn’t alright – he needn’t have asked. Briskly, the flight officer walked over to Goten to prevent him from slumping onto the wet floor.
“Hey.”
“D-don’t touch m-me.”
Reyn thought about letting him flop onto the soaking floor. Just to teach a lesson. Goten, though, didn’t seem to be a good student. Nothing had come out of his attempts to teach him.
“Stop fussing, you idiot. If I let go, you will whack your head against the ground.” The newbie tried to push him away, but his attempts were so meek that Reyn could hardly feel them. “Struggle some more and your towel will fall off,” he warned, half-serious, half-amused. It didn’t seem that the newbie registered the warning at first. Then he stilled. Reyn pulled the younger man off the cold steel door and accepted most of his weight, Goten’s head lolling forwards, his chin thumping against the flight officer’s shoulder.
“Is this some kind of seizure?” Reyn wondered aloud. “Do you have medicine for that?” Goten’s unfocused gaze was drifting over his shoulder and flitting all over the opposite wall. “Calm down,” he said when he noticed how anxious the younger male was and how hard he was trying to concentrate, his breathing now coming in quick short spasms. “I’m not the least bit interested in you. Not in that way, anyway. Just calm down, okay?”
Goten hummed out what seemed was a positive answer about five seconds later, which gave Reyn the insight into how slow his responses were. The flight officer wondered if he should wait for the attack to pass by itself or it was better get Goten to Tamahi at once. It seemed, however, that the doctor was at a loss as to what was wrong with the newbie as well.
“Hey, Goten?” Incredulous, Reyn realized that the younger male had fallen asleep. He slapped Goten’s face lightly. “C’mon, I’m not going to carry you to your cabin. Wake up, dammit!”
Goten’s eyes blinked open. “Mmm?” he hummed, absolutely disoriented. His eyes skidded across the shower stalls absently, then Reyn felt Goten’s head come back to rest on his shoulder. He freed his hand and took hold of the third-class’s head. Sleepily, Goten blinked at him. It was useless.
“Can you walk?”
Goten smiled at him stupidly. Reyn sighed and, using his acrobatic skills to keep the younger male upright, bent down to gather his wet clothes off the floor.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Jadenas froze at the sight of the other flight officer and Goten appearing in the corridor. Goten’s towel hardly covered his hips and he was plastered to Reyn.
“Close your mouth and help me get him to his cabin.”
“Uh. Sure.” Only now he became aware at how limp the youngster appeared. “What happened?” he asked, rushing to Goten’s other side to help Reyn support him.
“He fainted in the showers.”
“A concussion?”
Reyn shook his head. “No. I never hit his head so hard to give him a concussion. It’s probably similar to what happened that time he slept for three days straight.”
“A genetic defect?”
“Most likely.”
They approached the door to Goten’s cabin and Reyn wondered if the newbie had already programmed it to open only for him. The keycard was probably somewhere amongst the clothes he had picked up.
“He hasn’t changed the code yet,” Jadenas said, seeing how Reyn was trying to shake the card out of the clothes he had in his fist.
“Why?”
“I don’t think he knows he can. Shall I go and fetch Tamahi to take a look at him?”
“Sure. But help me get him into the bed first. There are clothes hanging all over his room.”
Jadenas fished his card out of his pocket and drew it over the slot in the lock. The door slid open. They maneuvered Goten inside and through the maze of hanging covers until they reached his bed.
“He doesn’t react to anything,” Jadenas wondered, pulling the covers off the bed. He watched the other flight officer seating the youngster onto the bed. Reyn let go of Goten in order to take his boots off and barely had time to grab his shoulders again to prevent him from falling backwards and whacking the back of his head against the wall.
“Can you take his boots off?”
“Sure,” Jadenas said, squatting down at Goten’s feet. He started pulling at the shoelaces, then grabbed the boot firmly and tugged. The kid’s toenails were in need of trimming. Curious, Jadenas lifted his head a fraction.
“Stop peeking.”
