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Today was the day. He was going to confess to Goten. Trunks had spent eight hours writing the damn thing out, proofreading it, typing it out as it was written to check for typos, and writing it down a second time for the final version. Even if he got rejected, he couldn’t say he didn’t put his whole self out there for it. Like his father, he wasn’t the type to do things in half measures. It was a trait he knew his best friend found both endearing and exhausting.Smiling as he felt Goten’s ki, Trunks slipped the envelope into his front shirt pocket and darted out of the house. Sitting on the hedge benches, on the outskirts of the garden, he could already see Goten playing with one of the smaller dinosaurs that popped in and out of their yard. His heart sped up in his chest, his steps slowing as he approached and took the scene in. Goten must’ve taken the scenic route because there were twigs and leaves in his hair. Smudges of dirt smeared his shirt and pants, and his sharper teeth poked out a bit between his lips as he smiled. Yeah, Trunks was in love with this guy.“Hey,” Trunks said dropping into the empty spot next to him.“Hey yerself,” Goten grinned at him, the dinosaur now fully in his lap. “Glad to see ya outta yer hole.”“It’s not a hole. I work with my mom in there, so dad doesn’t have to drag her out every few days.” Trunks figured out that if he and his mom rotated on the work, they could get a somewhat decent eat/sleep schedule between the two of them.At the mention of that, Goten’s smile dimmed a bit, “Well, yeah…”“Are you okay?” What was with that look? Trunks placed a hand on Goten’s arm.“I just-, she just. About your mom, she told me somethin’ recently is all,” Goten was patting the dinosaur as he spoke not looking at Trunks.He let his hand fall back onto the bench, “What is it Goten?”“She said that she was lookin for someone to do this kinda intergalactic expedition for her. Travel to other planets in the galaxy. Gather samples of their plant matter or technology. Nothing big a course, just little things here and there until it was time to get back here.”“Project Freelancer? Yeah, I saw all the stuff about it when it was still in its’ prototype phase a few years ago. Figured your dad would hop on the opportunity,” Trunks shrugged, letting one arm drape along the back of the bench.“She offered it to me.”Trunks heart froze in his chest as he choked out a, “What?”“She said my dad would be too absent minded to remember to get stuff from each planet, and that Gohan was too busy with his family to go instead,” His smile was a little rueful, “I’m used to bein third choice though, so it’s no big deal.”“You’re not third choice. Stop calling yourself that. Mom was probably weighing the pros and cons of any of the Z-warriors going, and figured you were the best option.”“Cause I’m Goku’s kid.”“No, because you’re my best friend, and I have the planet’s best taste in friends. My dad would bring that stuff back crushed, I’d get side tracked wanting to explore more into the sciences on each planet. Yamcha and Tien are strong, but they’re more at risk at getting killed than a Saiyan. Krillin would be good too, but he might get too scared on the wrong planet and leave too soon,” Trunks was counting off his fingers as he spoke. “You’re trustworthy, you get the job done, you’re careful with your hands, and you have good time management. You’re literally the best choice.”Goten’s cheeks darkened with a blush, looking at Trunks with something he couldn’t place, “Ya mean that?”“I wouldn’t lie to you Goten. At least not about this. Whether or not there’s anymore ice pops in the freezer is another story.” Trunks pretended to scratch his chin in thought.Trunks flinched away from the punch against his bicep, hearing Goten snort, happy he’d gotten him out of that sour mood. The envelope in his pocket felt heavier now as he cleared his throat, “So, will you go?”“I’m not sure yet. The trip’ll take three years, but I’m outta high school. It’ll look real good on my resume. I mean, so would ‘My Dad Saved The World 20 Times’, but that doesn’t really have a capsule corp stamp backing that up with evidence,” He scratched the back of his neck. “Whaddaya think?”Three years. The time frame doubled from the last time Trunks saw it. He swallowed against the lump in his throat. Their day was supposed to go differently. Trunks was supposed to flirt with Goten until he got so embarrassed that when Trunks slipped the envelope into his hands, it’d be worth it. Goten would be able to tell him with confidence whether or not he was interested, and if he wasn’t, Trunks would move on. Now, he couldn’t do that. If he did that, and Goten returned his feelings, he’d likely stay. It was unfair to make this kind of decision for Goten, but it’s not like the youngest Son knew about Trunk’s feelings anyhow. It was better this way.“I think you should go,” Trunks kept his arms stretched along the back of the bench looking up at the clear sky.“Really?”“Yeah, like you said, it’ll look great on your resume. You’re fresh out of high school, and you don’t want to go to university. This is like, an internship. A paid one. Plus, who knows all the cool technical skills you’ll learn while you’re out there. You could come back and teach your brother a thing or two about some weird rando tech. Make him feel ancient,” He had a shit eating grin on his face now.Goten’s gaze went back down to the sleeping dinosaur in his lap, his eyes shadowed by his bangs as a small smile came onto his face, “Yeah.”“What’s with that face? You scared?”“No!”“You totally are. Afraid to unleash the beast from within.”“That sounds like somethin yer dad would say,” Goten covered his smile with his hand.“You’ll have to learn how to twirl a laser gun without shooting yourself. Space Adventurer Goten. They could make a cartoon for you when you get back! You’ll need a catch phrase though,” He snapped his fingers, “I got it! How about ‘Sounds dangeresque, I’m in.’”“I’m not sayin that, and ya better not say that either. It’s awful,” Goten was laughing behind his hand now at Trunks’ antics.“You’re right. You gotta work on it.”He let his hand drop from his mouth, slouching into the bench, his clothed back warm against the skin of Trunk’s arm, “I think I’ll go.”“Good. I demand a souvenir from each planet you visit. No food though unless you’re sure it won’t go bad, and I don’t mean preserved in salt sure, I mean twinkie sure.”