Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Alternate Timelines Indeed ❯ Part 8 ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Arigatomina 
Warning: Yaoi, shonen ai, Trunks/Duo, slight Piccolo/Quatre.
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 498 | Status: Work In Progress
Warning: Yaoi, shonen ai, Trunks/Duo, slight Piccolo/Quatre.
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 07.07.2002 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 498 | Status: Work In Progress
Author's Notes: Corrections on DBZ facts are welcome.
Category: Gundam Wing/Dragon Ball Z cross-over, TWT, partial AU(DBZ side)
Pairings: 2+1/1+2, 3+4/4+3, Piccolox4, Trunks+2/2+Trunks, will be Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4
Warnings: shonen ai, hints of angst
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Alternate Timelines Indeed
Part 8
//Nine hours, forty-three minutes and...eight seconds. This sucks.// It wasn't that he'd been waiting long for his partner to get out of the chamber, not really, but time was passing much too slowly. Duo was getting bored, a state of mind he didn't like one bit and one he avoided as much as possible. Originally, he'd thought the wait would be easy, no reason to think otherwise. After all, he was fairly certain Quatre wouldn't stay the entire year, and he'd expected the boy to be out within a few hours. Glancing at his watch again, he sighed and looked around.
They were at the top of the tower again, and he was leaning against one of the marble pillars. All things considered, he had a very nice view of the top of clouds, but he wasn't interested. Instead, he'd taken to watching the time and keeping an eye open for visitors. While it had only been about ten hours since Piccolo and Quatre had gone into the chamber, Tien and Yamcha had been paying the occasional visit, stopping by before leaving again. He didn't know what they were doing, aside from the watch, but he envied them. As it was, he had said he wanted to wait there, and he couldn't change his mind now. The way his luck went, Quatre would probably come out as soon as he left.
He hadn't seen any of the other fighters, and except for Vegeta, who was impatient for his own turn in the chamber, it was just him and the cat on the level below them. His lips curved into a smile, and he remembered how he'd stared when he'd been introduced to Corin. If he'd ever considered himself open-minded, he was enlightened now. Of course, Trunks had also introduced him to a humanoid pig, but he didn't even want to think about that one. There was only so much he could take in, in such a short amount of time. He was about to sigh again when he caught sight of a now-familiar bluish-white light from over the edge of the tower. "Finally."
Standing, he grinned when Trunks landed before him. "Glad you're back. You wouldn't believe how boring it is waiting with just *him* for company." He inclined his head toward the railing where Vegeta was standing, the saiyan's back to them. Then his eyes widened when he saw what the boy was holding and he nearly rubbed his hands together. "Is that food? I'm starved."
"I thought you would be. You haven't eaten since we found you. It's been nearly two days." Trunks smiled a bit and handed the closed bowl to Duo, sitting in front of him when the boy promptly dropped to the floor. "My mom sent it over."
"Thanks," Duo said quickly. Crossing his legs under him, he opened the lid, taking note of the fact that it was the same sort of bowl they had on Earth. Then he blinked, picking up the chopsticks that were inside as he prodded the noodles. They looked edible enough, and he thought they resembled some of the stuff he'd seen Heero eat before.
Trunks watched the boy pick at the food, then he smirked when Duo's face lit up and he began to eat with relish. "Not bad, is it. I know it's not much, but I don't think it'll be much longer. Even if Quatre is willing to stay, Piccolo said they'd be out in six months at the latest. That's only two more hours."
"Right," Duo managed, still eating. He was nowhere near as fast as Goku and Gohan had been, but he wasn't a slow eater. Finishing the bowl, he set it to the side, sighing with content. "I needed that. So, what's everyone else doing?"
"Sleeping. It's late, you know." He couldn't help his smirk when the boy leaned toward the edge, blinking quickly.
"No way. It doesn't look dark enough. I mean, sure, I knew it was getting darker, but it can't be that late. What time do you people sleep here?"
"It's brighter up here, it's around midnight." Duo was looking at his watch, and Trunks took the boy's wrist, moving it to where he could see the dial. "This is about four hours off, Duo."
"Huh. Time must be different here. Then again, we have time zones on earth, so it makes sense. Okay, so why aren't *you* sleeping?" He leaned back again, smiling easily. "I mean, I'm glad you aren't, don't get me wrong."
"I thought you'd like the company."
"Yeah. You know, it's like time passes slower up here. Does it? Or is it because I'm waiting. I know time seems to drag when you're waiting for something to happen." Frowning, Duo shifted before settling again and he noticed that Trunks seemed to be as impatient as him. He was fidgeting and the American was glad to see it, especially since Trunks hadn't been sitting there waiting like he had.
"It was like that when Goku and Gohan went in," Trunks said, nodding slowly. For some reason, he didn't feel like sitting in silence, and while he could normally do so, he was relieved to have something to talk about. Too often, he was silent, consumed by dark thoughts, especially now. "That day seemed to last for months, but it didn't. I think it probably is just in our minds. As far as I know, time passes the same up here as it does on Earth."
