Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dude Looks Like A Lady ❯ Chapter Fifty-Three ( Chapter 53 )

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

For a pic of the kids: " www " dot " deviantart " dot " com/deviation/9691634/ " is by Raven Pan

Innocence is Futile
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Dude Looks Like A Lady
By Raven Pan and Alison Sky
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Chapter Fifty-Three
February 15, 799 Thursday
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Trunks was sitting against the couch, playing KOTOR while waiting to get tired enough to have an excuse to just sleep there in the living room once more. He yawned... wouldn't be much longer.

The keys rattled in the door, followed by a thud of a body hitting the door, the keys jingling.

"What the fuck?" Trunks put the controller down, pausing the game - he never could get past this last level, spent the whole time running around and taking medpacks. He opened the door....

And Goten fell in, laughing. His hair was messed up and he smelled of alcohol, smoke, and cheap women's perfume. Lipstick stained his collar. "Hiya Trunks!" Goten slurred.

"Ugh, you smell like a brothel! Get your ass in here," He dragged Goten in, depositing him on a chair, before locking up again. Wasn't really needed, now that they were back to themselves - but it made Trunks feel safer for the kids.

"Nope! Just the bar down the street!" Goten's eyes were fuzzy, far gone. "I'm thirsty... " he said and worked to stand up.

"Stay there, I'll get you some coffee," Trunks told him, heading to the kitchen.

"Don't want coffee.... want the beer in the back of the fridge..." Goten got up anyway, and followed.

"No, you smell like you fell in a vat of that shit - you're not getting any," Trunks told him, pulling out the percolater.

"You going to stop me?" Goten asked, reaching the fridge.

Trunks interposed himself, "Yeah, I am. I'm not a weak human this time - so don't fuck with me, Goten."

"Oh stop acting like you actually care," Goten muttered, going to push Trunks away.

Trunks blocked him, "You're drunk, Goten. Don't make me kick your ass, cause I'll do it. You're not drinking any more booze in this apartment tonight."

"This is MY apartment too, and I can do whatever I damn well please to here. You aren't my mother, and you sure as hell aren't my wife anymore, so STOP lecturing me," Goten stated.

"Keep your voice down, you'll wake the kids," Trunks snarled.

Goten leaned forward, his head wiggling a bit from him not being able to keep it steady. "No," he said in a challenging voice.

Trunks grabbed Goten by the collar, shoving him back, keeping gripped so Goten wouldn't smack his head on anything, not that it'd hurt him in this state.

"Ooo, Trunks wants to get physical... " Goten taunted. "Too bad he'll just throw me away when he's done with me, like he has every other person...."

"It's not even worth arguing with you like this, I'm putting you into a fridgid shower, then stuffing you into that damn bed."

"You ain't touching me... remember, I'm a guy now, and we can't be seen like that," Goten slurred, breaking away from Trunks grip, falling back against the wall.

Trunks crossed his arms and scowled.

Goten tried to imitate his stance. "What's wrong, Trunks? Am I making you mad?" he sneered.

"If there's anyone here who's mad, it's you, Chibi, now if you're not going to sit down like a civilised half-saiyajin and drink some coffee and take some asprin so you don't have the hangover-of-doom -- then go to bed and get the hell outta my sight," Trunks growled in frustartaion.

"Well, I don't want to do either. Sorry Mister Mom, but if you won't let me drink in my own apartment, I'll just go back to the bar with my new friends."

"Well go have fun then, Goten - but you better be sober on Friday."

"How come?" Goten asked.

"I have a date," Trunks turned and stalked back to the kids room, he'd sleep on the floor in there tonight.

Goten's ki jumped painfully... then dropped in anger. "Fine. But don't knock her up... cause we know how great you are at careing for the woman AFTER she's given birth," Goten growled, then stormed out of the house.

Trunks snarled turning, "I have news for you, Goten - you're NOT a Woman! So start acting like a man and start being responsible!" he shouted after him.

The door slamming shut was Goten's reply.

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Having to bend a bit to get into the door, he wrinkled his nose at the stench of the bar. Why would people want to go here... why would GOTEN be here? He had a pretty good idea, but how could he stand the smell? Pushing off the hands of one too-bold woman from his gi, Goku started to wind his way toward where he felt Goten's ki.

Goten had found a booth in the back, and was by himself, a bunch of empty beer mugs around the table, and his head was down... his shoulders shuddering now and then.

Finally breaking through a group of roucous twenty-somethings - Goku got to the table, sliding into the seat in front of Goten.

"Sorry... the booth's taken," Goten slurred, not looking up.

"I noticed," Goku said. "Fortunately, fathers are exempt from that rule."

Goten's head snapped up. "Dad?! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Suffocating, how about you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Thinking." Goten reached for the mug that still had something in it. "Want something to drink?"

Goku wrinkled his nose, "No thanks, can't stand the taste - Yamucha tried to get me to drink once," he shook his head and shuddered.

"You get used to it after awhile," Goten shrugged, then took a long drink from his mug.

"Why don't you come out and get some fresh air with me, Goten?"

"I'm tired of getting air," Goten muttered.

"We could sit on the edge of a volcanoe, it'd smell just as bad," Goku chuckled.

Goten shrugged and took another drink. "What do you want, Dad?"

"Just to talk, Goten. I want to know why you're in a place like this?"

"I'm here because it's the only place I can be without having to worry about what I look like, and what I'm doing," Goten muttered.

"Well, that explains where," Goku rested his arms on the table, obviously uncomfortable squeezing his large frame into the smaller human sized boothe. "I want to know the why, though."

