Three-Bonding

Three-bonding
by Kaysha33

::...:: = mindspeech
'...' = thoughts

Chapter 1: Ending

Shao could sense that something awful had happened. Goten was heading straight for the Capsule Corporation and his troubled mood poured off of him in leaden waves. The healer sighed deeply and left her place beneath the old tree where she had been meditating. A swift thought called for her mate, making Trunks take notice of their lifelong friend’s bad condition.

::What’s wrong?:: Trunks looked up from the table outside of the house where he and his mother Bulma were working on new, improved robots for the Gravity Room. He’d taken a few days off from his many duties at Capsule Corp. management. ::What happened?::

Shao snorted scornfully. ::I can only guess, koi. But deciding on the look on his face it has something to do with Palace.:: She stood, waiting, watching Goten as he came closer and finally landed some feet away from her. His tail was coiled painfully tight around his waist, his hands were clenched into fists, and he refused to look into her eyes. Shao could tell that he was very upset.

Trunks stayed where he was, his own chestnut tail flicking behind him in sympathy. He knew that, right now, Goten needed his mate more than him. Shao would let him know when he was needed. So he continued to work on the robots, shaking his head ‘no’ when his mother opened her mouth to say something. “Leave them be, Kaa-san,” he said in a low voice, “I think it is because of Palace.”

Bulma only nodded in understanding. It really looked like Goten was close to breaking into tears. She knew from personal experience that the best thing she could do now was letting Shao work her magic on the poor lad.

Goten hadn’t moved at all. Shao could see that he tried very hard to keep himself from crying. Smiling sadly, she crossed the short distance, reaching out and taking her friend’s hand. She almost winced when her fingers touched his skin, sensing his anguish clearly. She had known from the beginning that this relationship would be… complicated, to say the least. Palace and Goten were way too different. When they met for the first time it had been like they’d both been hit by lightning. They hadn’t been able to stay away from each other for too long, always flirting, talking, touching. Palace had been thrilled when Goten’d ascended in front of her for the first time… Shao had been happy for her friend when they got engaged, but she could also tell that Palace would – eventually – lose her interest with the dark Demi… To stay too long with something or someone was simply not in the naïve girl’s nature…

And it seemed that ‘eventually’ had happened now…

Shao could feel Goten’s pain and instinctively tried to soothe his aching soul. Within a heartbeat Goten had wrapped his arms and tail around her, burying his face in her shoulder, and started to cry. The healer returned the crushing hug, one hand placed on his neck, the other stroking his back, using her healing-magic to slowly calm him down.

Finally Goten’s desperate sobs faded away and he gathered himself enough to speak. “It’s o-over,” he whispered in a barely audible hiccup, his tone being muffled with his face still hidden in his friend’s shoulder. “W-w-we b-broke up… She’s g-gone…”
Hearing the hurt in his voice, Shao started to growl. She bit back an angry remark, saying instead, “I’m so sorry, Goten.”

The dark Demi let go of his friend, straightened, and wiped his eyes with his forearm, visibly pulling himself together. Suddenly he was not able to meet Shao’s tender gaze anymore, those intense amber eyes that could look right into his soul. “Go ahead,” he said quietly, “say it.”

“Say what, Chibi?” Shao lifted his head with a finger placed beneath his chin, gently forcing him to look at her again.

“That you knew it. That this would happen.”

“I would never do something like that.” Shao smiled warmly at him. “You know that I do not like her, Goten, I never did. But YOU did. And that is what counts here. You still do. That’s why being left hurts so much.” She took his hand once more and slowly led him to the main-house. “Come with me, Chibi, let me take care of you.”
Goten followed her without resisting.

Trunks watched them leave. ::Koi?::

::He needs to settle down and get some rest. Maybe I’ll need your help later… I was right. She’s left. For good.::

Trunks sighed. ::Thought so. It will be hard for him. Call me if you need me, koi.::

::I will.:: Shao smiled softly when she heard a little grunt. As always, Goten could tell that she was mentally talking to Trunks.

“Tattletale,” he mumbled and wrapped his tail-tip around her wrist, letting her know he didn’t mind that she’d told their friend what had happened.

Shao grinned up at him. “Sorry, Chibi, but he is worried about you. And so am I.”
Goten sighed. “Yeah, I know.” In fact he was relieved that here, with his best friends, he didn’t have to hide his true feelings.

Once they had reached their destination – a quiet, shielded little room where Shao could heal her patients without being disturbed by too much ki – Goten did not resist when he was led to a pile of pillows and blankets. He suppressed another sigh when Shao stepped in front of him, signaling him to pull off his clothes. With the determined look on her face Goten knew that he had no saying in this and obeyed. As soon as he was done he stretched himself out on the soft pile and closed his eyes.

While watching her friend Shao slowly slipped into a healer’s trance, concentrating on nothing but Go-ten and the pain he felt.