"A watched pot never boils," Duo said loftily, eyes sparkling when the lavender haired boy blinked at him. "Anyway, what's this chamber like? I was planning to ask Quatre when he gets out, but I figure you've been in there, so there's no point waiting." The boy across from him dropped his eyes, and Duo stared as he could swear Trunks was glaring.
After a moment, Trunks glanced to where his father stood motionless, yards away with his back to them. He could no doubt hear them, and he glared at the man. He was remembering how his father had yelled at him, warning him to silence and secrecy in regards to their training. In the end, it hadn't mattered that they'd not told Goku how they'd powered to the next level, both he and Gohan had obviously gone beyond it all on their own. Shaking his head, he was surprised when he realized Duo was staring at him, the boy's raised eyebrow reminding him of the question. "Well, it was hard for me, very hard. I think the time chamber...makes the emotions of the people in it...real somehow. It was as if the weather was changing, but it wasn't, just the emotions. Once I realized what was happening, it pretty much stopped. Aside from that, it's huge and the atmosphere is thicker, the gravity heavier than on earth."
"Then things weigh more?" Duo asked, imagining his Gundam plastered to the ground from unbearable weight. "It can't weigh that much, or Quatre wouldn't have stayed in there so long."
"No, it wasn't that much stronger than on Earth. After a while, I didn't even notice it anymore."
"Trunks, why don't you tell me about the world you came from. I still can't get over the fact that you traveled through time. If people back home learned how to make a time machine...shit, that's a bad thought."
"Yes, I know. My mom made it and we made sure no one knew it existed."
"But technology like that," Duo said, shaking his head. "And you guys don't even have beam sabers. I mean, sure, you don't fight like we do, but I doubt if we'll ever have the technology to build a time machine."
"My mother's a genius." The longhaired boy smirked, but Trunks nodded solemnly. "I'm not bragging, she really is. Our technology in the future didn't actually grow at all. The androids destroyed almost everything. But my mother said she'd been working on the designs for the machine for years before she finally got it right. I didn't even know what her project was until she was finished, that's how much of a secret she kept it."
"But she made it and sent you back here. And then Cell showed up. But you didn't know about him, why not? Is he part of the shift in timelines you were talking about?"
Frowning, Trunks shook his head. It was rather confusing, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to get into it. But there was nothing better to do. "Even if I had never come back, Cell would have been born eventually. It took him years to become mature from his larval form. He came here in my time machine."
"From your time," Duo murmured, wincing at the thought. "Then he takes it *after* you go back home?"
"Yes. After I go back, I'm supposed to be able to destroy the two androids in my time. Without them to absorb, Cell had to use my time machine to come back to this time where they still were. You see, in this time, the infant Cell was little more than a fetus, and we've destroyed it so he can't be born again into the future of this world. When I do go back to my time, I'll have to be strong enough to destroy Cell before he can use my time machine."
"Wait," Duo grinned, raising a hand. "Okay, if he's already here, and he came in *your* time machine, then you've already been beaten by him in the future, right? So if you go back, you'll just be giving him access to this world through your time machine. Wouldn't it make more sense not to go back at all? I know you must be worried about your world, but if you don't go back, then he can't get here." He stopped for a moment, then frowned suddenly. "Never mind. If he's here, then he's already gotten the time machine, so you *must* go back eventually. What a mess!"
"You're forgetting the time lines," Trunks said. He didn't say anymore since he was sure he'd just confuse the boy more. It was difficult enough for him, and he'd had plenty of time to think things through.
"That's right," Duo nodded slowly, "there are at least three time lines. There's the one where everyone gets killed by the androids and you grow up to use the time machine. In that one, you go back after helping the fighters, and are taken by Cell so he can use your time machine to come back here. That's your first timeline." Trunks was looking at him with blatant surprise, and he grinned. "I'm right, aren't I? And then there's the timeline changed here, where the fighters live because you came back but there are three androids instead of two and Cell ends up taking them all. That's the one we're in now. The last one, from what you said, would be a future of this world where Cell never gets born to destroy anything." His mind was buzzing slightly, but he grinned, shaking his head. "It's science fiction; paradoxes and all. I guess it really *is* a good thing time machine's aren't all over the place or it would *really* get complicated."
Laughing at him, Trunks shook his head as well. "Even hearing you say the same thing I've already realized is confusing me."
The teen's pale blue eyes were bright, and Duo smiled suddenly, tilting his head. "You shouldn't have let Bulma cut your hair." Trunks blinked sharply, not doubt wondering where the comment had come from, and Duo's smile widened. "I have *never* seen hair that color before. I mean, it's like a light purple, lavender or something. It doesn't look bad short, but the color really stood out when you had it longer." The boy was still blinking at him, and Duo let out a quiet chuckle, grimacing at himself. "Heh...just ignore me. I tent to babble nonsense sometimes."
"Do you like long hair?" Trunks asked, ignoring the boy's self-depreciating expression. "Is that why you keep yours so long? I've never had long hair before I came here and went into the time-chamber, but it was a nuisance. I mean, I had to tie it back so it wouldn't get into my eyes."
