Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ When There Are Two of Me ❯ Part 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I'm not making any money.

Warnings: Yaoi (male x male). Trunks x Goten.

Summary: This fic is completely independent of my other fics. GT doesn't exist.

 

Note: age: Goten 18; Trunks 19.

 

When There Are Two of Me

 

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by Redmarshin

 

Part 7

 

He swore he'd never go inviting other men to treat him to a meal anymore. Kanou wasn't happy when he left. Kanou wasn't angry either. Kanou was simply upset and thought he had used him.

 

That was undoubtedly true - he did use the connection of the previous Trunks to get information he wanted. But before asking the guy out, he didn't know that he had had infatuation for Trunks. He wondered if that would have made a difference to him, but while watching Kanou's receding back he got an unsettling feeling in his stomach. It was guilt.

 

Well, his dissertations were handed in, he had a pack of his favorite tea, he got his lunch paid, he had also told himself it was not he whom Kanou was in love with, so overall his mood counted as happy.

 

Before coming back to his flat, Trunks wandered through the city. But after about half an hour he felt someone watching him. His instincts had never let him down, so he listened to them once again.

 

Alarmed, he turned around. There was a tall man behind him. He looked exactly like Goten. By the pattern of that so called “ki” he knew it was not Goten. The man also was bulkier than Goten.

 

Goten's father.

 

Trunks cursed under his breath and ran for it.

 

“Trunks, wait! Trunks!”

 

Trunks skidded on his way as the man suddenly appeared against him. “Shit!” he jumped onto the passing-by car then down onto the pavement, leaving the man behind him. He heard the car hit the brakes.

 

“Trunks!”

 

The impact tossed him several meters away from Goten's father and left him to dizzily lie on the ground. The man was as solid as a rock!

 

“Trunks? You okay?”

 

Trunks watched the other man approach him. He could feel several bright ki heading their way. One was Goten's bother's. He was going to get caught. Hell no.

 

Trunks jumped to his feet and attacked Goku. His punch was easily blocked, and Trunks hissed in pain as his fist was seized and lowered forcefully.

 

“Trunks, stop that!” Goku caught Trunks other hand as that tried to hit him again.

 

Trunks suddenly twisted his wrist in a way he didn't know he could and got it free. Then he performed a powerful kick to the other man's side he didn't even know he was able to. “Che!” He jumped back several meters, away from Goku, landing on a parked car and halfway bending the roof. “Out of my way!” Trunks hissed down at the man who tried to get to him again.

 

Trunks bared his canines.

 

“Shit!” Goku cursed as a powerful blast engulfed him.

 

Trunks had no time to be surprised and stare at his palm that had just released some strange thing. It was about time to get the hell out there: it was dangerous and people were gathering to stare at the two of them.

 

Trunks turned around only to collide with a blond man. “Eh?” he skidded off the roof of the car, landed in a crouch like a cat then blinked, not managing to grasp how it could be possible…it was Goten's father. While he was staring at the blond, the blond didn't waste time and grabbed his wrist, pulling him up and trussing his hand behind his back.

 

“Gah!” Trunks gritted his teeth in pain. The other man's ki felt hot and intrusive against his body, violating him. He had to level his ki to that of Goten father's.

 

Goku cursed as suddenly Trunks' energy engulfed him. Trunks had just gone Super Saiyan. The swish of energy tossed Goku several meters away from Trunks.

 

Trunks lowered his head and bared his canines. Trunks' eyes flared, and the energy crackled around him, raising his blonde hair into the air.

 

“Amnesia my ass…” Goku hissed, bracing himself for the oncoming attack.

 

“Trunks! What the hell are you doing?!” In a swish Goten was beside Trunks. “Power down immediately!” He grabbed Trunks' arm roughly to hold him in place.

 

Trunks growled threateningly. Then, to Goku's surprise, instead of tossing Goten away, Trunks lost the threatening stance.

 

“He was first to…” Trunks muttered, glaring at Goku. “Who the hell is he anyway?!” he yelled then. “That blond hair! And that speed! What the fuck is he?!”

 

“Stop playing your damn games!” Goku hissed.

 

Trunks' eyes concentrated back on Goku, and a low growl erupted from Trunks' throat again.

 

“Dad,” Goten motioned for Goku to be quiet. “If he remembered everything, you would have more than only your shirt torn, ne?”

 

Goku watched Trunks for some time then crossed his arms over his chest. “You should keep watch over your son!”