Blushing, Jadenas lowered his eyes away from the towel. He cleared his throat. “Just a habit. He’s quite attractive, isn’t he?”
“Is he?”
Jadenas stole a look at Reyn. The other flight officer had never shown much interest in men, or sex in general. The common opinion on board was that Reyn went only for females. However, Jadenas suspected that, due some kind of hormonal unbalance or mental trauma, Reyn was simply frigid. Practically asexual.
“Done,” Jadenas said, arranging the boots next to the bed.
“Thanks. Can you get Tamahi in here?”
Jadenas nodded. He watched Reyn pulling the damp towel off the younger male’s hips and thought that, if this were any other man, he’d have serious doubts about leaving Goten in his care.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Goten woke up to the voices inside his cabin. Yawning, he rubbed at his eyes and turned to his side. Something touched his forehead, but whoever was standing next to him didn’t exude any pheromones indicating aggression. Actually, the opposite. His instincts told him that he could trust him, and Goten didn’t react to the touch. He hummed out something incomprehensible and opened his eyes. Reyn moved his hand off Goten’s forehead.
“Well, you aren’t feverish,” he informed the third-class.
Frowning, Goten stared at him, not certain why the flight officer was in his cabin and wondered why he hadn’t reacted to him at all.
“What’s going on?”
Jadenas saw the youngster’s confusion increase when he realized that, under the covers, he was naked.
“You fainted in the showers,” Reyn explained. “Tamahi asked us to check on you. Don’t you remember?”
Something hazy and damp floated out of the third-class’s memory. Now it had become clear to him why he hadn’t reacted to Reyn – the man had helped him out back then, and he trusted him on a subconscious level. It wasn’t wise, of course.
“Oh.” Goten ruffled through his hair. He felt fine now, rested and refreshed. He looked at the two flight officers in front of his bed. “How long have I been out?”
“You slept through the night. It’s eleven o’clock.”
“Does this happen to you a lot?” Jadenas asked.
“More often than I would like.”
“You should go and eat something,” Reyn said. “You look pale.”
The third-class nodded. “Thanks. Really. For taking care of me.”
Reyn shrugged. “There isn’t anything much to do here anyway.”
Once Reyn and Jadenas left, Goten took his clothes off the line and started dressing. Just to be certain, he thoroughly searched both his new uniforms one more time. Nope, the prince’s phone number didn’t magically appear.
“Ah, fuck it, fuck it, and fuck it one more time!” Goten chanted, summing up all the recent events. He stuffed the dirty uniform into a garbage bag with the intention to wash it later. He threw the bag into a corner and left his cabin again.
His search in the medical room gave no results: there was nothing on the floor, and the doctor said that he had never seen any paper slips lying around. The third-class walked forwards and backwards to check all the corridors and places he had been, but his search appeared to be fruitless. Somebody had taken it.
Finally, Goten gave up and went to have lunch. After that, he returned and flopped back onto his bed. He thought about reading one of the magazines he had found in the large cupboard, but his inability to concentrate at the moment would probably result in him getting even more frustrated and then throwing them all around the cabin.
A knock at the door echoed throughout the room and Goten was instantly grateful for the distraction. He shouted for the person to come in, and a soft ping indicated that the door opened.
“I heard you’re… Damn. And you were pretty serious about spring cleaning…” In a few moments, Adriel’s head appeared from behind the curtain of covers. “Can you do mine?”
Not moving, Goten rolled his eyes at the ceiling. His cleaning service would definitely be popular. “Sure. Thirty credits.”
“No, thanks.”
Maybe not.
“Here are your winnings,” the navigator said, holding out a few banknotes above Goten’s bed for him to see. “Most of us put our bets on Reyn, so you have doubled your sum. A hundred and two credits.” Goten reached out for the money, but Adriel moved his hand away. “Can you actually explain what that was in the training room, though?”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t bullshit me, Goten. We have known that Reyn is not your average second-class for quite some time now. But what’s the deal with you?”
<i>Here it goes again</i>, Goten thought. “Mmm… I eat a lot of brussels sprouts?” he offered.