"I know how that is," Duo admitted, touching his braid as he pulled it over one shoulder. "It's a lot of trouble to take care of but...I've never had much." His eyes flicked upward and he gave Trunks a small smile. "But this is mine, and it's a memento. It reminds me of my past...I can still remember the first time it was braided for me. It's a fond memory." He'd never really had an opportunity to talk about his hair before, and while he was sure it was normally considered a moot subject, to him it had significance. "I know I should have cut it years ago, and for a Gundam pilot, it's dangerous to have such a distinguishing feature. Not to mention the fact that it tends to get singed a lot. But I couldn't imagine ever cutting it. I guess I'm obsessed a little."
"If you never cut it, I'm surprised it isn't longer. Though, it must break a lot when you comb it out."
Duo frowned at that, shaking his head. "I'm only fifteen, hair takes time to grow. And it doesn't *break*, not much. It's thick, see?" Extending his hand, he grinned when Trunks touched the tip of his braid as if it were something fragile. The boy's expression was wonderful for his pride and his smile turned smug as he nodded. "Someone close to me once said the reason I'm so thin is because all of the nutrients go to my hair. She was probably right, I mean, I eat all the time and don't gain weight. All those vitamins have to go somewhere."
Despite the boy's words, Trunks touched the hair carefully. It wasn't quite as fine as he'd originally thought, but he was still wary of breaking any of the slender strands. He wondered how it had stood up to being chewed on, and he suddenly understood why Duo had looked so discomfited the day before. Glancing up, he blinked at Duo's bright eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, and Trunks took his time admiring the boy's hair. "It's a beautiful color."
Duo's eyes widened for a moment before he frowned at his braid, raising an eyebrow. "It's brown." He looked down at the hand holding the tip of his braid and his cheeks warmed with a light flush. "Man, I *must* be bored. We're talking about hair. Though, it's a nice distraction, eh? I haven't looked at my watch for...fifteen minutes...?" Letting go of his hair, Trunks gave a smile at his disappointed face and Duo sighed. He looked toward the door Quatre and Piccolo would be coming out, and he flinched suddenly, taken back by glaring black eyes. He'd completely forgotten the man was there, and he was nervous despite himself at being on the receiving end of that look. Lowering his voice, he swallowed then whispered to the boy in front of him. "Is he always so angry?"
Turning his head, Trunks looked to where Vegeta was standing near the door to the time chamber. The man was far enough away that he hadn't given him much thought, but he frowned now as he saw the dark glare being sent to them. Then the glare snapped to him and he looked away sharply, not wanting to start anything. Duo was watching him, and he dropped his eyes. "I don't really know. All that I know about him is what my mother told me, and that wasn't much. Since coming here, though, I've found him to be..."
"Angry," Duo said, finishing Trunks' statement when the lavender-haired teen trailed off. "It's like he's consumed by constant anger. But at what?" Remembering what Quatre had said about Goku, Duo leaned closer to Trunks, not wanting the black-haired man to be able to overhear. "Trunks, why do you rely on Goku so much? Is he really that much stronger than your father? I was thinking about what Quatre said, do you think that's what makes him so angry?"
"My father is a prince," Trunks said softly, a glance showing that Vegeta had turned his back on them. "He's the prince of all Saiyans and because of that he should by right be stronger than Goku. It does infuriate him, his inability to get stronger than his rival."
Duo could practically feel the temperature lowering with the boy's soft voice and he grinned suddenly. Trunks jerked back, but he could see the shadow break from over those pale blue eyes and he leaned closer till inches separated them, his expression one of secrecy. "You know something, Trunks? You don't look much like your dad. I mean, look at him. Goku and Gohan look more like him, Vegeta's hair defies gravity." It took nearly a full minute, but Duo grinned when a small smile tugged at Trunks' lips before he gave in to a smirk. "Although, I did notice that your blonde hair did that, too."
"I'm only half-Saiyan," Trunks said, glancing over his shoulder to look at Vegeta. This time, he was able to smirk at the man's angrily straight back, thinking for the first time how odd Saiyan hair must be to outsiders. He hadn't really thought of it, having grown up with Gohan around, and it was neat to imagine what Duo's first thought had been. "I guess you don't have anything like that where you come from."
"Well, you can do some strange stuff with hairspray and gel, but normally hair lies down. Although, Trowa has some odd hair." He was about to explain about the green-eyed pilot when he realized they were very close, almost huddled. A glance wasn't needed to know it looked bad, and Duo leaned back with a small smile. "Know what? We're still talking about hair. Believe it or not, I am capable of talking about other things, I don't know why I keep going back to that."
"Well, we're talking for the sake of talking, it doesn't really matter *what* we talk about." For some reason his words caused a flicker to pass over Duo's face, and he wondered what it was. The boy's eyes closed for a moment, and he could almost feel anger radiating from him. "Duo?"
"You're too easy on me," Duo said softly, not opening his eyes as he scooted back till he was leaning against the pillar again. "It's a bad habit I have, talking without having anything important to say. I *can* be quiet, though."