 

Vegeta raised his head to look at Goku from where he was leaning on the wall. “Like you keep watch over your own? You should talk…” His amused eyes settled on Goku's frown. “I find it rather amusing that you didn't manage to tame a man who didn't even know he was able to go Super Saiyan,” he snickered. “Trunks, let's go home,” he motioned with his head.

 

Trunks' icy eyes flashed at him. “Who the hell made you my superior?!”

 

Vegeta cocked his head to the side.

 

“Eh…” Goten nervously tugged Trunks by his sleeve. He knew that look on Vegeta's face. It didn't promise anything good…

 

Trunks pushed Goten away roughly. “And what the hell do YOU need here?” he snorted, pointing at Goten's chest.

 

“I'm trying to get your ass out of this mess intact!” Goten smacked Trunk's hand down. Goten got confused after Trunks gazed at him for some time with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

 

“How much did she pay you?” Trunks asked then. He clenched his fists, his eyes blazing. “How much did the bitch pay to-?!”

 

Goten stepped back from Trunks.

 

“Let go of me!” Trunks yelled when Goku seized his wrists. “Let fucking go of me! Fuck off you all! Leave me in peace, you damn bastards! Let me go! Don't fucking touch me!” Trunks screamed, struggling against Goku.

 

“Let fucking go of my son!” an enraged Vegeta hissed at Goku, grabbing the blond by his hair and yanking back.

 

“Trunks, stop it! Trunks!” Goku tried in vain to keep the hysterical man down while Vegeta was threatening to explode his head.

 

The silence settled when Trunks' ki suddenly jumped to unbelievable heights and then abruptly dropped to zero. Worried, Goku observed Trunks' face after the man just slumped unconscious against him.

 

XXXXX

 

His head was spinning and he felt sick.

 

“Trunks?”

 

Trunks' eyelashes fluttered open. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite remember whom it belonged to. His vision was only a colorful blur.

 

“Close your eyes again,” Gohan sat down on the bed next to Trunks. “It's okay. Don't panic. Simply relax,” he brushed Trunks' hair off his forehead then started massaging Trunks' temples. “Okay, try opening your eyes again,” he moved farther from Trunks. “Is it better?”

 

Trunks nodded weakly.

 

“How many fingers do you see?” Gohan raised his hand against Trunks' face.

 

“Three?” Trunks muttered, unsure. “I'm sick…”

 

“I'll bring a bucket,” Gohan nodded.

 

But after he came back he found Trunks sleeping. He felt Trunks' pulse then sat down on the chair. He turned around at the sound of the creaking door.

 

“How is he?” Goten asked, approaching Trunks' bed on his tiptoes.

 

“Bulma will have a fit if she catches you here…” Gohan sighed. “He woke up several minutes ago and fell asleep again.” He shook his head at the expectant look that Goten gave him. “It's hard to tell which of them it was. He's very weak, but stable.”

 

“What happened to him?”

 

Gohan shook his head again. “It seems he overstrained himself and overused his ki raw. It seems he really had no idea how to use it…”

 

“Of course he didn't,” Goten snorted. He silently sat down at Trunks' side. “Will he be okay? He looks so pale…”

 

“His vision was off after he woke up and I don't think he recognized me…” Gohan said. He sighed at Goten's scared eyes. “He should be fine - he simply needs to rest, and much food to restore his energy. It seems recently he ate rather poorly…”

 

Goten stood up and walked over to the window to stand next to his sitting brother. “And how did Goku find him?” he turned around to look at Trunks once again. Trunks matched the white sheets, his now dark hair scattered around his face and contrasting with the sheets.

 

“He went to Dende...”

 

“Hell, could have thought about that myself!” Goten smacked himself on the forehead.

 

“Yeah, sometimes he surprises me…” Gohan muttered under his breath. He sighed, leaning in his chair. “I have several questions I wanted to ask you…”

 

“It's about Trunks, I suppose…?” Goten leaned on the windowsill. He looked outside. It was raining, water breaking and scattering over the window. He didn't particularly want to talk about Trunks right now. He didn't really know what to say, anyway.

 

“What happened between you two that made him run away?”