“What’s that?”
“A vegetable,” Goten explained, realizing that staying in the kitchens with Kyon had rubbed off on him much more than he would have ever believed. By Saiyan standards, he was practically an expert in cooking now. The third-class suddenly felt a bout of nostalgia and with that came the urge to go and ransack his suitcase for the cookbook and read those lines Kyon had left for him.
Adriel seemed to finally understand the intent for a lame joke, and waved the money in the air. “You’re not getting this until I know what the hell is going on.”
“You know,” Goten said, “I can just easily beat it out of you.” He didn’t look all that intimidating while lying lazily in his bed, but the navigator was giving him a rather concerned look.
“Yeah, you could,” he agreed. “But you won’t do that,” he said with much more certainty than he felt.
“Nah, I won’t. I don’t particularly like violence.”
“You could’ve fooled me.”
Goten knew that he was treating Adriel in absolutely the same way Reyn had treated him. Both of them were protecting themselves. It was not that his awareness of that made it any better, though.
“I suppose I am not your average second-class either,” Goten muttered. It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either. The thing was, he didn’t know the truth himself. Maybe Reyn did.
“Tell you what,” the third-class said suddenly, “give me the money and I will treat you to a drink.”
“It’s dry law on board,” Adriel said. “We’re working full time here; it wouldn’t do for the enemy to catch us drunk off our asses.”
Goten thought back to his first day on board when he found empty beer bottles in his cupboard. He chuckled. “Don’t bullshit me. There’s always a way.”
The navigator’s sly grin would have put the Cheshire cat to shame.
<center>ooOoOoOoo</center>
Goten’s eyelids fluttered open. He lifted his head and wiped at the drool on his right cheek. He swallowed; the taste in his mouth was that of rotten fish. Groaning softly at the hammering in his head, Goten cast his hazy eyes around. He was lying on his stomach on his bunk in his cabin. The floor was littered with crumbs, cards, magazines, covers, a body, and hell knew what else. There were also a few empty bottles of something which Sildara had called Antimatter.
So much for his cleaning.
The third-class only vaguely remembered what happened yesterday. It all started with Adriel bringing a bottle of <i>Antimatter</i>. It seemed only fair when Sildara joined them a few minutes later. The news went around and, in about ten minutes, Jadenas and two arms specialists (the twins) appeared with another bottle of <i>Antimatter</i>. The doctor was the last to join the company, and they locked the door.
After that, Goten’s memory turned even hazier. He had probably drunk no more than two or three shots of Antimatter, but the effect had been outstanding – nothing mattered after that. He remembered the twins dancing a striptease while he, Tamahi, and Sildara were singing and clapping their hands to show their appreciation of the show. Adriel had taken the sheet off the line and had been walking around wrapped in it, flapping around like a bird in a disoriented fit. Jadenas had been chasing after him, imagining that he was some kind of a hungry predator. Later, Jadenas threw up into the cleaning bucket, which Goten hadn’t had enough time to return, and passed out.
Stunned, Goten stared at the sleeping Jadenas, who had curled up in the corner next to the terminal. He had wrapped himself into the sheet Adriel had used as wings. He was snoring loudly. Both twins were lying on another unmade bed, hugging each other. They were completely naked. Sildara, the doctor, and Adriel were missing. They probably had work to do.
With a loud curse, Goten’s eyes shot to the clock above the door. It was past eleven. Everyone was at their posts already.
Right. He didn’t have a post to go to. He wasn’t at the officer training school anymore.
The realization was both relieving and disappointing: he didn’t need to hurry anywhere, but he had no place where he was needed either. Goten’s head flopped back onto the pillow and he winced at the pain which bore through his head. Goten couldn’t remember ever being <i>that</i> drunk – the stuff was unbelievable.
Breakfast was over long ago. Goten wiped at his damp face with the back of his hand and rolled out of the bed. His hand thumped against something. He turned to see Kyon’s cookbook next to his pillow. Had he been hugging it before falling asleep or something? Embarrassed, he patted the thick cover. He felt sticky with sweat and his uniform was clinging to his skin. He pushed the recipe book deeper under the pillow and left the room for the toilet.