Trunks wasn't sure, but he didn't think the last statement was for him at all, and he frowned. "I like talking with you," he said softly, holding still when Duo's eyes flicked open and focused on him. "I don't know anyone who can just...talk. It's easy to forget things, and I don't care if the topic is odd or unimportant, it's better than silence."
"Uncomfortable silence," Duo said slowly, blinking as he looked to the side. "I've always had a problem with silence, I start thinking about myself and I never like what I find. So I fill in the silence. But that's a weakness of mine, and I've been wanting to break myself of the habit. I don't know, it's just easy to talk to you."
"I think silence has its place. When you have things to concentrate on, plans to make or things to decide, then it's probably a good idea to stay quiet without any distractions. But you weren't distracting me." Trunks hesitated, smirking when Duo's eyes snapped to him and the boy raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess it was distracting, but I was contributing to it and it was a welcome distraction. I never really thought about it, but I usually am quiet. There's no one I really talk to, certainly not about things that don't matter, and I have spent a *lot* of time 'thinking about myself.' Believe me, I don't like that any more than you do."
"Guess we have something in common then," Duo murmured, leaning his head against the pillar. "But still. If we're going to talk, it might as well be about something useful."
"You could tell me about your world," Trunks offered. "I don't know if you'd consider that useful, but I would like to hear more about those colonies in space. It sounds like advanced technology."
"Well, they weren't exactly thrown together in a day," Duo laughed, "and I don't know the details of how they're set up, not all of them, but I've been on a few since becoming a pilot. I can tell you how the people in space handle living in colonies. It's a lot different from living on the earth, though they try to make it as much *like* the earth as they can."
"Why did they leave the earth if they were just going to make the colonies the same?"
"Freedom," Duo said solemnly, eyes bright. "And that's the reason we're protecting the colonies."
* * *
The bed was nearly too small for them, but it made closeness a necessity that neither minded. Piccolo had learned that Quatre liked to talk before falling asleep, and he lay on his back, the small boy curled half on his chest. His fingers threaded through thick blonde hair and he stared at the white ceiling above them, listening to Quatre's sigh. "Is it a sad tale?"
"My first kiss..." Quatre shifted a bit, rubbing his cheek against the man's dark shirt as he looked at the curtain that circled part of the bed. "It was after one of our first victories, everyone was so proud. They had a celebration. Nothing big, but it was nice to be a part of something like that, and I think it was their way of making me one of them."
"The Maguanacs?" He felt the boy nod, and he fell silent, waiting for him to continue. While the information was slow in coming, he had heard quite a bit about Quatre's past, and he knew how the boy had joined the Arabs after coming to Earth.
"One of the men, Samir, he hugged me and said it was a pleasure fighting at my side. Then he kissed me. It was just a kiss, more friendly than anything else, but I remember how surprised I was. I didn't notice Rashid watching, but I overheard him later. He was yelling at Samir. He said he'd taken...liberties with me. It was humiliating, knowing they were talking about me, but I couldn't stop listening. And Samir was so angry, he said I wasn't a little kid. I remember thinking that he was right, though it was horrible when he told Rashid that I hadn't argued with it. I couldn't see them, but I think Rashid hit him then, I could hear something falling. I felt so bad, I still do. After that, Samir didn't really look at me anymore, and everyone was careful not to touch me. Except for Rashid, no one so much as laid a hand on my shoulder."
Piccolo's arm tightened around the boy, and he could feel Quatre burrow against him. It was so obvious that he needed contact. More than anything, he'd noticed that the blonde had a need for physical touches; he loved to be held. While they'd had sex occasionally after that first time, Piccolo was beginning to wonder if that was the best thing for the boy. He seemed just as satisfied if they lay together, though he was losing some of his shyness. Quatre shifted on him again, and he tilted his head back as the boy pressed against his neck. "You've never had it easy, have you."
"My entire life has been easy," Quatre said softly, hiding his face against smooth but warm skin. "Looking at what the other pilots went through, I've had it very easy. I wasn't abused, there was no violence during my childhood, and I never wanted for anything."
"Nothing material." Another of those soft sighs reached his ears and Piccolo could feel the boy's tense back smoothing out beneath his arm. It was a sign that the boy was ready to sleep, and he kept quiet. He was thinking about the world beyond the time chamber, and he nearly flinched when Quatre's whisper reached him, as if he'd read his mind.
"I don't want to leave..." His eyes were closed, but he couldn't have seen Piccolo's expression since his face was hidden against the man's neck. They couldn't stay, he knew that, and he knew it was horrible to wish they could, but he couldn't help it. Things would be much different outside the chamber. He'd never let Duo know about them, and he was certain Piccolo wouldn't want his friends to know either. It was one more proof that his feelings were perverted, unacceptable.
Quatre's feelings were stronger than his, but Piccolo gave a silent agreement with the boy's admission. He had no concept of love, so he didn't know if the feeling was a part of what they had. But he felt a pang of cold sadness at the thought of losing the boy. Minutes passed in silence before he knew from Quatre's smooth breathing that he was asleep, and he looked at the ceiling again. He didn't know if he was helping or hurting the boy, but there'd been no more nightmares since they'd started sharing a bed. That had to mean something.
