Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dude Looks Like A Lady ❯ Chapter Seventy ( Chapter 70 )

Innocence is Futile
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Dude Looks Like A Lady
By Raven Pan and Alison Sky
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Chapter Seventy
November 30, 799 - Friday
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Trunks called in sick to work that day, staying in the nursery and playing with the children since before dawn, claiming he'd been unable to sleep. Which was highly likely... considering he'd just had a fairly emotional blow the night before. With Marron's leaving him.

Goten, seeing that Trunks wanted to just be alone, had left, and made his way to Marron's dorm. It was almost noon, so by the time he got their, the restriction on opposite sex visitors would have been lifted.

Marron sighed, drinking a cup of tea while she read the paper, having just woken up - still wearing the shorts and T-shirt she'd put on for bed. She felt a little guilty for having broken up with Trunks, but she really believed she did the right thing, and was holding onto that.

Goten was allowed in, security knowing him by now, and after answering a few questions about the kids to the dorm mother, he walked to Marron's door and knocked.

Marron blinked, not expecting anyone to come by, so she got up from her suite table and went to open the door, "Hey Goten."

"You lied to me, Mar," Goten stated, his eyes angry.

She stepped back, not used to seeing Goten angry... about anything. "I don't know what you're talking about...."

"You broke up with Trunks, Mar... after I told you everything, you broke his heart!" Goten stepped inside and closed the door. "Why?"

"Because it's what was best for him..." she said, stepping back a little more, wringing her hands a bit.

"He's a mess, Mar! How can that be what is the best for him?"

"Because I'm not in love with him the way you are - and it wouldn't last like that. He doesn't need me, he needs YOU, you need each other!" she bit her lip.

Goten closed his eyes, clenching his teeth as the door closed. "It's not going to happen, Mar... we KNOW this... we talked about it already."

"I'm not what he needs," she repeated, something she'd been telling herself for hours now - the guilt eating at her. She didn't want to hurt Trunks, she really DID care for him.

"But you're the one he wanted." Goten reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold pendant, sparkling diamonds scattered through it.

She looked at the small pendant, "I don't understand."

"This used to be a ring... until last night," he handed it to her, then looked at her eyes. "That's why he wanted to take you to the seaside, Mar...."

"Oh kami..." she whispered, shaking as she looked at it. If it used to be a ring, "He was... he was going to propose? To me?"

Goten nodded, running a hand through his hair.

She put a hand into her hair, closing her eyes tightly, trying not to cry. "It's not right...."

"It's not about what's right, when it comes to him, Mar... you know that... It's about what feels good."

"I love him, Goten, I really do," she looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. "But I can't... I can't do that to him, he needs someone who can love him that way... I love him like a good friend, I... Kami, we never even slept together, he's the nicest guy I've ever dated - but we're not right for each other, it wouldn't last!" it all came out in a rush.

Goten leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. "And he's never going to love me again... not unless I find the dragonballs and turn myself back into a girl..."

"I... I heard he doesn't believe love exists..." she said quietly, looking down at the small pendant.

"I know... but I know he can feel it," GOten said. "I see it when he's with the kids... saw it when he was with you...."

Marron winced, a tear rolling down her cheek, refusing to raise her gaze to meet his.

"He just doesn't know how to match the words to the feelings...."

"If that's true then... then I really can't go back to him - I can't give him what he needs. What he thinks he wants and what he really wants aren't the same thing - I've been watching him too... and I just..." she shook her head.

"He doesn't want me anymore, Mar..."

"I can't give him what he thinks he wants," she replied. "I'm sorry Goten, but if you came here to try and get me to go back to him, it's not going to happen. It would have been wrong for us to stay together, and the fairytale would have had a far more gruesome ending."

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt him, Mar..."

"I didn't mean to... and what I promised was I'd do what I thought was best for him."

Goten just sighed. "But is this really the best for him?"

"I believe it is. I can't be a wife to him, I don't love him like a wife should. I love him, and I love those kids, and I love you... but," She took his hand and put the pendant back into it. "I can't marry him."

"Mar... this isn't because of what happened... between us... is it?"

"No, it isn't," she told him softly, closing his hand over the pendant and stepping back, wrapping her arms around herself with a sigh, looking at the floor.

"Ok..." Goten closed his eyes. "I don't know what to do, Mar... he's so hurt... and I want to help him... but he won't let me."

"Just do what you think is best, Goten... that's all anyone can do," She said quietly.

"Yeah.... but is it what will help Trunks... or will it just make things worse?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, looking up at him with an open expression. "But you know him better than anyone else does, Goten - you guys have been friends all your lives. If anyone can help him figure out who he is, and what he really does want and need - it's you."

"If he'll listen to me..."

"Trunks has never been one to listen," Marron shrugged, "But he usually listens to you. Or... at least he did when we were kids."

"A lot has changed since then..."

"Maybe not so much?"

Goten shrugged. "Trunks was always the harder one...

"To accept change?" Marron asked.

"To do anything that wasn't right or 'natural'...."

"..Oh..." Marron looked down again and sighed - "well, seeing how he was raised - always in the spotlight and all...."

"I've been thinking about moving out..." Goten said softly.

Marron looked up, "What about the kids?"

"Don't know yet... probably take them with me. Legally, they ARE mine... my parents will help, I'm sure."

"You're going to leave him alone then?" she asked, worry touching her tone. "I mean... I don't think he's ever lived by himself before, neither have you...."

"I don't think I can stay there with him, Mar... feeling the way I do and knowing I can't have anything," Goten sighed. "And it's not like he won't be able to see them...."

"If that's what you think is best, then..." she waved a hand, "Then it's probably what's best."

