Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Compromise ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter Two

 

[Trunks]

 

I turned around after smashing the face of the last alien in and I come face to face with Goten. My stomach gives a little lurch before I manage to straighten myself into a completely upright pose. Even from this distance I can tell that he's now a couple of inches taller than me.

 

The following few seconds are spent in an awkward silence as neither of us appears to know what to say. Finally, tired of the silence and the awkwardness I simply say, “Hey Goten. It's been a while.”

 

He smiles back at me, putting his hand behind his head in much the same way his father does and responds, “Yeah, sure has.”

 

“So,” I say, as I carefully step over the bodies of the life forms at my feet and walk closer to him, “what have you been up?”

 

He gives a little shrug, “Not much. Well…I guess I've done quite a lot in eight years, but not much that's really great or anything.” There's another awkward silence that follows this.

 

Now I'm only a couple of feet away from him and as we're standing there I find myself allowing my gaze to follow the curve of his face and down to his chest, which I can tell is nicely muscled, even through the shirt. As I'm subtly checking him out, something I normally do when I meet someone, suddenly I remember that this is Goten. We trained together, we bathed together, we slept….together. I really need to think about something else. Thankfully Goten finally asks, “What about you?”

 

“Well,” I think over what I've done for the past eight years, and figure not mentioning most of it would be a good idea, “school, mostly, I guess. I'm about to graduate college this year. My mom wants me to take over Capsule Corp. once I'm done.” I give a little shrug hoping he doesn't ask about what college is like; that has the possibility of getting weird really fast.

 

As we were trying to find something else to say yet again, Goku steps into my line of vision and comments, “Hey Trunks! What happened to all the aliens?”

 

I refrain from rolling my eyes and reply, “I beat them.”

 

My father, who's behind me, says, “What'd you do that for? I was going to do that.”

 

“Right,” I say, “Before or after you and Goku had finished bickering?” I turn around to face him, but he only fixes me with one of his classic glowers.

 

Goten lets out a nervous sounding chuckle, “Yeah, they kinda attacked us.”

 

I turn back around to face Goten and Goku as everyone started to argue over the events of the fight. As this continues I start to notice that Goten still look a lot like his dad. Though Goten's features are softer than Goku's, the shape of both his face and eyes rounded a little more. The slight differences make Goten a lot more attractive than Goku. The slightly smaller build and narrower hips… This is not a train of thought I should be thinking about and pull myself back to the situation at hand.

 

As I glance around, everyone appears to be staring at me. I try to figure out why they'd be staring, “What?”

 

“Well, you weren't saying anything…” Goten responds before grinning, “You must have really been lost in your thoughts. What were you thinking about?”

 

I feel myself start to blush and quickly respond, “Nothing really…just wondering where the aliens came from.” It had been the first thing to come to my mind, and I'm pretty sure that it served its intended purpose.

 

“Yeah, that's a good question,” Goten responds with a nod.

 

“Do you think they were here to destroy Earth?” Goku comments.

 

“I don't know,” I respond, “But they seemed pretty intent on destroying each other.”

 

“So, do you think there are more of them?” Goten asks, his expression contemplative causing the edge of his mouth to slip upward slightly.

 

“Oh, I hope so!” Goku says excitedly.

 

I feel my phone start to vibrate in my pants pocket as once again Queen's `Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” begins to play. I quickly pull it out and glance at who it is. The screen reads Dillon Hanson. Seeing as standing in a crater caused by aliens I'd just defeated with my father, Goku and Goten didn't seem like the appropriate setting to speak to the guy I sleep with on occation. I hit the silence button, slipping the phone back into my pocket before mumbling, “someone from school, I'll call him back later.”

 

“You know Vegeta,” Goku said, as if he'd been thinking thoughts not related to the current situation, “it's been a really long time since we've sparred. And since the boys took care of the aliens and we missed all the action, we should spar.”

 

“You know what, Kakarrot, that's got to be one of your best ideas ever. I bet I can beat you to Capsule Corp,” and with that both Goku and my father are gone, leaving Goten and me alone.

 

I'm not sure what to say and I'm sure this is pretty obvious to Goten. I'm trying to find some sort of question that seems like an appropriate thing for one person to say to another when they haven't seen them for a really long time. The first thing that comes to my head isn't nearly as innocent as I'd like it to be, but curiosity gets the better of me, so I ask anyway. “So,” and feeling weird about asking this I look around trying to figure out if I'm actually going to ask before finally spitting it out, “are you seeing anyone?”

 

I'm not sure what I'm expecting him to but when he responds with, “Well, I guess so. I mean…I'm engaged,” I positive that that isn't it.

 

It takes my mind a couple seconds to catch up with this information. Goten is engaged. I want to know more, and yet I don't. I'm finding it really difficult to come to terms with this news. I don't know why, I guess I just can't see Goten with anyone. Finally I manage to say, “Really?”

 

“Yeah, but it's really complicated. She's this really rich girl that my mom likes, but I don't really think I like her. At least not enough to marry her,” as he explains it makes more sense, if Chi Chi was pressuring him into marrying her then he'd go along with it. For some reason the idea of Chi Chi finding a suitable wife for Goten strikes me as being funny, probably because I can see her interviewing women for her son's hand in marriage, and I begin to laugh. I know I shouldn't be laughing and quickly suppress it; “Your mom seriously arranged a marriage for you? Why don't you just tell her you don't want to marry whoever this woman is?” As I say this, I think it over and realize it's a dumb question. I know what Chi Chi was like and I'd be she hadn't changed much, “Then again, Chi Chi can be a little scary.”

 

“Yeah, I don't realy want to make her angry with me, so I'm not sure what to do,” Goten says, looking really conflicted.