* * *
TBC
--notes--
I ended up having an extra part, but the next one will definitely focus on Trunks and Duo. Expect a lemon.
Category: Gundam Wing/Dragon Ball Z cross-over, TWT, partial AU(DBZ side)
Pairings: 2+1/1+2, 3+4/4+3, Piccolox4, Trunks+2/2+Trunks, will be Trunksx2, 1x2, 3x4
Warnings: shonen ai, hints of angst
Author: Arigatomina
Email: arigatoumina@hotmail.com
Complete Archive: www.geocities.com/arigatomina
Alternate Timelines Indeed
Part 8
//Nine hours, forty-three minutes and...eight seconds. This sucks.// It wasn't that he'd been waiting long for his partner to get out of the chamber, not really, but time was passing much too slowly. Duo was getting bored, a state of mind he didn't like one bit and one he avoided as much as possible. Originally, he'd thought the wait would be easy, no reason to think otherwise. After all, he was fairly certain Quatre wouldn't stay the entire year, and he'd expected the boy to be out within a few hours. Glancing at his watch again, he sighed and looked around.
They were at the top of the tower again, and he was leaning against one of the marble pillars. All things considered, he had a very nice view of the top of clouds, but he wasn't interested. Instead, he'd taken to watching the time and keeping an eye open for visitors. While it had only been about ten hours since Piccolo and Quatre had gone into the chamber, Tien and Yamcha had been paying the occasional visit, stopping by before leaving again. He didn't know what they were doing, aside from the watch, but he envied them. As it was, he had said he wanted to wait there, and he couldn't change his mind now. The way his luck went, Quatre would probably come out as soon as he left.
He hadn't seen any of the other fighters, and except for Vegeta, who was impatient for his own turn in the chamber, it was just him and the cat on the level below them. His lips curved into a smile, and he remembered how he'd stared when he'd been introduced to Corin. If he'd ever considered himself open-minded, he was enlightened now. Of course, Trunks had also introduced him to a humanoid pig, but he didn't even want to think about that one. There was only so much he could take in, in such a short amount of time. He was about to sigh again when he caught sight of a now-familiar bluish-white light from over the edge of the tower. "Finally."
Standing, he grinned when Trunks landed before him. "Glad you're back. You wouldn't believe how boring it is waiting with just *him* for company." He inclined his head toward the railing where Vegeta was standing, the saiyan's back to them. Then his eyes widened when he saw what the boy was holding and he nearly rubbed his hands together. "Is that food? I'm starved."
"I thought you would be. You haven't eaten since we found you. It's been nearly two days." Trunks smiled a bit and handed the closed bowl to Duo, sitting in front of him when the boy promptly dropped to the floor. "My mom sent it over."
"Thanks," Duo said quickly. Crossing his legs under him, he opened the lid, taking note of the fact that it was the same sort of bowl they had on Earth. Then he blinked, picking up the chopsticks that were inside as he prodded the noodles. They looked edible enough, and he thought they resembled some of the stuff he'd seen Heero eat before.
Trunks watched the boy pick at the food, then he smirked when Duo's face lit up and he began to eat with relish. "Not bad, is it. I know it's not much, but I don't think it'll be much longer. Even if Quatre is willing to stay, Piccolo said they'd be out in six months at the latest. That's only two more hours."
"Right," Duo managed, still eating. He was nowhere near as fast as Goku and Gohan had been, but he wasn't a slow eater. Finishing the bowl, he set it to the side, sighing with content. "I needed that. So, what's everyone else doing?"
"Sleeping. It's late, you know." He couldn't help his smirk when the boy leaned toward the edge, blinking quickly.
"No way. It doesn't look dark enough. I mean, sure, I knew it was getting darker, but it can't be that late. What time do you people sleep here?"
"It's brighter up here, it's around midnight." Duo was looking at his watch, and Trunks took the boy's wrist, moving it to where he could see the dial. "This is about four hours off, Duo."
"Huh. Time must be different here. Then again, we have time zones on earth, so it makes sense. Okay, so why aren't *you* sleeping?" He leaned back again, smiling easily. "I mean, I'm glad you aren't, don't get me wrong."
"I thought you'd like the company."
"Yeah. You know, it's like time passes slower up here. Does it? Or is it because I'm waiting. I know time seems to drag when you're waiting for something to happen." Frowning, Duo shifted before settling again and he noticed that Trunks seemed to be as impatient as him. He was fidgeting and the American was glad to see it, especially since Trunks hadn't been sitting there waiting like he had.
"It was like that when Goku and Gohan went in," Trunks said, nodding slowly. For some reason, he didn't feel like sitting in silence, and while he could normally do so, he was relieved to have something to talk about. Too often, he was silent, consumed by dark thoughts, especially now. "That day seemed to last for months, but it didn't. I think it probably is just in our minds. As far as I know, time passes the same up here as it does on Earth."
"A watched pot never boils," Duo said loftily, eyes sparkling when the lavender haired boy blinked at him. "Anyway, what's this chamber like? I was planning to ask Quatre when he gets out, but I figure you've been in there, so there's no point waiting." The boy across from him dropped his eyes, and Duo stared as he could swear Trunks was glaring.
