Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dude Looks Like A Lady ❯ Chapter Fifty-Two ( Chapter 52 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

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Innocence is Futile
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Dude Looks Like A Lady
By Raven Pan and Alison Sky
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Chapter Fifty-Two
February 2, 799 Friday
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A long flight out to Paoz with the kids... another back to work. A long day arguing with idiots who were supposed to be brighter than the average mayonaise, then another long flight, pick up the kids, and off to home. This was Trunks's routine since the day after Goten had been returned to male form - bringing their three children to Gohan and Videl for watching, then off to work.

He'd just gotten home from work, children in tow - and while the infants took yet another nap, Truten was playing 'build a tower, knock it down' in the livingroom as Trunks worked on making a meal decent enough for consumption.

Goten came home, opening the door and pulling off his tie, newspaper in hand as well as a briefcase filled with resumes. "I'm back," he called tiredly.

"Any luck?" Trunks called from the kitchen.

"No." Goten sighed, kicking his shoes off and putting his briefcase by the door. "I got the paper though, and there are a few more jobs in here I haven't applied to yet."

"Have you tried any of the other hospital pharmacies in the area? It's not like distance is too much of a problem."

"I've even tried the retail ones, Trunks. No one's hiring." Goten walked in, draping his jacket on the back of the couch. He knelt down in front of Truten. "There's my cutie..."

"Do you want me to talk to the people over in the drug-research branch at CC?" Trunks asked, pulling supper out of the oven.

"No." Goten sat on the ground, handing a block to his daughter. "I don't need you pulling strings. I'll find something on my own eventually."

"You sure? I mean, it's not a garuntee they'll hire you - but it's a chance. Dinner's ready."

"I'll be fine." Goten stood up, picking Truten up and carrying her to her highchair.

"Suit yourself," Trunks shrugged, taking a portion off to the side and swiftly cutting it up before putting it in the freezer to cool down quickly.

Goten stole a look at Trunks, then sighed and paid attention back to Truten. "You going to eat everything tonight, cutie, or toss it all over us again?" he said, tickling Truten's chin as she put her bib on.

Truten squealed, truing to take the bib off, "Nonononono!"

"Please Truten... just put the bib on for daddy..." Goten asked.

Truten stuck out her tongue and blew.

Goten blew a rasberry back at her, smiling.

Truten giggled, trying to put her hand into his mouth, stopping her squirming. "Dat!"

Goten chuckled, kissing her hand. "What?" he asked with a smile.

She opened her mouth, sticking out her tongue - trying to get him to do the same, her fingers on his lips. Trunks watched for a moment, then shook his head, taking her food out of the freezer now that it was cool, and putting it on her highchair table. He then served up the rest for him and Goten. "Food's done."

Goten took his daughter's hands and led them to the food, then turned a bit to face the table. "Looks good..." he said, looking up at Trunks and smiling brightly.

"It's food," Trunks shrugged and sat down on the opposite side from Truten, cutting into his food while Truten gobbled at hers.

Goten's smile faultered, and he sighed, picking up his fork and picking at it.

Trunks ate silently, though not as much as he used to... he was unable to finish his plate.

Neither was Goten... in fact he barely ate anything, even though a moment ago it had looked delicious.

The elder sighed, "You sure you don't want me to ask if anything's open for you?" he tried.

"Yeah..." Goten said softly, pushing his plate away and standing up.

"Guess I'll clean up, then."

"Dah!!" Truten held up a piece of her meat to Goten, obviously thinking he didn't eat enough. "Daht daht!"

Goten just ruffled his daughter's hair and kissed her cheek, then started for the bedroom to change.

"Daddy isn't hungry, Truten - finish your food," Trunks said quietly, gathering up the half eaten food and throwing it away - the rest going into the fridge for tomorrow's lunches.

Truten looked after Goten, then up at Trunks. She pouted and threw some food at her mother before going back to eating.

Goten closed the bedroom door and sat on the bed, unbuttoning his shirt. He felt so old suddenly... so old and worn. Why was this happening? Up until a week ago they had been a loving family... now it was like he and Trunks couldn't talk anymore... like they were almost strangers.

Fustrated, Goten flopped back onto the bed and closed his eyes.

Once he'd gotten Truten fed and cleaned up, Trunks brought her to her room to play, before going and knocking on the door to what had, once, been the room he shared with Goten. In the last week, it had become Goten's room as Trunks found more and more excuses to sleep on the couch of late. His only claim to it, anymore, was for his clothing.

"Come in..." Goten said, his arm tossed over his eyes.

Trunks opened the door and stepped in, closing it and leaning back against it, folding his arms with a sigh. "What's wrong."

"Nothing."

"You barely touched supper."

"Not hungry."

"You've barely touched supper all week."

Goten didn't reply, just sighed.

"What's wrong, chibi?"

"Why are you mad at me?" Goten asked softly.

"I'm not," Trunks blinked. "Why do you think I'm angry with you?"

"You leave before I wake up... barely talk to me, won't look me in the eye, and sleep out on the couch every night," Goten stated. "What else am I SUPPOSED to think?"

Trunks sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm not angry with you, Chibi - I leave before you wake up to take the kids over to Paoz for Videl and Gohan to watch. I barely talk because I can't think of anything to say - and I sleep on the couch because that happens to be where I am when I finally am tired enough TO sleep."

Goten just took a deep breath. "And this has nothing to do with what happened last week?"

"No."

"Or the fact that we're both guys now."

Trunks shifted his stance, and sighed.

"You hate me..." he said softly.

"No, I don't hate you, Goten - I can't, you're my best friend."

Goten sat up. "Then come over here near me... sit next to me.. look me in the fucken eyes like you did every day of our lives - up till one week ago."

"Fine," Trunks rolled his eyes and moved over to sit on the bed next to Goten, then looked him in the eye. His own were shuttered, showed nothing of how he was thinking.

Goten looked up in Trunks's a deep urge of need in his own eyes. He needed Trunks to be there for him. Slowly he lifted his hand to Trunks's cheek, touching the skin gently.

He flinched slightly, but remained still, expressionless.

Goten took a deep breath, then leaned over to kiss Trunks... he needed to know if Trunks still cared about him.

Trunks blinked his eyes wide open and pulled back before their lips touched, "What are you doing?"

"Kissing you," Goten said softly.

Trunks shook his head, looking confused now - but at least he had an expression this time. "We can't do that anymore, Goten."

"Why not?

"What do you mean, why not? We're GUYS Goten. As in... both of us."

"But we're the same people we were a week ago, Trunks... why should it matter the package when it's what's inside that counts?" Goten asked, hurt in his eyes.

"Well, when what's outside is the same thing, inside doesn't count so much," Trunks reasoned - conditioning he'd spent his entire life under kicking in.

Goten looked at Trunks in shock, tears welling up in his eyes. "So, just because your stuck as a guy for one year more... we have to throw everything away?"

Trunks was still confused. "Why are you so upset, what'd you expect, Goten?" he just wasn't parsing what was going on.

Goten just stood up and walked out of the room, not giving Trunks the oppurtunity to see him cry.

Trunks watched him go, still confused. "What the hell's going on?" he asked himself, getting his things and going to the bathroom for a shower.

Goten grabbed his jacket and took off, flying back towards the mountains, shaking all over, unable to control the wave of emotions flowing over him. He was a guy again... so why was he feeling so weak...?

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