When Goten returned, he found Mr. Elite inside his room, snoozing on his still warm bed. In order to check his presumption, Goten caught the cat and, with Mr. Elite sitting in his arms peevishly, went back into the corridor. His theory proved to be right – as soon as he and the cat approached any door, it opened. The third-class inspected the cat’s collar. Obviously, it had a microchip installed which allowed him to wander through the spaceship freely. The only places he couldn’t enter were the captain’s bridge, the captain's cabin, and the training room.
Thinking that the spaceship’s security had been entrusted to a bunch of idiots, the third-class left the cat in the corridor and returned to his room. Jadenas was already up. He was sitting on the floor, still wrapped in the sheet. He blinked blearily at Goten, then stood up slowly.
“Uh,” he stuttered awkwardly after catching sight of the naked twins on the bare bed. He stared. “Do you have a camera?” he asked finally.
Goten chuckled softly and shook his head. “No. But you can lend them the cover,” he said, pointing at the sheet the flight officer was still wrapped in. “It’s not very warm in here.”
Jadenas took in the sheet, clearly wondering where he had gotten it from. He walked over to the bed and tossed it over the arms specialists.
“Those two are a bit weird, aren’t they?” Goten asked, watching how the cover settled and billowed over the two still forms.
Jadenas shrugged. “Most twins are.”
“Well, yeah,” Goten agreed. The birth of Saiyan twins was a very uncommon occurrence. They usually had an exceptionally deep connection and most of them spent their entire lives together. The third-class wasn’t certain, but the widespread judgment was that twins shouldn’t be separated as it made them suffer and sometimes even caused mental damage. They were mostly viewed as one entity.
“Let’s go to the canteen,” Jadenas suggested. “Maybe we’ll manage to beg out some leftovers, and then I will help you to clean up again.”
“Aww… How sweet of you.” Goten grinned. “I knew you were a softie.”
Jadenas rolled his eyes. “Well, sorry, but this is how I am.”
“Don’t worry,” Goten whispered, approaching him. He winked. “Softies are my favorite.”
“Oh, gods,” Jadenas gagged to show his disgust. “It’s hardly morning and you’re already flirting shamelessly.”
Goten pointed at the clock above the door. “It’s already past eleven. I am allowed to flirt, aren’t I?” He laughed at how fast the flight officer’s eyes shot to the clock.
“Oh, fuck,” Jadenas cursed. “Those bastards left me sleeping on purpose! I’m gonna rip Adriel’s throat out!”
“Are you supposed to be somewhere?” Goten wondered with a little worry evident in his voice.
“At Reyn’s. We were supposed to discuss…”
A soft ping echoed, cutting him off, and the second flight officer entered Goten’s lair. Speak of the devil.
The messy cabin rendered Reyn speechless for a few seconds, then he took in the people in the room. “That was some party…” he muttered. “Hello, Goten.” Then his index finger pointed at Jadenas. “You forgot our appointment.”
“Yeah. Sorry about that. I overslept,” Jadenas said sheepishly.
Lowering his hand, Reyn sighed, “Yeah, I can see that. Let’s postpone it for the evening. And wake Hazel and Mandro up – Monteira has been looking for them all over the place; there is something he wants to ask them about the new RNM 281 in storage.”
“Crap.”
Goten watched Jadenas waking the twins. Mandro and Hazel rolled out of the bed and started stumbling around the cabin, gathering their clothes. Mandro and Hazel were at least ten or more years older than Goten and, even if they didn’t act their age, Goten somehow felt the age barrier. There had always been something which made him reluctant concerning elder males.
The third-class could feel Reyn’s gaze on his back. The flight officer stood at the door without moving.
“Why don’t we go to the canteen?”
Goten enjoyed the sight of the two naked twins for a few more seconds, then turned around to see Reyn’s back disappear behind the door. Without saying anything, the third-class followed. The two of them had many things to discuss, providing Reyn consented to talking.