After a moment, Trunks glanced to where his father stood motionless, yards away with his back to them. He could no doubt hear them, and he glared at the man. He was remembering how his father had yelled at him, warning him to silence and secrecy in regards to their training. In the end, it hadn't mattered that they'd not told Goku how they'd powered to the next level, both he and Gohan had obviously gone beyond it all on their own. Shaking his head, he was surprised when he realized Duo was staring at him, the boy's raised eyebrow reminding him of the question. "Well, it was hard for me, very hard. I think the time chamber...makes the emotions of the people in it...real somehow. It was as if the weather was changing, but it wasn't, just the emotions. Once I realized what was happening, it pretty much stopped. Aside from that, it's huge and the atmosphere is thicker, the gravity heavier than on earth."
"Then things weigh more?" Duo asked, imagining his Gundam plastered to the ground from unbearable weight. "It can't weigh that much, or Quatre wouldn't have stayed in there so long."
"No, it wasn't that much stronger than on Earth. After a while, I didn't even notice it anymore."
"Trunks, why don't you tell me about the world you came from. I still can't get over the fact that you traveled through time. If people back home learned how to make a time machine...shit, that's a bad thought."
"Yes, I know. My mom made it and we made sure no one knew it existed."
"But technology like that," Duo said, shaking his head. "And you guys don't even have beam sabers. I mean, sure, you don't fight like we do, but I doubt if we'll ever have the technology to build a time machine."
"My mother's a genius." The longhaired boy smirked, but Trunks nodded solemnly. "I'm not bragging, she really is. Our technology in the future didn't actually grow at all. The androids destroyed almost everything. But my mother said she'd been working on the designs for the machine for years before she finally got it right. I didn't even know what her project was until she was finished, that's how much of a secret she kept it."
"But she made it and sent you back here. And then Cell showed up. But you didn't know about him, why not? Is he part of the shift in timelines you were talking about?"
Frowning, Trunks shook his head. It was rather confusing, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to get into it. But there was nothing better to do. "Even if I had never come back, Cell would have been born eventually. It took him years to become mature from his larval form. He came here in my time machine."
"From your time," Duo murmured, wincing at the thought. "Then he takes it *after* you go back home?"
"Yes. After I go back, I'm supposed to be able to destroy the two androids in my time. Without them to absorb, Cell had to use my time machine to come back to this time where they still were. You see, in this time, the infant Cell was little more than a fetus, and we've destroyed it so he can't be born again into the future of this world. When I do go back to my time, I'll have to be strong enough to destroy Cell before he can use my time machine."
"Wait," Duo grinned, raising a hand. "Okay, if he's already here, and he came in *your* time machine, then you've already been beaten by him in the future, right? So if you go back, you'll just be giving him access to this world through your time machine. Wouldn't it make more sense not to go back at all? I know you must be worried about your world, but if you don't go back, then he can't get here." He stopped for a moment, then frowned suddenly. "Never mind. If he's here, then he's already gotten the time machine, so you *must* go back eventually. What a mess!"
"You're forgetting the time lines," Trunks said. He didn't say anymore since he was sure he'd just confuse the boy more. It was difficult enough for him, and he'd had plenty of time to think things through.
"That's right," Duo nodded slowly, "there are at least three time lines. There's the one where everyone gets killed by the androids and you grow up to use the time machine. In that one, you go back after helping the fighters, and are taken by Cell so he can use your time machine to come back here. That's your first timeline." Trunks was looking at him with blatant surprise, and he grinned. "I'm right, aren't I? And then there's the timeline changed here, where the fighters live because you came back but there are three androids instead of two and Cell ends up taking them all. That's the one we're in now. The last one, from what you said, would be a future of this world where Cell never gets born to destroy anything." His mind was buzzing slightly, but he grinned, shaking his head. "It's science fiction; paradoxes and all. I guess it really *is* a good thing time machine's aren't all over the place or it would *really* get complicated."
Laughing at him, Trunks shook his head as well. "Even hearing you say the same thing I've already realized is confusing me."
The teen's pale blue eyes were bright, and Duo smiled suddenly, tilting his head. "You shouldn't have let Bulma cut your hair." Trunks blinked sharply, not doubt wondering where the comment had come from, and Duo's smile widened. "I have *never* seen hair that color before. I mean, it's like a light purple, lavender or something. It doesn't look bad short, but the color really stood out when you had it longer." The boy was still blinking at him, and Duo let out a quiet chuckle, grimacing at himself. "Heh...just ignore me. I tent to babble nonsense sometimes."
"Do you like long hair?" Trunks asked, ignoring the boy's self-depreciating expression. "Is that why you keep yours so long? I've never had long hair before I came here and went into the time-chamber, but it was a nuisance. I mean, I had to tie it back so it wouldn't get into my eyes."
