Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Meets Soul ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Soul Meets Soul

(Author's Thanks: Stormy1x2, Juunanagou4ever, animekid, pretty_moon_girl, and billbcom for reviewing the final chapter of the prequel.

Author's Notes: Yes, this is the sequel to The Moon Travelers and you had better read that fic before you read this one. Although it is not a songfic, it will have love quotes at the beginning of every chapter. I hope you all enjoy it. This fic will be from Trunks' POV and will show what happened to him and why he disappeared the second time. *moans* Trunks is giving me the feeling that there's going to be a sequel to this one…. Oh, and he does have about the same thoughts as Goten at one point in the first chapter, if you can catch it.

Warnings: Since the pairing is T/G, there will be shounen ai, slash, homosexual relationships, what have you. If this is not your preference, I would advise not to read this.

Disclaimers: I own none of Toriyama's characters, although I do own Gure, Aldo, Angelo, and Curtis. They, however, will for the most part only be mentioned by Trunks so don't expect our loveable Curt and Angel will have a star appearance. Also, there will be more original characters. Even if I don't like putting them into fics, these ones will be vital to the story.

Enjoy the first chapter of Soul Meets Soul!

~Cinaed)

"You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly." ~Sam Keen

In a twisted, despairing way, I wanted it to rain. Maybe rain would make the roads too impassable and I'd be stuck in the tiny house until Goten came back from the university.

I sighed, gazing up into the clear blue sky, knowing the plan wouldn't work. My `boss' had never appreciated latecomers, and if I was late to the meeting, everything my crew and I had worked for would be ruined, all six years laid to waste. Plus, I'd be dead. So I couldn't be selfish, no matter how much I felt like crying at the moment.

The cerulean heavens became black as I closed my eyes, trying not to picture the betrayed look on Goten's face. What would he think of me now? Would he curse me and finally be fed up with his betrayer? Would he find someone else?

The final question made my breath catch in my throat, and I opened my eyes, lowering my gaze to the forlorn bike which had a large, ugly scratch on her side. A ghost of a smile flickered across my face as I caressed the seat. "Oh, Seele, you'd never leave me, and I'll never have to leave you, thank Kami," I murmured in German, where I had bought her.

I turned to gaze at Goten's house, and suddenly something caught my eyes. I did a double-take, blinking at the sculptures, their marble features glowing almost holy in the sunlight. Who on Earth had decided to create those sculptures? Oh yes, Goten had mentioned Pan being an architect. Had she designed the statues too?

The sculptures were beautifully carved; there was no doubt about that. All five figures looked as if they would shake off their marble coverings and continue the actions they were frozen in. That very thought made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. The five seemed to be portraying the very emotions that had been caught in the photograph that had been taken only a few weeks before I had left for college. Has it really been thirteen years? God…

That day seemed so long ago.

Even as the sunlight lit up the five's laughing faces, the memory sprang unbidden to my mind of the afternoon that picture had been taken. Actually, the evening that ensued after the photograph. That day changed my outlook on life forever.

. . .

Once we had overpowered Goten's father, the day seemed to fly by. As Marron, Goten, and I chased Pan and my sister through the forests near the Son house, I could almost forget that Mother would be ruining my life in a few weeks.

"Trunks!" Pan squealed with excitement as she hurled herself at me, her dark eyes catching the final beams of the sun as the fiery orb slipped beneath the mountains nearby. She hit my chest at full speed, and we tumbled to the ground, laughing like little kids. Of course, Pan was a little kid, but that wasn't the point. We tussled together as Goten and Bra watched, both of them laughing at our idiocy. Marron had gone home to spend time with Krillin and Eighteen.

"Trunks! Pan! Goten! Bra!" Amid the darkening twilight, Gohan's voice filled our ears. "Time for dinner!"

Still giggling, Pan launched herself away from me and bolted in the direction of her grandparents' house. Bra rushed after her friend, and the two part Saiya-jinn were lost from view among the trees.

Which left only two half Saiya-jinn alone in the woods, one crumpled on the ground, and the other leaning against a tree. Since I was the one who was sprawled on the earth, I had to sit up to see Goten, who grinned impishly at me.

"You're dirty," were the first words he spoke, and I laughed.

"No shit." I plucked a twig from my tresses, realizing that my face was probably smudged with dirt and that my clothes were filthy. Not caring, I smirked at him. "Why didn't you run off at the sound of food?"

My best friend shrugged, moving away from the tree and offering a hand to help me upright. I accepted it, feeling the warmth exchanged as our fingers entwined and I was hauled to my feet. I offered him a grin, which faltered as the moon appeared from behind a cloud and the moonbeams fell upon his face.

In that moment, Son Goten was breathtakingly beautiful, a silver sprite whose dark eyes radiated a giddy joy that made my heart leap in answer.

It was that moment when I realized I had fallen head over heels for my best friend.

"Trunks? What's with the weird look?"

His curious words jolted me back into reality, and I blinked rather stupidly before replying. "I was, I was just thinking on how annoyed your mom's going to be when I come waltzing in dirty like this."

"Oh, that would explain your horrified look," Goten commented knowingly, grinning and tugging me in the direction of his house. "Don't worry, I won't let Mom kill you."

