Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ When There Are Two of Me ❯ Part 8 ( Chapter 8 )

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 8

 

Vegeta turned around to look at Gohan who had settled on his sofa with a glass of Whiskey in his hand. “Well?” Vegeta's deep voice vibrated through the room.

 

Gohan smelled the drink then sipped a bit. “He's the latter one and he still doesn't remember.” He churned the liquid in the glass. “He's having nightmares, you know… He doesn't seem to remember any of them after waking up, but it's nothing good…”

 

“How big is the possibility that his memory might come back?” Vegeta walked over to an armchair that was standing opposite the leathern sofa Gohan was sitting on.

 

Gohan sighed and took another gulp, savoring the taste. “I told you, I have no idea. But it has been over a month since he woke up from coma and if he hasn't remembered yet…” He drawled, a deep frown cutting into his features. “But he's there… Somewhere deep inside Trunks… The nightmares are a good proof enough…” He closed his eyes, hiding fear in them from Vegeta. “I don't even want to think what it would be like if he suddenly came back…” He downed the drink and put the empty glass on the mahogany table that was standing against him.

 

“Your idiot father can't remember a damn thing from before he hit his head…” Vegeta reached for a bottle and poured some Whiskey into Gohan's glass again.

 

Gohan rolled his eyes. “You can't compare so easily. Trunks is one thing, Goku is another. If Trunks really wanted, he might have remembered long ago. But the guy has an incredible sense of self-preservation. He's afraid that if he does that, the former Trunks will be back and he'd lose his personality… He probably subconsciously feels the danger of such an act…”

 

“There's nothing subconscious about Trunks…” Vegeta poured a glass for himself. “He always has the strings in his hands…”

 

Gohan sipped his Whiskey. “You know,” he leaned back into the leathern sofa, “Goten told me exactly the same… There's nothing subconscious about Trunks…” He leaned his head on the backrest and looked at the ceiling, thinking. “And yet… There is this one thing that keeps bugging me…and not only me… Lillian, Trunks' former doctor, noticed that, too… There's something between Trunks and Goten. Not in a sexual sense, though, it might seem like this…” He thought a moment, his gaze from the ceiling concentrating on Vegeta's face. “It's nothing like it was with the former Trunks. Nothing of that aggression, hate, nothing negative, but it is still bothering me, because it simply doesn't seem normal…”

 

“Can you talk a bit clearer?” Vegeta sighed, downing his glass and reaching for the bottle to pour himself another one.

 

Gohan took his glasses off and put them on the table. He rubbed his tired, reddish eyes. “I'm not sure what I'm talking about. I just know that it has a very weird feeling to it. There's a deep relation between Goten and Trunks. Quite different than it was before the whole shit happened. Two days ago, when Trunks woke up, at first he growled his head off at Goten, accused him of hell knows what; it was something about Goten not taking some stupid CD and leaving him… And then they embraced and Trunks cried…”

 

Vegeta's brow rose. “He cried?” he asked just in case he had misheard; he hadn't seen Trunks cry since Trunks was a four-year-old. He could perfectly understand Gohan's surprise.

 

“Uh-huh,” Gohan nodded. “But the weirdest thing isn't this. It's that feeling I suddenly got while watching the two… Like some… I don't even know how to explain that… And Goten, too…just held Trunks and stroked his head… The closeness of the two… Like…”

 

Gohan shook his head in defeat, not managing to explain. He downed the last drops of his drink and held it out again for Vegeta to fill the glass again. “And there was nothing sexual in that, well…at least not from Trunks' side... Just the feeling of…need and understanding…” He nodded after Vegeta filled the glass. “Later Trunks was watching Goten meet with Ayame,” he continued. “He was smiling. A completely normal smile...” he leaned back into the sofa, frowning. “Just don't get it…”

 

“You still confuse the two…” Vegeta churned the liquid in his crystal glass. “Was it Goten who was in the ward when Trunks woke up for the first time from coma?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Gohan nodded. “As far as I know it was him who called Bulma after Trunks woke up…” He looked at Vegeta after that nodded. “Why?”

 

“It's clear then,” Vegeta said, watching the sparkles of light play in his glass. “Maybe it's better this way…” he muttered then.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“It's called imprinting. When a Saiyan baby is born, it imprints on the first person it sees. Usually it's its mother. It imprints on her face, her scent and voice. Next several years it won't leave her side.”