 

I give a little nod; I know what it's like to be between a rock and a hard place with my parents as well. I start to wonder if perhaps he'd like to go somewhere else to continue talking. We could talk, catch up, get some coffee at CzarDucks, and reconnect in general. Sometimes my thoughts sound so gay but the idea is one I like. Turning my attention back to Goten I take a breath and ask, “You want to go get coffee or something? We can finish catching up or whatever.”

 

Goten lets out a little chuckle, “Well, I don't really like coffee but I guess I can drink something else. Yeah, that sounds like fun,” he gives me one of those huge grins that covers most of his face and my stomach gives a little flip flop feeling that I ignor.

 

Returning the smile to a lesser degree I say, “Well then, let's go.”

 

 

 

[Goten]

 

It seems to get even more awkward with Trunks and I once our dads have left. We kind of stand here awkwardly looking at each other. Trunks looks like he might even be feeling more weird about this than me. He keeps giving me these long glances, like he's looking me over or something.

 

“So,” Trunks finally begins, he sort of looks around awkwardly before continuing, “are you seeing anyone?”

 

Yup, that would be one of the questions he asks. I don't know how much to tell him. It's not like he's my closest buddy anymore, but I still feel as I should be able to talk to him about stuff. I could before. “Well, I guess so. I mean…I'm engaged.”

 

Trunks gives me a look that pretty much says, `you're kidding right' but all he says is, “Really?”

 

“Yeah, but it's really complicated. She's this really rich girl that my mom likes, but I don't really think that I like her. At least, not enough to marry her.” I'm not really sure what Trunks is going to think of this news, but he was going to find out some time.

 

I'm not sure what to make of as he begins to laugh. As he stops laughed he says, “Your mom seriously arranged a marriage for you?” I'm not sure if I should upset that he laughed, but I don't think so. “Why do you just tell her you don't want to marry whoever this woman is?” He pauses for a moment and I wonder if he's forgotten who my mom is. “Then again,” he adds, looking a bit more serious, “Chi Chi can be a little scary.”

 

This is an understatement in my opinion; my mom can be terrifying when she gets angry. “Yeah, I don't really want to make her angry with me, so I'm not sure what to do.”

 

Trunks nods, as if understands then he looks up at the sky as though he's considering something. I wonder what he's so deep in thought about but before I can ask he looks back over at me, “You want to go get coffee or something? We can finish catching up or whatever.”

 

“Well, I don't really like coffee, but I guess I can drink something else. Yeah, that sounds like fun,” I let a huge grin spread across my face. It will be really nice to spend some time with Trunks again.

 

Trunks nods again and gives me a smiles, “Well then, let's go.”

 

We both take off into the air heading for West City. Since I'm not really sure where we're going I just follow Trunks since it seems like he knows. Minutes later we're standing outside a small shop with a sign that reads `CzarDucks Coffee'. He opens the door, letting me enter first. “They have some pretty good drinks that aren't coffee here too,” he walks in behind me letting the door swing shut.

 

At the counter I order a small hot cocoa from the young man behind the counter and start to pull out money to pay for it when Trunks stop me. “My treat,” he says, putting his hand on my forearm to stop the movement. His skin in warm on my own and looking up into his, seeing his blue eyes makes my stomach feel all knotted up. Then he quickly removes his hand and my arm feels oddly chilly where his hand had been. The odd moment is over now and Trunks turns to the guy at the counter. “I'll take a small coffee, nothing in it.”

 

Trunks must have done something I couldn't see because the cashier lets out a small laugh and smiles at him. “Alright, that'll be 5 Zeni.”

 

Trunks reaches into his pocket and pulls out some bills that he hands to the young man. Again something must happen that I've missed because an almost shy smile creeps across the man's face as he takes Trunks' money. “Have a good day,” he says as Trunks turns back to me.

 

“Let's get a table, it'll be a few minute before our drinks are ready,” and he heads off to a corner table at the back of the café. I take a seat on opposite side of the table from him and we watch each other across the table.

 

“So, what've you been up?” I ask him, just trying to get rid of the silence.

 

Trunks gives me a smile that's almost more of a smirk, “You asked me that already.”

 

“Oh, yeah I have,” I say grinning, “I mean…how about you, have you been seeing anyone lately?” I can't seem to come up with a question of my own, so I just use the same one he's already asked me.

 

Trunks seems to think about this question for a time before he responds, “I haven't had much time for dating lately, so I haven't really have gone out with anyone recently.” He puts an odd weight on the words `gone out' but I'm not completely sure what it's supposed to mean.

 

A woman that works here yells out from behind the counter, “A small coffee and a small hot chocolate.”

 

Trunks stands up saying, “I'll get them.” As he walks over to the counter I watch him. He grabs both cups and walks back over to me at the table. “Here you go, hot chocolate, lots of whipped cream.”

 

Grinning I take a big gulp and set the cup back down on the table. This makes me think of when we were little and one day after it had snowed we were sitting in the kitchen of Capsule Corp. and Bulma had given us each a cup of hot cocoa. She'd made the mistake of leaving the can of whip cream on the table. Once she'd gotten back we'd been covered in whip cream and laughing so hard we were having trouble breathing.

 

“Goten, you have a little,” he motions to his upper lip, telling me I have whip cream on my lip.

 

Laughing I run my arm over my mouth to wipe it away, “Oh…I guess that's what happens.”

 

“You missed some,” he says, reaching across the table and running his thumb over the corner of my mouth. I'm startled by the way my heart speeds up and my stomach feeling like a bunch of butterflies are flying around in it. But soon his hand is gone and he's giving me a confused look. “Goten, are you ok?”

 

I nod, “Yeah.” But I'm not completely sure if that's true because I don't really know what this funny feeling means or what to do about it.