"I know how that is," Duo admitted, touching his braid as he pulled it over one shoulder. "It's a lot of trouble to take care of but...I've never had much." His eyes flicked upward and he gave Trunks a small smile. "But this is mine, and it's a memento. It reminds me of my past...I can still remember the first time it was braided for me. It's a fond memory." He'd never really had an opportunity to talk about his hair before, and while he was sure it was normally considered a moot subject, to him it had significance. "I know I should have cut it years ago, and for a Gundam pilot, it's dangerous to have such a distinguishing feature. Not to mention the fact that it tends to get singed a lot. But I couldn't imagine ever cutting it. I guess I'm obsessed a little."
"If you never cut it, I'm surprised it isn't longer. Though, it must break a lot when you comb it out."
Duo frowned at that, shaking his head. "I'm only fifteen, hair takes time to grow. And it doesn't *break*, not much. It's thick, see?" Extending his hand, he grinned when Trunks touched the tip of his braid as if it were something fragile. The boy's expression was wonderful for his pride and his smile turned smug as he nodded. "Someone close to me once said the reason I'm so thin is because all of the nutrients go to my hair. She was probably right, I mean, I eat all the time and don't gain weight. All those vitamins have to go somewhere."
Despite the boy's words, Trunks touched the hair carefully. It wasn't quite as fine as he'd originally thought, but he was still wary of breaking any of the slender strands. He wondered how it had stood up to being chewed on, and he suddenly understood why Duo had looked so discomfited the day before. Glancing up, he blinked at Duo's bright eyes. He seemed to be enjoying the attention, and Trunks took his time admiring the boy's hair. "It's a beautiful color."
Duo's eyes widened for a moment before he frowned at his braid, raising an eyebrow. "It's brown." He looked down at the hand holding the tip of his braid and his cheeks warmed with a light flush. "Man, I *must* be bored. We're talking about hair. Though, it's a nice distraction, eh? I haven't looked at my watch for...fifteen minutes...?" Letting go of his hair, Trunks gave a smile at his disappointed face and Duo sighed. He looked toward the door Quatre and Piccolo would be coming out, and he flinched suddenly, taken back by glaring black eyes. He'd completely forgotten the man was there, and he was nervous despite himself at being on the receiving end of that look. Lowering his voice, he swallowed then whispered to the boy in front of him. "Is he always so angry?"
Turning his head, Trunks looked to where Vegeta was standing near the door to the time chamber. The man was far enough away that he hadn't given him much thought, but he frowned now as he saw the dark glare being sent to them. Then the glare snapped to him and he looked away sharply, not wanting to start anything. Duo was watching him, and he dropped his eyes. "I don't really know. All that I know about him is what my mother told me, and that wasn't much. Since coming here, though, I've found him to be..."
"Angry," Duo said, finishing Trunks' statement when the lavender-haired teen trailed off. "It's like he's consumed by constant anger. But at what?" Remembering what Quatre had said about Goku, Duo leaned closer to Trunks, not wanting the black-haired man to be able to overhear. "Trunks, why do you rely on Goku so much? Is he really that much stronger than your father? I was thinking about what Quatre said, do you think that's what makes him so angry?"
"My father is a prince," Trunks said softly, a glance showing that Vegeta had turned his back on them. "He's the prince of all Saiyans and because of that he should by right be stronger than Goku. It does infuriate him, his inability to get stronger than his rival."
Duo could practically feel the temperature lowering with the boy's soft voice and he grinned suddenly. Trunks jerked back, but he could see the shadow break from over those pale blue eyes and he leaned closer till inches separated them, his expression one of secrecy. "You know something, Trunks? You don't look much like your dad. I mean, look at him. Goku and Gohan look more like him, Vegeta's hair defies gravity." It took nearly a full minute, but Duo grinned when a small smile tugged at Trunks' lips before he gave in to a smirk. "Although, I did notice that your blonde hair did that, too."
"I'm only half-Saiyan," Trunks said, glancing over his shoulder to look at Vegeta. This time, he was able to smirk at the man's angrily straight back, thinking for the first time how odd Saiyan hair must be to outsiders. He hadn't really thought of it, having grown up with Gohan around, and it was neat to imagine what Duo's first thought had been. "I guess you don't have anything like that where you come from."
"Well, you can do some strange stuff with hairspray and gel, but normally hair lies down. Although, Trowa has some odd hair." He was about to explain about the green-eyed pilot when he realized they were very close, almost huddled. A glance wasn't needed to know it looked bad, and Duo leaned back with a small smile. "Know what? We're still talking about hair. Believe it or not, I am capable of talking about other things, I don't know why I keep going back to that."
"Well, we're talking for the sake of talking, it doesn't really matter *what* we talk about." For some reason his words caused a flicker to pass over Duo's face, and he wondered what it was. The boy's eyes closed for a moment, and he could almost feel anger radiating from him. "Duo?"
"You're too easy on me," Duo said softly, not opening his eyes as he scooted back till he was leaning against the pillar again. "It's a bad habit I have, talking without having anything important to say. I *can* be quiet, though."
Trunks wasn't sure, but he didn't think the last statement was for him at all, and he frowned. "I like talking with you," he said softly, holding still when Duo's eyes flicked open and focused on him. "I don't know anyone who can just...talk. It's easy to forget things, and I don't care if the topic is odd or unimportant, it's better than silence."