 

Goten turned his head away from the window. Watching Trunks' steadily falling and rising chest in his sleep, he took his time gathering his thoughts. “You think he ran away because something had transpired between us? Actually nothing happened… Though, he did behave weird this time… What has he been accusing me of…?” He brushed over his spiky hair in thought. “Something about… Was he talking about Bulma then…? He was so angry… Just flared like a box of matches…”

 

Goten looked at Gohan. “You know, the previous time he got angry, too… When I wanted to know why he suppressed his ki… I think I compared him to other Trunks, and he went off. We bickered for several minutes because of that ki…”

 

“Yeah, you said he claimed he had simply leveled it… Because he didn't want me chasing him around…”

 

“I didn't really believe him then…” Goten sighed, returning his gaze back to Trunks' pale face. “Though now I see that he had done that instinctively - just as he told me. I think it was not because he didn't want you chasing him around, but because he felt being distinctive from others…” Absentmindedly, he scratched the windowsill with his sharp nails. “This one, the same as the other, didn't like to stand out. I'd rather call it an instinct of preservation… He had no idea who he was or how to gather his ki, so he did the first best thing he could - he leveled it to average that he wouldn't be standing out and drawing attention while not knowing how to protect himself.”

 

“You sound quite assured…”

 

“You must have seen him then…when Goku… He was fully ruled by his instincts… Even if weaker, he'd have fought Goku to death…” Goten shook his head.

 

Gohan's eyes widened. He silently mused over what Goten said. “He has learned it very fast… Goku said he had advanced to Super Saiyan and he knows how to create ki balls…”

 

“Trunks is a genius - he can absorb things at an incredible speed. You yourself are responsible for teaching him that - he told me he had felt you gathering your ki when you hit him. He can imitate things unbelievably fast… And he probably just tried to match his ki to that of Goku's.

 

“Trunks takes in every detail. After he woke up, everything was new to him. Can you imagine what is it like to suddenly forget your beliefs, sentiments and attitude and see the world in completely new colors? Hell, you see what he did to his hair. It's the same with ki - most likely he suddenly was aware of some sort of energy around of each of us and him. When we are born with that constant feeling of it, we just get used to it and don't notice it.”

 

Gohan scratched the inside of his palm absentmindedly, thoughts taking a whole different direction, unknown to Goten. “Might be…” he muttered.

 

XXXXX

 

Trunks groaned loudly, his eyelashes fluttered, and his bleary eyes opened. “No kiss this time…?” he muttered drowsily.

 

“What?” Gohan frowned in confusion. He put away the book he had been reading and quickly walked over to Trunks' bed.

 

Trunks' blurred eyes concentrated on Gohan. “Goten's brother…?”

 

“So it's you then…” Gohan waved his hand against Trunks' face.

 

“And whom did you expect? A fairy?” Trunks winced as a wave of sickness passed over his whole body.

 

“How do you feel?” Gohan took Trunks' unresisting hand to measure his pulse.

 

“I'd advise you to stand aside if you don't wanna your robe stained…” Trunks gagged.

 

“How many fingers do you see?” Gohan held out his hand against Trunks' face.

 

“Please, shove them down my throat,” Trunks groaned, closing his eyes.

 

“There's a bucket beside the bed,” Gohan said. He turned away after the sounds of retching followed. “You'll have to eat later. Lots of food. And rest. Until your energy is restored.”

 

“Don't…oh gods…” Trunks retched, “…don't talk about food…”

 

“I suspect you didn't eat enough lately. You lost weight.”

 

Trunks closed his eyes to catch his breath. “No, I didn't! I just…”

 

“You are in no condition to argue,” Gohan pointed out.

 

Trunks tried to glare at him, but only pitifully retched.

 

After several minutes the spasms were gone, and Trunks was bonelessly lying on his side, panting. He felt faint and dizzy, but at least not sick anymore.

 

Trunks raised his head to observe the ward and Gohan who was sitting at the window and reading a book. He was transferred to the same hospital he had been in before.

 

“What did you do to me?”

 

“Umm?” Gohan raised his eyes from the book.

 

“What the hell did you to me?!” Trunks hissed.

 

Gohan sighed then shook his head. He stood up. “Is it over?” He walked over to the sink after Trunks nodded. He filled a glass with water then brought it to Trunks. “Get some sleep now,” he said while Trunks was rinsing his mouth. “I suppose you can't eat yet anyway.” He took the empty glass after Trunks silently reached it out. “Want some more?” he asked. He went back to the sink after Trunks nodded.