 

Gohan stared at Vegeta, openmouthed. “Don't tell me…”

 

“Goten was the first thing he saw, smelled and talked to after he “was born anew”,” Vegeta nodded. “The problem is that Trunks is completely matured and perfectly capable of thinking and taking care of himself. He doesn't really need any parental guidance. Especially not of the guy who can't teach him anything and overall knows less than Trunks himself does…

 

“Despite this, the bond seems to be very strong, and Goten became the center of his world. I already suspected that after he started calling you “Goten's brother” and Kakarott “Goten's father”… Goten is his point of reference…”

 

Gohan stared at Vegeta for some time then hysterically laughed and downed his glass. He rubbed his forehead fervently. “Like a damn chicken after hatching out… Gods, so this is why he has never been concerned about Bulma's feelings…”

 

Vegeta nodded. “He doesn't give two shits about Bulma because her place is taken by Goten. She's a simple bystander for him, even worse - he thinks about her as about his enemy. But from the way you described it, it seems that Goten plays along…”

 

Gohan nodded. “Yes, it seems so…”

 

“Then it works both ways for them,” he reached for Gohan's glass, but Gohan shook his head.

 

“I have to get up early tomorrow,” Gohan pushed his glass away from Vegeta's reach.

 

“As you wish,” Vegeta shrugged, filling a glass for himself. He looked at the brownish liquid in his glass. “You realize that this will cause a hell lot of problems? If we as much as touch Trunks, your brother will go at us with full force…”

 

Gohan took his glasses from the table and stood up. A bit unsteady he walked over to the door. “In that case, let's just hope he will never remember…”

 

XXXXX

 

Gohan pushed his glasses up his nose and looked at Trunks who had just suggested Gohan billing his own mother for the psychological damage done after Gohan was fired without a good reason after such a long time watching over Trunks.

 

Trunks' innocently blue eyes concentrated on him again. “What?” Trunks asked after Gohan stared at him for several long seconds.

 

Gohan just shook his head, turning away. “Nothing, you need to re-dye your hair…” he shifted in his chair.

 

Trunks tugged at his hair. He got up from the bed and strolled to the mirror. Purple could be seen at the roots of his hair. He frowned. “I hate this damn hair. When is Goten coming?”

 

Gohan blinked. He was quite used to how Trunks' thoughts jumped from one thing to another, but it still managed to surprise him. “He has an exam today. Later he's meeting with Ayame and then said that he'd come to see you…” he outwatched Trunks' reaction but didn't see anything except the enthusiasm after mentioning that Goten would come today. “How do you feel?” he asked Trunks.

 

Trunks thought a moment. “Hungry.” He lifted his hand to create a small blue-colored ki-ball. His energy was steadily coming back, but he felt hungry all the time. He raised his head to see Gohan watching him from his chair cautiously. Trunks smirked and flared his ki higher, making the ball glow with blue energy. Trunks suddenly extinguished his ki and approached Gohan. “Goten's brother?”

 

“Umm?”

 

“Don't you think it's ridiculous to hide information from me?” Trunks leaned over Gohan. “I'm getting very annoyed,” he leaned over Gohan so that their noses were almost touching.

 

Gohan fought the urge to flare his ki to shove the insolent brat off him. He knew Trunks perfectly knew that, for the younger male grinned down at him. True, now was no point in trying to conceal anything from Trunks, but Trunks' behavior was pissing him off.

 

“Why don't you ask Goten?” Gohan snapped.

 

Trunks seemed to be rather surprised than annoyed. “He gets upset when I question him…” Trunks pouted, not even thinking to retreat. “I'd rather piss YOU off than him… Besides, unless he gets approval he won't talk…”

 

“You two are rather close…” Gohan glared at him.

 

“Umm?” Trunks cocked his head to the side. “We are? You think so?”

 

Gohan felt the urge to punch Trunks. The brat was simply taunting him. He was sure that Trunks was completely aware of his bond with Goten. Maybe Trunks wasn't able to name what he felt for Goten, but he as hell knew he had strong ties with him. There was nothing subconscious about Trunks, after all.

 

Trunks' grin widened as after a round of staring at each other, Gohan finally gave in and nodded. Trunks plopped onto the windowsill and turned his entire attention to Gohan.

 

Gohan didn't know what he had expected from Trunks when that got to know about heritage, but it wasn't that what he saw.

 

“Half-alien?” Trunks whistled, after Gohan finished talking. Gohan wondered when and where the younger male learned whistling.