"Cause Trunks doesn't care about me anymore," Goten stated offhandedly. "Just like everyone else in his life, he's now thrown me away. Guess I should get used to it, huh? I'm not good enough for anyone."

"Of course Trunks cares about you - and what's that? Of course you're good enough, what gave you that idea?"

"Well, Trunks throws me away like yesterday's newspaper... so has every girl I've ever dated... don't have enough skills to get a job... wasn't smart enough like Gohan to make mom proud... wasn't strong enough for you to keep training and you went off to train Uub..." Goten took another long swig, finishing his beer. "I'm used to it."

Goku sighed, "I went to train Uub because you told me fighting wasn't your thing. Someone had to get trained, Goten. As for Trunks, what makes you think he's thrown you away? You two have been best friends since you were infants."

"Yeah, well... now that everything's happened... and with us both being guys again.... it's not 'right' anymore for us to care like we used to," Goten slurred, and held his arm up to the bartender and motioned for another beer.

Goku let it go, not wanting to argue with Goten. "Maybe he doesn't understand that it's okay - I mean, he does have a pretty weird outlook on life since he grew up."

"He doesn't care anymore, Dad. Even these past two years, he never once could say he loved me, Dad. I told him time and time again, but he never said it back." Goten lowered his head. "Am I a fool for still caring about him, even though we're both guys now?"

"No, you're not - both of you being guys doesn't mean anything if you love. But Trunks..." he shook his head. "I don't think I've ever heard him say he loved anyone. Has he?"

"A long time ago..." Goten said softly. "Very long time ago." Goten sniffled.

"How long?" Goku asked, grabbing a napkin off the table and giving it to his son.

"Since junior high... sixteen years maybe..." Goten tought, rubbing his face a bit. A waitress brought over Goten's drink and put it in front of him, gathering a few of the empty mugs and taking them away.

"What happened?"

"He fell in love... and she hurt him... and he said he wasn't going to love anyone again..." Goten sighed. "But I said that after every girlfriend, and I still fell in love again and again!"

"Trunks has always been very careful with his words... maybe he kept it? It's been a long time, maybe he's forgotten just what Love is," Goku thought aloud.

"SO I'm a fool then, huh? Falling for someone who can't even understand how I feel." Goten growled and took another long drink.

"No, Goten. You're not the fool. Trunks is. It's possible that he does, but just doesn't know what it is," he offered.

Goten sighed and lowered his head to the table. "Then what am I going to do, Dad? I'm tired of trying to convince him that it doesn't matter what we look like outside, but he won't listen."

"So it's because you're both guys now?"

Goten just nodded.

"Well, when you're done fighting, and sober - why don't you tell him that you'll get the dragonballs together. And then, let him pick who gets to be the girl."

"We had that planned... then stupid Videl had to open her mouth..." Goten grumbled.

"Yeah I heard," Goku shook his head.

"And I told him it's only for a year, but he acts like it's never going to happen!" Goten cried out. "If only Vegeta hadn't bothered us the first time after Truten was born, everything would be fine, dad! We were happy then!"

"I know," Goku sighed. "But he did, and Videl did - and now you have to just wait and see what happens, Goten. But... be careful."

Goten looked up at his father questionally, his eyes rimmed with tears

"Son... if what you say is true - it's possible Trunks may never return your love. He might not be capable of it."

Goten lowered his head. "I know.... but what am I going to do then, Dad? We have three kids... I can't just go away."

"No, you can't. But, can you live together just as friends, Goten? That's something you need to think about. And, legally, they're your kids, he's only guardian if you die."

"I don't know if I can do that, Dad... it hurts so much..." Goten said softly.

"Give it a try."

"I'll try... but I just wish everything could go back to the way it was...."

"I know," Goku nodded. "Why don't you come home with me, sleep it off. You don't need to go back in this state of mind."

Goten just nodded sadly. "I need to pay my tab."

"I'll get it for you," Goku stood, uncomfortably stretching out his kinks as he looked out over the croud, head and shoulders taller than them all.

Goten just nodded and finished his beer, leaning forward and resting his head on the table, lost in thought.

Goku made his way to pay for Goten's tab, a bit surprised as to how high it'd gotten, but no matter. After embarassedly rejecting several... offers of companionship... he finally was able to get back to Goten's table, "Let's get out of here?" he almost begged.

"Sure," Goten went to stand, but stumbled into his father's arms. He didn't realize just how much he had had.

"C'mon, Son," He half carried, him through the crowd to the door.

Goten followed. "Dad..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry 'bout what I said before... bout you and all..." He slurred.

"It's okay - I got it from Gohan at his bachelor party. Sometimes I just don't think, that's all... and sometimes the choices I make have to be made." A thought came to Goku's mind as he let it wander back over their conversation, and he blinked. It made perfect sense.

"Still... I do love you dad... don't think different, ok?" Goten looked up at his father and gave him a half smile.

Goku grinned back, "I know, and I love you too - Son. Just you remember that." he kicked the door open, accidentally breaking it. Nobody yelled at him though... he was too big.

Goten smiled... then passed out.

Goku shook his head, and hoisted his son over his shoulder, bringing him home to Paoz to sleep it off in his old bed.

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Trunks frowned at the phone number in his hands. It had been given to him earlier in the day, should he ever 'change his mind'. But did he? He told Goten he was going out friday because he was angry with the words Goten was spoken, moreso with the way he was reacting to them.

That was no reason to go out with someone, though - that much he'd learned. So, he put the number away, should he ever change his mind. He went and curled up under a blanket on the floor beneath Gotenks and Teena's crib, and attempted to fall to.

Of course, now that he said he had a date.... he had to make sure he wasn't home tomorrow night.

He sighed.... "I hate my life."

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