 

“Don't be so paranoid,” Gohan started while filling the glass. “We didn't do anything to you. You overused your ki. You went hysterical and lost control of it. Just like matches… Flared it up to the last drop and went out.” He walked over to Trunks, helped him to sit down then reached the filled glass to him. “We'll talk later,” he said, watching Trunks eagerly emptying the glass. “But I can say that no one wishes you harm…” He faltered. “Well, except Bulma maybe… But as Vegeta finally stepped in, she won't be able to do anything…”

 

Gohan noticed that Trunks was already almost sleeping. He helped the man to lie down, put the empty glass on the cupboard next to the bed and went back to reading his book.

 

XXXXX

 

“He looks much better,” Goten circled Trunks' bed.

 

Gohan nodded, “Yeah, he woke up several hours ago, had a sickness fit, drank some water and came back to sleep. Yeah, he's the latter one…” he added after Goten's questioning look. With a surprise he noticed that after his words Goten seemed relieved.

 

“I heard Bulma fired you,” Goten chuckled. “How come you are here again?”

 

“Well, Bulma fired, Vegeta hired,” Gohan chuckled too. “Finally he decided to step in.”

 

“He should have done that long ago…” Goten said. “None of this would have happened.”

 

“Trunks thinks we did something to him,” Gohan said.

 

Goten just nodded. It was obvious, anyway. He saw betrayal and anger and hurt in Trunks' eyes when he found him with Goku. Goten had no idea why, but Trunks had trusted him. He knew he was the only one Trunks trusted and counted on. It didn't matter that he had never promised anything to Trunks, it hurt to know Trunks was disappointed in him. It hurt to know Trunks thought he could betray him.

 

Never. Never could he betray any of them. Neither that Trunks nor this one. He could bicker, could shout, but never betray. He was ready to stand at Trunks' side any time.

 

It was good to know that it was not only him. Vegeta not only set his foot in Bulma's way, but he had also heard and felt that Goku and Vegeta got into the fight after that. Maybe Vegeta's declaration of his standpoint was not in place - Goku hadn't been trying to hurt Trunks, after all - but it was good to know that Vegeta cared.

 

He hadn't seen Vegeta after the fight with Goku. Neither did he see Goku. Probably both idiots got beaten pretty badly. There was one unwritten rule - nobody interfered when Goku and Vegeta fought. Even if in the end one of them killed another, that just was how things went. They had many things to fight out from their system. That was their fight.

 

And he didn't expect that Gohan would stand at Trunks' side either. Gohan had never liked Trunks, and Trunks had never liked Gohan. The dislike between them only grew further after the drifting apart. But right now Gohan was watching over Trunks as if he were his own child. After the trouble Gohan went through he would have expected Gohan to just tell Trunks and others to go to hell, but Gohan stayed. He wondered if that was because of that “Keep your friends close and enemies even closer”, or simply because Gohan cared.

 

Gohan was more than it seemed to him. A child prodigy who was forced to fight for the planet's fate… Gohan wasn't like Trunks, he had much milder character, but when in need he could turn into a rock or even a merciless killer.

 

Trunks and Gohan were almost exact opposites… That, which came to Trunks naturally and without a grain effort, Gohan acquired with an unbelievable amount of endeavor. The power that came to Gohan as naturally as breathing, made Trunks to work his ass off for it.

 

But that, which caused no trouble for Trunks, was splitting Gohan. He wasn't able to handle the violence that came with the power he had. He had many issues within himself, many inner monsters to keep at bay.

 

He wondered how it was possible that this Trunks, despite being so irrespective, had so much more people to stand at his side. Though, there was an essential difference between the two: if the former Trunks pushed everyone away, this one simply didn't care if anyone was at his side. As long as anyone didn't interfere with his plans, he seemed to be content both ways. If there was someone, he interacted, if there wasn't anyone, he didn't even notice. But he didn't push anyone away.

 

XXXXX

 

He could hear sounds of water running. Three variants were possible: it was either raining or he was in the shower, or someone was pissing.

 

Trunks' blue eyes opened and slowly concentrated on the ceiling. He blinked at the lights. No, the same as earlier, he was in the ward. Either the tap or the rain, then. Trunks' head turned to the sink. The water was off. It was raining, then.

 

Trunks scowled at the sight of Gohan sitting at the window and reading a book.

 

“Did you become my guardian angel or something?” Trunks yawned. “The constant sight of you frisking to and fro against my nose is starting to hurt my senses…”

 

“Good day to you, too,” Gohan chuckled, closing his book and putting it on the windowsill. “Slept well?”

