Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Forgiven ❯ Innocent Beginnings ( Chapter 1 )

The two boys shrieked, racing through the sky over the younger's home. The younger had only a hairsbreadth lead, managing to avoid being tagged only by sheer acrobatic skill. The bright orange clothes he habitually wore made it easy to spot him from the ground.

"They're at it again," Chi-Chi said with a sigh. "Don't those two ever do anything but chase each other?"

Her husband choked on his noodles, then laughed. "They're just playing tag, Chi! Acting like any other boys their age."

"Other boys their age don't fly. Or transform."

Goku set his bowl down. "They're demi-Saiyans, Chi-Chi. You knew I was different when you married me! Why worry about it now? Isn't it a little too late?"

The shrill answer rose in the air. The younger of the two boys stopped abruptly, and the older careened into him. "Ha! Got you!"

Goten didn't answer. He hung limply, staring down at the tableau below. "They're fighting again. Come on, we better land. Mama's upset because we're flying." He plummeted to the ground, sitting cross-legged once he got there.

"What, does she do that a lot?" Trunks landed, sprawling himself across the grass. "That'd be real annoying."

"They fight because of me. Because I'm just like Daddy." Goten's lower lip trembled. "Mama says I'm a monster."

"Ah, gee, Goten! You aren't a monster! Where'd she get that idea?"

"Because I'm a super Saiyan. I can change. That makes me a monster." A single tear escaped. Goten wiped it hastily away. He was too old to cry now.

Trunks stared at him in disbelief. "But… but… you've been a super Saiyan forever!"

"Half my life," Goten confirmed. "Mama used to train me. Then one day, I went super. She called me a monster and told me never to do it again. She never trained me again after that. She stopped doing a lot of things that day."

"Like what? You were only six, Goten," thirteen-year-old Trunks pointed out reasonably. "It's not like there was much she could stop."

"She stopped tucking me in at night, or coming in to wake me up with a hug and a kiss in the morning. She stopped giving me hugs except when there was someone around to see."

Knowing how affectionate and tactile his friend was, Trunks frowned. He levered himself up and crawled over to Goten. He wrapped his friend up in a bear hug. "Sounds like you need a hug, Goten."

Goten hugged him back, briefly, then just leaned against him. "Thank you."

"GOTENNNNNN…. TRRRUUUNNKKKKSSSS!!! DINNERTIME!"

"FOOD!" The boys burst to their feet, racing toward the house.

Trunks watched his best friend all through dinner. He didn't eat even half as much as Trunks gobbled, and used much better table manners. That irked the young prince, and he minded his better once he noticed. Finishing, he turned to Chi-Chi. "Hey, can Goten spend the night with me? Mom won't mind."

"What about your father?"

"What about him?" Trunks replied flippantly. "He won't come out of the gravity room except to eat and boink mom."

Goten flushed. Chi-Chi gaped. Goku got another bowl of rice and started in on it. Trunks grinned. "And besides, wouldn't you like to have a night alone with your husband? Mom's always saying she never has enough of those."

"Trunks Vegeta Briefs!" Chi-Chi gasped.

Trunks grinned unrepentantly. "Aw, come on, Aunt Chi. I just got a new videogame, and I've got nobody to play against. Goten won't bother anyone, least of all Dad. As far as he's concerned, the world revolves around training, remember? If he even bothers to notice Goten, all he'll do is ask how his training is going."

After a few more minutes of cajoling, Trunks got his way. Goten jumped from the table and darted up the stairs to gather overnight things. "Oh, when is your mother coming to pick you up?" Chi-Chi asked.

"She didn't drop me off, why would she pick me up? I flew." If he hadn't been watching, he wouldn't have seen the momentary compression of lips before she smiled.

"Oh, of course. How silly of me." Chi-Chi began efficiently clearing the table. "You two have a good time."

"Oh, we will, don't worry about that." Trunks jumped to his feet when Goten reappeared. "C'mon, brat! I'll race you home!"

The two played tag all the way back to Capsule Corp. Bulma met them at the door. "Have you eaten? There's supper ready."

They looked at each other and grinned. "I'm hungry!" they chimed. After another satisfying meal, which Trunks noticed Goten ate more of, they retired to his room

"So, what's the new game?"

"Ah!" Trunks shut the door and locked it. "I lied."

"You lied to my mom?!!"

"She'll never find out, and you know it." Trunks pinned him down to the bed. "Gotcha!"

"AHHHH!" Goten squirmed, trying to escape the other's fingers. "No! AH! Help! Stop it!"

Trunks grinned as Goten dissolved into helpless giggles, coiling into a ball as best as he could while still trying to get away. He wrapped his arms around his friend and planted a kiss on his nose. "That's better. I love it when you smile."