Please

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! It is a huge inspiration to keep going, because sometimes I am just too lazy to put into words a plot that I already know! But I’m determined to get this thing finished and out there! One thing I just want to point out is that this isn’t a world where guy-love is casual and everywhere, as you will see as characters struggle with their emotions. Hmm…that should be about it! Enjoy!

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Goten’s POV

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Trunks was acting weird. He had been all day. The first thing he asked me was if I slept well. He usually asked me if I was hungry. Then at breakfast, he barely spoke, no matter how much conversation I tried to make.

We sat in the living room, watching a daytime talk show and only half aware.

I twisted from where I was sprawled on the carpet to see Trunks staring at the wall. His arms hung limply on the couch cushions. “Trunks?”

He jumped slightly, startled out of his thoughts. He blinked and focused his eyes on me. “What is it, Chibi?”

“What’re you thinking about?”

He scowled. “Watch the show,” he said, nodding at the TV.

I sighed and turned back around, not wanting to press him if he wouldn’t talk.

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Trunks’ POV

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I hated telling Goten to leave me alone, but there was simply no way I could tell him. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t know how to say it.

Looking at him now, watching the TV so peacefully on the floor, I thought he looked quite handsome. By now, I had accustomed myself to these thoughts. That’s not saying that I had accepted them, but either way I couldn’t get rid of them and so had learned to at least acknowledge them.

Goten was so perfect. Not again. No I wouldn’t think like this, I berated myself.

Training would distract me. “Hey Goten.” He turned his head. “You want to train?”

“Yeah,” he said eagerly, leaping to his feet. “This show is boring!”

I laughed. My mother had made me watch these business management shows since I was old enough to understand them. She thought they would help me run Capsule Corp. better when I inherited it. Unlike Goten, I had grown used to the monotonous voices and boring topics. “Ok, come on Chibi, let’s go.”

We fought outside on a grassy meadow filled with wildflowers. Every once in a while, a stray floating petal would distract Goten, and I would have to stop mid punch to wait for him to focus.

Our fighting stirred up a flurry of grass and petals. Soon colorful flowers were everywhere, on the ground, in the air, and on us. Sweat dripped, and rare clouds provided brief respite from the heat when they crossed the sun’s path.

I caught Goten in a chokehold, one arm wrapped around his head and the other holding his arms. He wiggled, but I held on tighter and kept him from escaping.

I grinned and pressed my face close to his. “You’ll never get away from me,” I whispered.

He struggled with renewed vigor. “I’ll show you!” he cried, twisting his head this way and that.

Being so close to him and in such bright sunlight, I saw Goten’s neck. It was covered in dark bruises from the collarbone down. His yellow gi couldn’t cover the purple marks from my eyes, eyes that knew every inch of him from a lifetime of friendship.

The familiar anger sprouted again. Whoever did this would pay.

I gripped Goten tighter and flung both of us to the ground, with me landing above him. I held his arms over his head and straddled his legs, leaving him helpless.

He stared up at me with fearful eyes. “Trunks?” he whispered.

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Goten’s POV

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I had never seen Trunks so mad before. His eyes flashed with anger as they bore into mine. “What’s wrong?”

His eyes slid downwards. “Who did this?” he snarled.

Cold dread washed over me. He meant the bruises covering my neck and chest. I had forgotten about them when I changed into the loose fitting gi. Now they were plainly visible. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stuttered.

Trunks squeezed my wrists tighter, making me wince in pain. “Don’t lie to me,” he said dangerously. “I’m not stupid, Goten. Who did this?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. “Please Trunks, don’t,” I begged. I’m not sure what made me add the last part, but I said, “Don’t hurt me.”

His eyes immediately softened and his grip on my wrists slackened. As quickly as it had come, the anger drained from his eyes. “Chibi,” he murmured, releasing my wrists to cup my face.

I didn’t dare move. Habit with Gohan kept me frozen.

“Chibi, please…just tell me.” Trunks’ light blue eyes pleaded what he couldn’t say, pleaded for me to tell him, to let me accept his help.

I could see that I hurt him every day by keeping my secret, but if I told him, Gohan would hurt both of us much more. I wanted to tell him and possibly lift some of the heavy burden. But I could never lift my burden only to lay it upon Trunks. He had helped me too much in the past, always getting me out of trouble even if it cost him his skin. I loved Trunks, too much to tell him.