The canteen was empty, if one didn’t count the sleepy cook staring forlornly at a bowl of cereal. They sat down in the corner in the farthest end of the canteen. Goten didn’t feel like eating, thus he took two teas. He set one in front of Reyn and took a place opposite him.
“Thanks,” the flight officer said, his fingers wrapping around the mug. He preferred coffee, but he wasn’t about to complain. “Not hungry?”
“No, not yet,” Goten said, sipping his tea. “My head’s killing me.”
They sat silently, Goten drinking, Reyn watching the leaves swimming in his tea.
“Well…” the third-class said, breaking the silence. “Where are you from?”
The flight officer lifted his mug to his lips to hide his smile. Goten was an amusing guy. “Toska, south of Velora.”
Goten nodded. “Why did you pick on me?”
Maybe he wasn’t all that amusing after all.
Reyn suddenly felt tired. For some reason Goten had managed to bring out all of what was worst in him. “Sorry about that. I really am. I simply had a spat with my father just before the flight. Then you, an easy target – a usual newbie idiot – appeared, and I took it out on you.”
Goten wondered if Reyn would answer if he asked what he and his father had argued about. Probably not. Everyone’s family business was only their business and interference was unwelcome.
The third-class sighed. “Yeah, newbies always have it tough, don’t they?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen anyone faint as much as you,” Reyn bit his tongue and immediately raised his hands. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”
“Your apologies piss me off even more than your insults,” Goten informed him, sipping his tea. That was a lie as, in fact, he didn’t care what Reyn thought of him at all. He simply couldn’t be bothered. The only things he wanted from Reyn were to know what he was and whether he needed to get worked up over the fact that Reyn’s abilities were so similar to his own. Only that.
Reyn gave him a scrutinizing look. He wasn’t good at judging people, but even he could tell that the youngster in front of him was too undisturbed to be insulted. He watched Goten pick a leaf off his tongue and look at it absently.
“What?” Goten asked when he had flicked the leaf onto the floor and noticed that the older man was grinning at him.
“Nothing. I just remembered the showers.”
“What about them?”
“No, nothing. Never mind.”
Goten shrugged. He scratched the back of his head. The cook had finished eating his cereal and put his aluminum bowl into the sink with a clang. With a long, bored sigh, he started washing it.
“You give quite a wrong first impression, you know,” the flight officer said.
Goten’s eyes left the cascading water to concentrate on Reyn’s face. “So do you.”
“Yeah. I’m glad we didn’t kill each other.”
“Would have been such a waste.”
Reyn chuckled at the way the words were dripping with sarcasm. He realized he liked the youth’s unyielding personality. “How old are you?”
“Just turned eighteen.”
The flight officer shook his head in amazement. “Ten years younger than me.”
“Huh. I thought you were a bit younger.”
Reyn shrugged. His eyes suddenly turned serious. “Why are you here, Goten? Why aren’t you fighting in the front lines? It’s an absurd waste keeping you on this god-forgotten ship. Your power level must be at least over a hundred thousand, right?”
Goten’s eyebrows rose. “Right back at you.”
Reyn’s lips pressed into a thin dash. “I prefer keeping my life uncomplicated.”
“So do I.” Goten watched Reyn’s untouched glass of now-lukewarm tea. It hadn’t been his choice, though, Starcut. Somebody else had chosen for him. And he had no idea why. Just like Reyn said, there would have been much more sense in keeping him in the front lines.
“Are you hiding yourself?” Goten wondered.
Reyn chuckled. “Hmm… I wouldn’t call it ‘<i>hiding</i>’. I just keep a low profile.”
“Everybody on the ship knows you’re not an ordinary second-class.”
“So what? They don’t tattle.”
Goten had to agree with that. Since his very first moments on the ship, he had felt that there was a very strong sense of camaraderie among the crew. It was a well-working team. This was one of the reasons he had been received so coldly. They were comfortable with each other and didn’t know what to expect from their new member.
“Have you met any more guys like us? This was first time for me.”