Horrified? I had looked horrified? Yes, I suppose the idea that I had fallen in love with my best friend was at the very least terrifying, at the most ridiculous. Goten was my best friend, and most importantly, he was a guy. My father would not be amused if I told him that I was in love with another male half Saiya-jinn, and Goten would probably run away screaming.

It was only then I realized how quickly I had accepted that I was gay. Well, everyone had always commented that I was odd for never going out with any of the girls fawning over me. I had simply never been able to say that I didn't find any of them attractive. Not that I had ever found any of my male classmates attractive before.

Until Goten, that is. In that moment, he had been more beautiful than any model I'd ever seen. With all his imperfections, he was still a gorgeous nymph who had tiptoed his way into my heart. Despite his lack of common sense, he was still the brightest force in my life, and I was now ensnared like a moth to a shimmering flame.

"C'mon, Trunks! My mom will kick our asses if we keep everyone waiting!"

Once again his words jostled me back into reality, but I managed to smirk at him. "You're assuming that your dad will wait for us before beginning to devour the meal that your mom made."

Goten shot me one of those clueless looks, which made me laugh. "Of course he'll wait!"

"Have you /ever/ been fully conscious while in the presence of Goku?" I demanded, grinning even as my heart hammered in my chest. Why didn't Goten just let go of my hand? The sensation of his smooth flesh against mine was making my stomach do flip-flops.

I shot him a triumphant look as we came upon the clearing that held his house and lawn. Goku, naturally, was consuming all the food around him while my father ate at a nearby table, glaring in the direction of Goten's father. Pan, Bra, and the rest were apparently inside eating a smaller meal.

"Dad!" Goten cried in an aggrieved tone. "Why didn't you wait for us?"

"Goten, don't think too highly of any Saiya-jinn when they're around food," I stated, sounding cheerful even while twitching nervously in place. Goten had seemingly forgotten that we still held hands.

My father turned his dark eyes upon us, and he scowled at the sight of our clasped hands. His glower darkened even more at the sight of my disheveled hair and grimy appearance. "You two took too long. What were you doing?" His imperious demand made Goten blink innocently.

"We were just figuring out whether or not Mom would kill Trunks because of the dirt that Pan got all over him."

Goku finally glanced up from his meal, and grinned goofily. It was surprising how alike he and Goten looked despite their age difference. "He probably should go in and wash his hands," he agreed, smiling at both of us and seemingly not noticing our hands.

"Boy, go wash your hands before your mother comes out and yells at you." My father's order made me automatically start towards the house, but Goten was still holding my hand, and I dragged him along a step before he finally released me. Ignoring my father's dark look, I fairly fled in the direction of the bathroom.

The hand that had been held by Goten tingled faintly, as if someone was sending electrical shocks through the appendage. I rubbed my fingers with my other hand as I pushed into the bathroom.

Even as I washed my grimy flesh and stained the running water a murky brown as it trickled down the brain, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I truly did have a slightly horror-struck look on my smudged face. I forced my lips to curve into a confident smile as I scrubbed quickly at my face.

"Come on, Trunks, you can hide it," I found myself mumbling out loud, followed by a curse as I accidentally got some soap into my eyes.

"Trunks?" Goten's curious call made me stiffen, and I whirled around, splattering the other half Saiya-jinn's shirt with soapy water. His dark eyes widened in surprise, but he grinned cheerfully. "Talking out loud to yourself isn't healthy, you know."

"C'mon, Son, that's pure bullshit. Everyone does it," I replied with a snort, grabbing a towel and hastily scouring my face to hide my reddened cheeks. "At least at one point or another in their lives."

"Then everyone's unhealthy?"

"Exactly."

Goten blinked at my cool response, and his brow wrinkled as he puzzled over my replies. At last, he asked, "What were you planning on hiding?"

Still scrubbing my burning cheeks, I thought fast. "Um, hiding the smudges that I can't seem to get off." Relief calmed the somersaults my stomach was performing in my abdomen as Goku's son seemed to accept the reason.

And that was the hour that I began to hide my growing feelings for the half Saiya-jinn known by all as Son Goten.

. . .

I closed my eyes and silently cursed Pan to hell for the moment. I hadn't wanted to relive that memory. Now it would be even harder to leave this place now that my years of affection for Goten had finally been returned.

An agony in my chest, I turned away from the sculptures and gazed back upon Seele, the beautiful bike blurring as tears sprang unbidden to my eyes. I should leave right now before I changed my mind and ruined all the years I had slaved to achieve that far-off goal. I'd return to Goten someday when everything was safe.

Hopefully, that day would be soon.

Throwing a leg over my beloved Seele, I began the motorcycle, flicking my wrist in a bitter salute towards Goten's house. "Keep him safe." My hoarse whisper filled my ears, followed by Seele's roar as I began my lonely drive away from Volterra, Italy, and towards Rome, where my boss waited.

As the wind whipped against my face to steal away my tears, I hastily slowed down long enough to put on my helmet, cursing choked profanities under my breath. Blinking away the tears, I sped up once more, sending dust into the air to mold with the tears that had been stolen.

It was a moment that I hated being Trunks Briefs.

(To be continued)