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Trunks’ POV

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I could see Goten wasn’t about to tell me. I had failed again.

Before he could open his mouth, I dipped my head to press my lips against his. They were so warm, so soft. It felt so right, like we fit together perfectly. As cliché as that sounds, that’s what I thought as I kissed him. This was right.

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Goten’s POV

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Trunks’ lips softly crushed mine. I froze, unable to comprehend what was happening. When it finally sank in that my best friend, a guy, was kissing me, I tried to jerk my head away. But the problem was that Trunks had me pinned against the ground, and the ground kept me from leaning my head back any further.

I twisted my head to the side, gasping.

Trunks, still holding me down, appeared to be dazed by the far off look in his eyes. But he soon snapped out of that. His eyes cleared and hardened, and he leapt off of me.

I raised myself to a sitting position, and we stared at each other in shock. Did Trunks really just kiss me? It seemed unreal.

Trunks’ mouth opened and closed but no sound came out.

I found my voice first. “Um, I-I have to go,” I stuttered, flying off the ground. “S-See you later.” Without looking back, I flew away as fast as I could.

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Trunks’ POV

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I just kissed Goten! Had I gone crazy? The look he gave me after, one of confusion and fear, crushed every good thought I had had about it earlier. I had frightened him into running away, as if I was a monster, and now he probably wouldn’t ever want to see me again.

I sighed with these depressing thoughts weighing me down. I couldn’t go after him now, not when he was so shaken up, but I would visit him tomorrow and explain. Except…first I had to explain it to myself.

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Goten’s POV

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I flew over the green forests as fast as I could, with no destination in mind other than to get away from Trunks. Now that my mind had settled, I began to think up excuses.

Maybe Trunks just slipped and his mouth landed on mine. Then why did he hold himself there for so long? Could it be that I initiated the kiss somehow? No, I was so surprised to find us kissing that I could not have started it. And why would I anyway?

I used my ki to scan my surroundings. Only wildlife lived below me, and Trunks’ ki was still where I had left him. Good, if he had followed me, I wouldn’t have been able to get away.

Suddenly, my ki picked up another fast approaching ki. I focused on it and realized, with a cold jolt, that it was Gohan. Abandoning all logic, my mind searched desperately for a means of escape from my brother.

I dove into the trees, hoping to conceal myself, and buried my head in my knees. Gohan’s ki steadily approached, hovered over where I was, and descended.

“Oh, little brother,” Gohan called tauntingly. “Come out, come out, little Goten.”

I pushed myself deeper into the bushes where I was hiding. It was childish to hide. My ki alerted Gohan to my location like a lighthouse over a dark ocean. Gohan’s ki slowly approached, and I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable. A rustling of leaves made me look up.

Gohan’s hand pushed aside the branches of the bush, and his leering face came closer. “Ah, there you are little brother. Come on out,” he said, his voice dripping with honey.

I whimpered and scrambled further back. Gohan’s smiling face darkened. His hand reached out and snatched my ankle.

“Get out here,” he snarled, pulling on it. I wriggled in vain. Gohan yanked and I found myself sprawled on the grass, outside the protection of the bushes.

He stood over me. “What’re you doing out here?”

“I-I was…um…was going home.” I was never very good at lying. That was always Trunks’ field.

“You know, little bro, I don’t think I believe you,” Gohan chuckled. “But…if you say so, I guess I’m going to have to take your word.”

I nodded furiously, not believing my luck.

Gohan’s grin vanished. “But then, you said you weren’t coming back until tomorrow. And here you are, coming home today, on Saturday. Surely you weren’t planning on breaking your word?”

I couldn’t believe the trap he had set. If I said I was lying, he would surely beat me. And if I said I wasn’t lying, then that would mean I was going to break my word, and he would beat me. I decided to remain silent and stare at the grass, as if in shame.

Gohan bent over so his head was just above mine. “Goten,” he snapped, grabbing my hair and twisting my head so I looked up at him.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered dumbly.

“When will you ever learn, baby brother?” Gohan mocked in his fake voice. He made a big show of sighing. “I guess I’m going to have to teach you again,” he said, drawing the hand not holding me back into a fist.

I threw my hands up, crying out. “No Gohan, please I’m sorry!...”

But I didn’t get to finish begging. Gohan’s fist hit my jaw a moment later.

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Thank you thank you thank you for reviewing so far!!