 

“Yeah…” Trunks nodded. “What day is it today?” he yawned sleepily again, showing his sharp fangs.

 

Gohan laughed softly. “Don't worry about that. You slept only five hours. It's evening, as you see,” he motioned to the window. “I see you feel much better. Do you feel any pain or any discomfort?”

 

Trunks quickly scanned his body, tried to move then finally shook his head. “I feel fine, just very faint.”

 

“That's to be expected,” Gohan nodded. “You'll require several days to restore your energy.”

 

“Trunks?”

 

Trunks' head shot up at Goten who all that time had been standing in the corner and listening to the conversation. Gohan was surprised to see a mix of emotions pass over Trunks' face. Then Trunks bared his canines at Goten.

 

“Why are you here?”

 

Goten sighed. He walked over to the bed, and, ignoring the bared canines and a low growl, sat down at Trunks' side. “C'mon, stop that,” he sighed again, reaching out to brush Trunks' messy hair away from his forehead. “I was worried, you know. Disappeared hell knows where…”

 

Gohan relaxed as Trunks' canines disappeared. Then he was astonished to see Trunks suddenly lean into Goten and snuggle his face into Goten's shoulder.

 

“It's okay,” Goten pressed his cheek to Trunks' and raised his hand to stroke over Trunks' dark hair. He wrapped his other arm around the lavender-haired man's back. “Nobody is going to hurt you. I won't let anyone…”

 

Gohan silently watched Trunks press himself tighter to Goten, then…were those tears…? Suddenly he got the same feeling Lillian had been talking about. There was something…

 

“But you…you didn't acknowledge…” Trunks muttered into Goten's neck. He didn't finish the sentence, for he didn't think Goten would understand anyway. “Why are you back now…?”

 

Goten didn't quite grasp neither what was going on nor what he was doing. He only knew he couldn't leave Trunks like this and had to answer his need. “I have never left you… What are you talking about?” he sighed, threading his fingers through Trunks' hair, trying to somehow bring peace to the older male.

 

Trunks was silent. He was simply content to be like this - surrounded by Goten's scent and in Goten's embrace, feeling his fingers ruffle through his hair.

 

“Hey, don't fall asleep yet,” Goten chuckled, gently shaking the other man. “You need to eat first.”

 

“You didn't take the disk, you refused and left me…” Trunks muttered drowsily.

 

Goten continued to stroke Trunks' hair. “I simply forgot it. I was angry and I forgot… I don't remember things as well as you do… Later I remembered it and wanted to come back the next day to take it, but you were already gone… Nitwit,” Goten sighed, “you drove everyone crazy…”

 

“Really? You wanted to come back?” Trunks raised his head to look at Goten.

 

Goten smiled at Trunks' teary face then raised his hands to wipe the tears away. “Sure I wanted…” he smiled as Trunks hid his face in his neck again. “Will you eat?” Smiling, he stroke Trunks' back after feeling Trunks nod.

 

After Trunks agreed, Goten looked at Gohan. “Can you bring anything? Do you want to go to the bathroom?” he turned his attention back to Trunks after Gohan silently nodded. Goten smiled and pressed his cheek to Trunks' again then pushed the covers away from Trunks. “And you really lost weight…” he said after taking Trunks in his arms.

 

“I didn't,” Trunks protested, snuggling his face into Goten's chest.

 

Gohan watched the both disappear behind the door. Not blinking, he stared at the door; he had just witnessed the weirdest thing in his life.

 

XXXXX

 

Trunks stood at the window and watched Goten pass the gate that was leading outside the hospital. He watched a lonely figure emerge from under a small roof that was fitted over the gate. The man put up an umbrella and went to meet Goten. Goten quickened his pace then ducked under the offered umbrella.

 

Trunks watched the two men kissing then tapped his fingers on his chin. So this was how Ayame Kochirou looked like. Goten had a good taste. He knew not much about Ayame, just the details that Kanou told him while they two were having lunch. Though, if Goten chose Ayame, it meant Ayame was worth it.

 

Trunks smiled and waved his hand as suddenly Ayame's head rose to his window. Trunks was rather surprised and at the same time interested when he saw Ayame freeze and his gray eyes widen. He doubted that Ayame knew he was able to see his face from so far away; he noticed that eyesight of an average human was not as good as his. He doubted Ayame knew that, for the man surely didn't want him to see that panic that passed over his face after seeing him watching the two of them through the window.

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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