 

Trunks had known that, or at least the most he told. It was obvious. Gohan carefully outwatched the expressions on Trunks' face but, as usually, he wasn't able to read much. “You did know before…” he couldn't help an accusing note that slipped into his voice.

 

Trunks pulled his legs up onto the windowsill and wrapped his arms around his knees. He raised his head to smile at him. Gohan felt himself leaning away from that smile. Sometimes he thought that Trunks could see right through him…

 

“You have beautiful eyes, Goten's brother… Dark and warm…and fiery sometimes…” Trunks said, looking Gohan into the eyes. “You don't do them justice by wearing those glasses…” he cocked his head to the side, his several dark hair-strands sliding over his forehead. “Your eyesight is a hundred percent, anyway…” He lowered his amused eyes and rubbed his chin; he couldn't get enough of teasing Gohan.

 

“What I don't know are the abilities of Saiyans. I could push you to the wall until you tell me, but Goten wouldn't be happy about that…” he pouted. “I know that there are several humans that have reached quite high levels in managing their ki, too,” he continued casually. “I can feel them. They feel different than full-blooded or those half-blooded… I suspect one of them is Krillin, Eighteen's husband…”

 

Gohan refused to let the shock show on his face. “How much did Goten tell you?” he sighed.

 

“Umm?” Trunks raised his head to look at Gohan. “He said that Krillin would be upset if I locked up his wife and the mother of his child…” he drawled. “Though, I'm really interested in how it works…the compatibility and pregnancy itself…”

 

A little worried, Gohan watched Trunks' face, wondering if that was Trunks' way of saying that Goten hadn't said anything to him. “You want to lock her up?” instead he asked.

 

“Not really,” Trunks shrugged. “I'm just curious. For now I have other things to amuse myself…” He put his head back on his knees and looked outside. “I need to go back to the city,” he said then.

 

“Not yet,” Gohan shook his head. “You still are weak.”

 

Trunks chuckled softly at that. “Even at this state I'm stronger than any of humans…”

 

“Goten will be worried if you disappear again…” The instant the words left his mouth, Gohan regretted that. Trunks' eyes swept over him with indifference, then, with a sudden intense glow, locked onto his forehead.

 

“Goten's brother, don't ever try manipulating me by using Goten,” Trunks smiled, his voice turning into ice. “You have enough problems as it is. You surely don't want to add me to your problems now, do you?” His smile widened, turning into a very unpleasant grin. “I do appreciate that you care for him, but don't ever try standing between us. You might never know how it might end…” he said hopping off the windowsill. “I'm going to eat,” he threw over the shoulder before opening the door.

 

XXXXX

 

“How did you do at the exam?” Trunks immediately asked the younger male who entered the ward.

 

Goten couldn't help smiling. “I think I did pretty well. I can't screw up after you put so much effort into teaching me, can I?” he chuckled, approaching Trunks' bed.

 

Gohan watched his brother approach Trunks then sit down on the corner of Trunks' bed. Trunks wasn't shaky or dizzy anymore, but it seemed the youth simply liked spending his time sitting or lying on a soft surface.

 

“Umm…” Trunks turned his head to where Goten had sat down. “You recently had sex with Ayame. I'd prefer you took a shower next time you come to see me…”

 

Goten reached out his hand to lazily ruffle Trunks' hair. “If it bothers you…” he leaned to Trunks to inhale his scent. “What do you want to do today?” he smiled as Trunks' head leaned into his hand, appreciating the given attention.

 

“It's quite late today, so we won't do anything,” Trunks purred with his eyes closed. “I thought about tomorrow. I need to go back to the city. I need to get something back…”

 

“Why didn't you go today?” Goten affectionately threaded his fingers through the mass of thick straight hair. “You had plenty of time, didn't you?”

 

“Your brother said he won't let me wander alone…” Trunks opened his blue eyes to look at Gohan who was watching the scene uneasily, feeling all his hair on his body to rise up at the weirdness of it all. Trunks' amused eyes took Gohan in. “He went as far as to threaten me with your discontentment if I left…” Trunks lips upturned into a smile, and by the victorious gleam in Trunks' eyes, Gohan perfectly realized Trunks wasn't going to stop at this. Trunks had power and he was immensely enjoying it.

 

“Umm?” Goten raised his head to also look at his brother. “Really?” His hand came back to stroking Trunks' hair, his dark eyes leaving Gohan. “You know it isn't truth… As long as I know where you are and what you are up to, it doesn't matter…”

 

“I know…” Trunks purred, his dark blue eyes finally leaving Gohan's flabbergasted face. “And now so does he…” he smiled to himself and snuggled closer to Goten.