Then she went to work…


********************


Outside, Trunks could vaguely feel the raising of his mate’s ki, indicating that she’d started to heal their friend. He fought the sudden urge to follow them, forcing himself to continue his work. Shao would call him if she needed his help…

A gruff voice from behind startled Trunks. “What the fuck is wrong with them?” It was Vegeta. His father must have sensed Goten’s arrival and his distress, and now felt the white-haired female’s increased ki.

Bulma answered before Trunks was able to say something. “Palace broke up with Goten, so he came here. Just leave him be.” She stood in front of her husband with one hand placed on her hip and the forefinger of the other sticking into Vegeta’s face, glaring at him. Trunks suppressed a grin. If his mother had a tail, he’d swear it would have been bristling and thrashing behind her in annoyance.

Vegeta ignored her and snorted. “Feh, he should be glad,” he growled, pushing her hand away, “this brat was no good for him. He deserves someone better.”

The lavender-haired Demi blinked in confusion. He couldn’t believe his ears. Usually his father didn’t care about Goten’s relationships or how he felt when they ended sooner or later…

The Saiyajin-no-ouji bit back a half-hearted growl of frustration when he saw the astonished looks on his family’s faces. He’d done it again… letting his softer side get the better of him… And worst of all, right under his onna’s nose. She would never let him hear the end of this one. 'Here it comes,' he thought and scowled at her, steeling himself for the taunt that would surely follow…

But much to Vegeta’s surprise Bulma only smiled at him. And Trunks had a similar grin on his face, a smirk Vegeta was too familiar with – he’d seen it often enough in his own reflection.

“Son-kun’s right, you ARE a sap,” Bulma said at last, and her smile widened.
“Yeah,” Trunks chimed in, tail uncurling from its protective position around his waist and swaying in front of his father’s face. “You’re worse than Goku-san sometimes.”

This time Vegeta did growl and, as fast as lightning, caught his son’s tail. “Watch your tongue, brat,” he snarled threateningly. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

Trunks just grinned back at him. He could tell that Vegeta was not too annoyed with the little teasing. His father’s twitching tail-tip showed him that much, although the Saiyajin-no-ouji tried very hard to keep the treacherous appendage under control. “I knew that you DO care,” he said, fearlessly wrapping the end of his own tail around Vegeta’s wrist.

A snort was his only answer, but Vegeta was not able to keep a smirk off his face. 'Yeah,' he thought, 'I really do.' Some years ago he wouldn’t have admitted it to anybody, not even to himself. But his family and his friends had changed him. For the better… And it had nothing to do with getting weak… not that he ever would say that aloud…

Bulma wrapped her arms around her husband’s neck and, ignoring his protest completely, kissed him. “Yes,” she confirmed, “you are a sap. But you are MY sap. And I love you.”

“Onna, please,” Vegeta groaned, trying in vain to stop her.

Trunks watched his parents’ typical banter with a smug grin. They both needed this… But his smile faded when his thoughts returned to his friend’s misery. Goten would need his help…

“He will get over this,” Vegeta said quietly, following his son’s gaze to the main-house. “He’s strong. This just needs time.” 'Strange,' he thought, 'this caring-thing is easier than I imagined.'

This was something Trunks had to get used to. Usually his father didn’t show too much feeling. He tried to change, though. With a deep sigh Trunks turned and smiled sadly at Vegeta. “Maybe this will not be enough, Tou-san,” he said softly.

“Maybe,” Bulma replied, “but he is not alone with this. He has us, he has you, and he has Shao. He can stay here as long as he wants to.”

The Saiyajin-no-ouji placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Yes,” he said, “as long as it takes.”

“I know that he will appreciate this.” Trunks turned back to the main-house, trying to read his mate and friend’s ki. “I don’t think Chibi will want to go home right now.” 'Or anytime soon…' he added silently.

Bulma nodded thoughtfully. “I will call Chi-Chi and tell her that Goten is going to stay at Capsule Cor-poration for a while.”

“Thanks, Kaa-san.” Trunks smiled at her. “But don’t tell her about Palace. Chibi’ll want to tell her him-self… if he ever wants to talk about it at all…”

“I won’t,” Bulma assured her troubled son. “Don’t worry.”

Vegeta snorted. “I wonder what Kakarott’s harpy is going to say about this.”

“She’ll not be too happy about it,” Bulma answered with a broad grin, “and I think Son-kun will have some trouble to keep her from trying to strangle the girl.” She barked a laugh. “Palace has broken her precious baby’s heart, after all.”

Trunks groaned. He knew how much Goten hated to be called a ‘baby’. “Kaa-san, please,” he begged with his eyes turned up to the sky. Sometimes his mother was infuriating.

Vegeta grunted, and his tail flicked with aggravation. “Onna, shut the fuck up,” he snarled.

“Thanks, Tou-san.”

“Hn, you’re welcome, brat,” Vegeta replied with a smirk and turned around, making his way back to the Gravity Room. Now that his curiosity had been satisfied he could go back to training.

Bulma watched her husband and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Now this is going to be interesting,” she muttered under her breath.

Trunks could only agree with her – interesting, indeed…

TBC...