"Trunks needs to figure out who he really is... and if we're hanging around, a memory of a life he could have had... it's only going to keep him from progressing."

"If you need help packing up, let me know."

"I'm still not sure yet, Mar... but every day I think it's the right thing more and more..." Goten sighed. "I just love him so much... I don't want to."

"Don't want to stay?"

"Go."

"If you don't want to go, then why are you planning to?"

"Because it's what's best..." Goten's voice trailed off, and he looked up at Marron, insight finally hitting home.

"Even if it hurts him, it'll help in the long run... because it's what's best for him," she confirmed, tears shining in her eyes. She moved forward and hugged him tightly - knowing how it felt to feel guilt, even if you knew you were doing the right thing.

Goten just hugged Marron back, taking a deep, shuddering sigh. He hoped it wouldn't come to that step... he really did. But there was no miracle to help Trunks, that much he knew.

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By the time Goten got home, Trunks was still in the nursery, though he, and the three children, had ended up falling asleep in the middle of the floor. He had Gotenks crooked protectively in one arm, Teena in the other, while Truten lay snoozing on his chest.

Goten stood in the doorway, smiling sadly. Again, the thought of hunting down the dragonballs entered his mind... maybe if he turned back into a girl again... everything would be alright....

Sensing someone there, Trunks woke, opening his eyes. He gave Goten a slight smile, "Hey, where'd you go?"

Goten smiled back. "Just went out to get some air and see if there was anything interesting at the fruit market," Goten lied.

"I don't smell fruit on you," Trunks said quietly. "It's okay... it doesn't matter," he looked down at the children, then leaned to the side to kiss Gotenks's head as the toddler fussed momentarily in his sleep. "Shhh, it's okay," he whispered to him.

"Well, I didn't really get there... I just kept walking... I haven't just walked for a long time," Goten leaned over to sit on the floor nearby.

"Aa," Trunks nodded, sighing as he looked up at the slowly rotating ceiling fan.

"I was wondering if maybe you would want to go out tonight? We could get my parents to babysit...."

"Anyplace in mind?" Trunks asked mildly.

"There's a new movie out... or we can just go out for dinner at Hooters or something...."

"Nah... I don't really feel like going out.. unless it's a place that's noisy, dark, and has lots of hard liquor," he said, his voice still detatched.

Goten sighed. "We could have a Halo marathon?"

"We haven't done that in a while," Trunks nodded. "Sure... I guess."

Goten smiled. "I can order us pizza and wings.

"I'll go buy some beer when the kids wake up...."

"Maybe we can slip some in their bottles to get them to sleep all night," Goten smirked.

"Not good for them, stunt their growth," Trunks said seriously, not seeing the smirk as he continued watching the ceiling fan.

"I was joking..."

"Oh."

Goten sighed. "Want help putting those monsters into bed?

"Nah... they're fine for now... I don't mind."
"Sure?"

"Yeah... I'm sure," Trunks looked down at the chibis a moment before closing his eyes.

Goten jsut sighed and stood up, making his way back outside.

Trunks sighed, "At least I've still got you and the kids around," he whispered to himself, just snuggling the children.

Goten cringed a bit. "Yeah... we'll always be here for you Trunks... remember that."

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After a while, Trunks had finally put the kids into their own cribs and bed to sleep before heading out to go buy some liquor. He returned with two cases of beer, and a case of vodka, as well as a bunch of new game controllers.

Goten had ordered the pizzas and wings, setting them out on a large plastic tablecloth on the floor. He knew how messy he and Trunks could be when they tournamented.

"Food here?" Trunks asked, dumping the cases down on the edge of the cloth, and the dozen controllers into the controller box. They should have at least twenty now.

"Hot and ready for indigestion," Goten smirked.

"Good," Trunks seemed less than enthused, grabbing some of the harder liquor and sitting down, plugging in some controllers.

Goten gave Trunks a worried look, but sat down, handing a pie and bucket of wings to Trunks. "Shall we begin?"

"Sure thing," Trunks nodded, flicking it on and taking one of the pieces out of the box, tossing the whole thing in his mouth, and swiftly moving to choose his settings.

Goten focused on the game as well, nibbling on a slice of pizza. He was going to figure out how to force Trunks to have some fun.

Trunks, every spare moment, took a swig of his drink, barely touching the pizza as he focused on the game, on the controller, and on making the damn thing do what he wanted it to.

"If you get drunk too fast, I'm gonna kick you ass," Goten taunted, going for a second slice.

"Probably," Trunks muttered, focused on the game.

"You mean you're going to let me win for once?" Goten asked in mock shock.

"Probably," Trunks said, setting the controller on the floor and using it one-handed while he drank from his bottle. Then frowned, finding it empty, and reaching behind him for another.

"Hey, you gotta make that stuff last all night..." Goten stated.

"Why do you think I bought a case?"

"Trunks..."

"HAH!" Trunks smirked, his guy getting past Goten, "Gotcha."

Goten lined his gun sights up on the back of Trunks's head. "I got you..." he joked.

Trunks got his character to tuck and roll... right into the wall. "Fuck," he muttered.

"I always wondered if alcohol transfered through the controllers..." Goten chuckled.

"Shut up," Trunks concentrated on the game a few moments before moving in a brief respite to open his second bottle, and down several gulps worth before going back to playing, taking a few bites out of his second pizza slice.

Goten sighed and reached for a beer. "If you can't beat them, join them..."

"That's the spirit," Trunks said... "Oh damnit damn damn fuck fuck damn!" he threw down the controller, it dashing to pieces as his guy died.

Goten laughed. "And another one bites the dust," he stated.

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