 

“So you want to go to the city tomorrow?” Goten asked, turning to sit so that Trunks could lay his head on his chest. “I'll come in the morning then and we can go,” he said after feeling Trunks nod.

 

“Okay…” Trunks nodded again. He then leaned away from Goten. “I don't like his scent on you,” he said, settling farther from Goten.

 

Goten shrugged. He got up and went to stand beside Gohan who couldn't help smelling Goten and then scrunched his nose. Goten was really reeking of sex. Why did his brother come here smelling like this? Goten sure as hell knew everyone with a drop of Saiyan blood would scent Ayame all over on his skin.

 

Gohan noticed that after several minutes of Goten and Trunks being farther from each other, the atmosphere in the room almost came back to normal. He could see that Goten was rather confused. He was going to have a short talk with his brother until Trunks didn't fuck everything up.

 

Goten and Trunks talked about the oncoming exams for Goten, Trunks recited several things he remembered once again and Goten left. Gohan wanted to leave long time ago, but he was reluctant to leave Trunks and Goten alone. Although, he was sure that Trunks wouldn't try to hurt Goten, it wasn't really about hurting Goten anymore…

 

“Goten's brother?”

 

Gohan lowered his hand from the handle of the door. He sighed and turned around. “What?”

 

“What was relationship between Ayame and him?”

 

Gohan's brows creased. “Him?” he asked.

 

“Him, Trunks,” the younger male nodded.

 

“I don't really know…” Gohan said, avoiding Trunks' eyes. “I don't think he had ever met him at all. After you and Goten drifted apart, he never took interest in what Goten did…”

 

“So Ayame became Goten's boyfriend after that…” Trunks mused, not missing Gohan's reaction. “Interesting…”

 

“Why are you asking?” Gohan inquired.

 

Trunks shook his head. “Nothing really. It's that after seeing me, Ayame went white as death itself.” He raised his head to Gohan. “And, as we know that Trunks was straight and exactly because of that reason pushed Goten away, there was no room for the catfight and jealousy fits. So what the hell did Trunks do that Ayame is afraid to look at my face? Eh, Goten's brother?” Trunks pursed his lips. “Why don't we play a game?” he smiled then. “Give me a clue, I feel like staring at the snout of an omniscient but mute sphinx here…”

 

Gohan squirmed in his white robe. “I know nothing of that,” he reached his hand back to the door-handle. “Go to sleep; it's late.”

 

Trunks' dark blue eyes watched Gohan leave then Trunks fell back onto his bed with hands crossed behind his head. “What the fuck is going on?” he muttered.

 

XXXXX

 

Walking beside Goten, Trunks inhaled the scent wafting from Goten. There was not a trace of Ayame in it this time.

 

He liked Goten's scent. Despite it held that specific sweetness humans' scents had, it also had that sharp flavoring that was characteristic only to Saiyans. He couldn't exactly describe what the scent consisted of; it was rather how Goten's pheromones worked on him. He knew they affected him.

 

Despite how ridiculous it sounded, he felt safe next to Goten. That was a very deceptive feeling, he knew that. Despite this, he loved being beside Goten, when that illusionary feeling engulfed him. Because Goten was the only one he felt emotionally attached. Yes, he knew it was exactly because of that something between them but even not trusting, he liked it, for it gave him the illusion of “normality”. He wasn't very sure what that “normality” was, but he guessed it was something, for example, like he was experiencing right now while walking beside Goten and simply enjoying that feeling of closeness.

 

They bought the tickets for the next train. There was a good half an hour left until it departed, so they found a small café and settled. Trunks ordered a beefsteak, and Goten bought himself a pack of crisps and a huge bottle of lemonade because he knew he'd get thirsty later.

 

“You eat shit,” Trunks commented after looking at what Goten had brought at the table.

 

Goten rolled his eyes and plopped down onto his seat. He rattled with the pack while opening it. He held out the open pack for Trunks. “Has your energy come back?” he asked, after Trunks took several crisps.