Reyn gave Goten a strange look. “Like us…” he drawled. “I’m not certain what you mean. I suppose, yes, there is one.”
“Who?”
Reyn shrugged.
Goten understood suddenly. He laughed softly. “It’s your father, isn’t it?”
The flight officer looked at him suspiciously, then laughed as well. “I suppose yours is the same, isn’t he?”
“I don’t really know,” Goten said. “My brother was the same. I, somehow…I don’t really know about my father.”
“I see.”
Goten returned to his cabin with more questions than answers. Reyn either didn’t know what was going on either, or he was very good at pretending.
His room was empty, though the mess was still present. With a longwinded sigh, Goten cast his eyes around his dirty kingdom. He flopped onto the bed. Something was hard under the pillow. His hand reached under the pillow and pulled out Kyon’s cookbook. He smiled unconsciously when a wave of warmth spread through his body; the book flooded him with fond memories.
Savoring the moment, Goten opened the cover. He frowned in confusion: under Kyon’s message there was a second one. Goten’s eyes skipped over Kyon’s words where he promised to have Goten’s ass if he damaged the book, and set on the new paragraph in a different handwriting. Goten read it slowly:
<i>Dear Kyon,
If you so much as touch Goten’s ass, I will fucking kill you.
Best wishes,
Trunks</i>
Taken aback, Goten stared at the prince’s distinctive handwriting. When did the bastard… Must have been when the prince entered his room and he was still in the bathroom, taking a shower. Or maybe when he returned there to dress. Either way, the claim was painfully clear. Goten’s face flushed red. The screaming possessiveness in the letter made his heart beat faster. A wave of heat surged through his body. He groaned softly in embarrassment and hid his face in his hands. He could nearly feel the prince’s lips on his own again, his hands roaming over his body. He shivered, remembering the demanding tongue in his mouth.
Grunting, Goten turned to his side to face the wall and started fumbling with his belt. Already, while unzipping his trousers, he knew he was making a mistake, but the realization was fleeting. The wave of lust that came crashing down on him made him forget all caution. Seizing himself in his palm, he stroked slowly. His eyes fluttered shut. He was already hard as a rock, even before he had touched himself.
A soft moan escaped the third-class’s lips. Wiggling, he pushed his trousers further down his hips to give himself better access. He teased himself with languid strokes, his left hand rolling and squeezing his testicles lightly. He bit his lower lip to keep another groan inside. His body felt tight like a string. Damn. He should have let himself be fucked in that room at the National Air Force headquarters. He knew the prince had wanted to do him.
“Ah… Mmm… Gmm…”
Goten’s right hand moved up and down faster and faster, his thumb flicking over the head of his cock, then boring into the slit. His breathing was becoming quicker. He could feel warmth spreading from his cock and fist, the heat starting to coil in his lower belly. He could feel his chest and face flushing in arousal. His tail had unwound from his waist and was writhing on the sheets behind him in wanton abandon.
“Mm… Fuck…”
He was almost there.
Goten screamed when the bed dipped and something suddenly grabbed his tail painfully. Still screaming, he rolled out of the bed, tried to run, but his feet got entangled in his trousers, and he went down to the floor with a deafening crash. He pushed himself up with his palms, and his head shot up, his wide eyes flickering all over the cabin. His heart was hammering in his chest madly, and it was not because he had just been about to orgasm.
“Wh- Who’s here?!” he gasped out.
He couldn’t see anyone in the room. His head whipped to look back at the bed. Two yellow, surprised eyes stared back at him from the black muzzle for a few moments. Panting, with his trousers still down, Goten leaned his side against the bed. He closed his eyes in relief and concentrated on just trying to get his breath back.
If it had been the enemy, he would be dead already. He would be lying dead in his bed with his underwear down his hips and his cock in his fist.
“Fuck you, you stupid cat!” Goten spat, mortified by the probable prospect. “Shit,” the third-class cursed again, starting to calm down. “That’s it,” he said, grabbing Mr. Elite by his collar and dragging him closer. “I’m taking it off.”
TBC