"Uncomfortable silence," Duo said slowly, blinking as he looked to the side. "I've always had a problem with silence, I start thinking about myself and I never like what I find. So I fill in the silence. But that's a weakness of mine, and I've been wanting to break myself of the habit. I don't know, it's just easy to talk to you."
"I think silence has its place. When you have things to concentrate on, plans to make or things to decide, then it's probably a good idea to stay quiet without any distractions. But you weren't distracting me." Trunks hesitated, smirking when Duo's eyes snapped to him and the boy raised an eyebrow. "Well, I guess it was distracting, but I was contributing to it and it was a welcome distraction. I never really thought about it, but I usually am quiet. There's no one I really talk to, certainly not about things that don't matter, and I have spent a *lot* of time 'thinking about myself.' Believe me, I don't like that any more than you do."
"Guess we have something in common then," Duo murmured, leaning his head against the pillar. "But still. If we're going to talk, it might as well be about something useful."
"You could tell me about your world," Trunks offered. "I don't know if you'd consider that useful, but I would like to hear more about those colonies in space. It sounds like advanced technology."
"Well, they weren't exactly thrown together in a day," Duo laughed, "and I don't know the details of how they're set up, not all of them, but I've been on a few since becoming a pilot. I can tell you how the people in space handle living in colonies. It's a lot different from living on the earth, though they try to make it as much *like* the earth as they can."
"Why did they leave the earth if they were just going to make the colonies the same?"
"Freedom," Duo said solemnly, eyes bright. "And that's the reason we're protecting the colonies."
* * *
The bed was nearly too small for them, but it made closeness a necessity that neither minded. Piccolo had learned that Quatre liked to talk before falling asleep, and he lay on his back, the small boy curled half on his chest. His fingers threaded through thick blonde hair and he stared at the white ceiling above them, listening to Quatre's sigh. "Is it a sad tale?"
"My first kiss..." Quatre shifted a bit, rubbing his cheek against the man's dark shirt as he looked at the curtain that circled part of the bed. "It was after one of our first victories, everyone was so proud. They had a celebration. Nothing big, but it was nice to be a part of something like that, and I think it was their way of making me one of them."
"The Maguanacs?" He felt the boy nod, and he fell silent, waiting for him to continue. While the information was slow in coming, he had heard quite a bit about Quatre's past, and he knew how the boy had joined the Arabs after coming to Earth.
"One of the men, Samir, he hugged me and said it was a pleasure fighting at my side. Then he kissed me. It was just a kiss, more friendly than anything else, but I remember how surprised I was. I didn't notice Rashid watching, but I overheard him later. He was yelling at Samir. He said he'd taken...liberties with me. It was humiliating, knowing they were talking about me, but I couldn't stop listening. And Samir was so angry, he said I wasn't a little kid. I remember thinking that he was right, though it was horrible when he told Rashid that I hadn't argued with it. I couldn't see them, but I think Rashid hit him then, I could hear something falling. I felt so bad, I still do. After that, Samir didn't really look at me anymore, and everyone was careful not to touch me. Except for Rashid, no one so much as laid a hand on my shoulder."
Piccolo's arm tightened around the boy, and he could feel Quatre burrow against him. It was so obvious that he needed contact. More than anything, he'd noticed that the blonde had a need for physical touches; he loved to be held. While they'd had sex occasionally after that first time, Piccolo was beginning to wonder if that was the best thing for the boy. He seemed just as satisfied if they lay together, though he was losing some of his shyness. Quatre shifted on him again, and he tilted his head back as the boy pressed against his neck. "You've never had it easy, have you."
"My entire life has been easy," Quatre said softly, hiding his face against smooth but warm skin. "Looking at what the other pilots went through, I've had it very easy. I wasn't abused, there was no violence during my childhood, and I never wanted for anything."
"Nothing material." Another of those soft sighs reached his ears and Piccolo could feel the boy's tense back smoothing out beneath his arm. It was a sign that the boy was ready to sleep, and he kept quiet. He was thinking about the world beyond the time chamber, and he nearly flinched when Quatre's whisper reached him, as if he'd read his mind.
"I don't want to leave..." His eyes were closed, but he couldn't have seen Piccolo's expression since his face was hidden against the man's neck. They couldn't stay, he knew that, and he knew it was horrible to wish they could, but he couldn't help it. Things would be much different outside the chamber. He'd never let Duo know about them, and he was certain Piccolo wouldn't want his friends to know either. It was one more proof that his feelings were perverted, unacceptable.
Quatre's feelings were stronger than his, but Piccolo gave a silent agreement with the boy's admission. He had no concept of love, so he didn't know if the feeling was a part of what they had. But he felt a pang of cold sadness at the thought of losing the boy. Minutes passed in silence before he knew from Quatre's smooth breathing that he was asleep, and he looked at the ceiling again. He didn't know if he was helping or hurting the boy, but there'd been no more nightmares since they'd started sharing a bed. That had to mean something.
* * *
TBC
--notes--
I ended up having an extra part, but the next one will definitely focus on Trunks and Duo. Expect a lemon.