 

“More or less,” Trunks shrugged, stuffing the crisps into his mouth. “I don't really know how much of it I had before… I just know that I'm always hungry…”

 

Goten just nodded. He filled his and Trunks' glasses with the lemonade. “Don't ever do that again,” he seriously said, holding out the glass for Trunks to take. “I don't know what set you off, but you could have killed yourself. It's good that at that time your energy wasn't fully recovered yet or your unbound ki might have simply detonated. You are damn lucky it just burned out, and you passed out…”

 

Trunks took his glass and slowly sipped. His nose scrunched at the irritating fizz that was trying to get into his nose. He nodded. “I'm sorry I have worried you…”

 

Goten didn't say anything to that, only sipped his red-colored strawberry smelling drink. He tossed several crisps into his mouth and started chewing. “I can teach you concentrating your ki and all other things you want to learn,” he said. “But remember - don't ever make me regret teaching you…”

 

Trunks silently shook the glass in his hand. He watched the red liquid churning up in the glass and wondered about Goten's taste - how could one eat salty crisps with sugary and strawberry lemonade? But he realized that it was one of the things that he liked about Goten.

 

“I can't promise that,” Trunks said after a while. “I'll ask Vegeta to teach me.”

 

Goten watched Trunks' face for some time then nodded. “As you wish.” He couldn't say that he was disappointed, it was rather the opposite - he felt flattered that Trunks didn't lie to him. That was always better than to be stabbed in the back later. Though, he did feel worried: Trunks was insuring himself.

 

Trunks eyes rose to the waiter who was weaving through the tables. His sensitive senses already picked up on the huge beefsteak the waiter was bringing to him. He had eaten beefsteak at the hospital once, so he remembered the scent and taste. As he had no memories of taste and senses of his other self, he loved trying out various foods. Though, he found that his taste was almost identical to the one his other self had. He could see that by Goten's or his brother's reactions. Especially his brother's - each time he did something the other Trunks used to do, the man seemed to get nervous. He used that to tease Goten's brother, but to tell the truth, he himself was quite unnerved by the man's reactions to him.

 

With saliva gathering in his mouth, Trunks dug into the steak. The steak was good. Other people probably would have complained for overdoing it, but he liked his food well done; there were plenty of various diseases and parasites around. Goten once told him that he was unbelievably picky about his food. Both of them, he and his other self. Actually he didn't think that - he didn't require any special or expensive food and he thought it was only logical that he wanted his food well done.

 

Sipping his strawberry lemonade, with a light smile on his face, Goten watched Trunks wolf his steak down in no time. There was absolute bliss on Trunks' face. Goten chuckled when after finishing the last peace Trunks pushed his plate away and, contently exhaling, leaned back in his chair.

 

“Want some tea?” Goten asked. His head snapped round as something fell onto his head.

 

Through Goten's shoulder Trunks looked at a group of youngsters who now were laughing and jeering at them as they had their attention.

 

“Idiots…” Goten muttered, scribbling his hair to get rid of whatever was thrown at him.

 

“Your strawberries will have to do; we should hurry or we'll be late,” Trunks shook his head. He pulled several cuts out of his pocket and laid them on the table. He and Goten stood up.

 

“Running already?”

 

Trunks and Goten turned to look at one of the group who approached them.

 

“Get the fuck away or I'll call the police!” one of the waiters yelled at the brats.

 

The group turned into a catatonic laughing and screaming ball. The guy who was nearest to Trunks and Goten quickly grabbed the money Trunks had put on the table and wanted to run after his buddies who blasted through the door.

 

Trunks' hand shot forward of its own. As the youth struggled, Trunks' grip on the back of his neck tightened. Trunks raised the flabbergasted brat into the air. The rest of the group, realizing that no one was after them, started turning around.

 

“Trunks…” The voice was just above a whisper, but with an unmistakable hint of authority.

 

Trunks' head turned a bit to the site where Goten was standing.

 

“Let go of the child,” Goten's voice was accompanied by his fingers diving into Trunks hair. But as Trunks' hand didn't squeeze the child's neck further, Goten's fingers only ruffled lazily through the dark hair instead of pulling at it.

 

Trunks head turned back to the child. Wordlessly, Trunks pried the money that was now wet with the child's sweat out of his hand, put it back onto the table, walked to the door and, with a backswing, tossed the child out of it. The kid let out a painful yelp as he hit the pavement.

 

“Let's go,” Trunks motioned to Goten with his head towards the door where he had just tossed the brat. “Don't bother, we are leaving, anyway,” Trunks' dark blue eyes turned to the waiter who had a mobile phone pressed to his ear and was obviously calling the police. Trunks smiled as the waiter removed the phone from his ear. “Have a nice day,” he waved his hand for goodbye.

 

TBC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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