“Aren’t ya rich enough?”“I need enough wealth to conquer the world, so no.”“Do ya really think that of yerself?”“I can’t help my princely nature,” Trunks said with an exaggerated drawl that sent Goten into another fit of laughter.This was enough to wake the dinosaur from it’s short nap. The long tailed creature gave Goten a weary look as it hopped off and dashed into the forest. Trunks wanted to remember him like this. He knew it’d be a few weeks between Goten giving both their moms his answer, prep time, and the departure, but it didn’t matter. That time would be too busy with teaching Goten proper procedure, packing things up, saying his goodbyes, and anything else his mom could think of for safety measures. No, it was better not to think of what Goten would look like saying goodbye.Instead, Trunks took in the dirty clothes, the messy hair with foliage, the glowing smile he had as he laughed under the bright blue sky, in this little garden, where they played pranks at parties and imagined the world was their own as children. Cause he really did l-.“Hey, what’s that in yer pocket?” Goten pointed at the envelope.“Oh this?” Trunks patted the letter. “I checked the mail before I came out here. Just another university acceptance letter. No big deal.”“Must be tough being the most wanted bachelor in West City,” Goten elbowed Trunks in the side.“Hahaha,” He crossed his legs. “Want to go play video games?”“Hell yeah! I’m gonna kick your ass at Mario Kart.”“Sure you are.”This was how he wanted to remember Goten, and however he came back, whoever he came back as, Trunks promised he’d take the time learning about that new person all over again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’ll call ya whenever I can.”
That’s what Goten told Trunks the day he was leaving. Trunks believed him, but who knows when that would be. Capsule Corp technology was superior in a lot of ways, it’s focus being both earth and space travel, but Goten was being sent to the far reaches they hadn’t yet explored. It was a mystery how well the communication system would work that far away. He remembered his mom saying had they attempted such an expedition when she was a kid, it would’ve taken fifteen years, so since this would only take three shows how far their company has come. She added dozens of safety measures and back ups as this’d be Goten’s first trip alone into space. She even added an extra couple of years onto the supply system in case something did happen, and they needed to send a retrieval team. Trunks hoped it never got to that point, but it was always better safe than sorry.The first year was the hardest. Everything reminded him of Goten. Them playing games together on the floor of his bedroom, Goten’s favorite foods whenever he ate with his family, the animals in the garden that were familiar with playing with his best friend each time he visited. Hell, he’d been cleaning out his closet when he found an old hoodie covered in Goten’s scent. He remembered the other needing to borrow it when a training session got too ki blasty, and the younger one didn’t want to go home half naked. Goten didn’t return it until a week later, but he got it back. It sat under his pillow, the smell fading a little more with each day that passed. The letter he’d written to Goten was in his drawer buried under notebooks, pencils, and eraser shavings. No need for it anyway.At six months in, when he figured he’d moped enough, he did the reasonable thing and pushed himself harder into his work and schooling. He overloaded his classes, the desire to graduate early prevailing over his want for free time. If he had free time, he’d start thinking about Goten, and that would get him nowhere. He spent a lot of time with Bulla, she was getting older, and he didn’t want his father’s influence to be all she had. Kami forbid. His summer and winter vacations were nonexistent, because if he couldn’t take classes, he split his time between the gravity room and the labs. His father was shocked to see him the first time, but pleased by his decision to get more serious about his training. At least that’s what Trunks assumed. Lab, classes, family time, lab classes, family time, lab, classes, family time. It all became so monotonous, but since his classes kept changing, there was always something new to build or improve in the lab, and Bulla always managed to get into some kind of trouble, it kept him distracted. He’d be fine. He didn’t have to think about Goten. Trunks could have his own life too.A couple of months into the second year is when things grew more difficult. Trunks was walking out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist and a second around shoulders, when his computer lit up. He looked at the screen feeling his blood run cold and hot at the same time seeing the contact.Project Freelancer 1 Calling…It was Goten. The scientist side of him whooped for joy. Their tech was good enough to make contact from however far his friend had traveled. The rest of him though was filled with anxiety. He knew Goten would call, or at least try to call him. He knew if he pressed the answer button, he’d see the other’s face and his heart would flutter. He’d be a mess all over again. He imagined Goten, sitting in the garden during their talk, laughing and smiling with leaves in his hair, and gripped the towel around his shoulders. A mantra of ‘I love you, I love you, I love you’ on the tip of his tongue. Trunks didn’t do things in half measures. It was all or nothing, and he knew if he answered the call, he’d say things he’d been holding back. And then what?What would happen? What if Goten did like him and tried to come back early? What if Goten found someone else? That’d make things awkward between them, especially if that new person was on the same call. He’d never thought of Goten finding someone new, but the galaxy was full of surprises, and Goten was handsome, and sweet, and kind, and funny, and so, so perfect. The more he thought about it, the more Trunks realized he’d ruin things if he said anything to his friend.Looking at the clock, he saw it was three in the morning. It was a perfectly normal time for people to be asleep. Trunks should’ve been asleep a few hours ago, but he lost track of time while studying. Making a decision, he finished drying off and put on his pajama pants. Crawling onto the bed, he pulled the sheets over his head, the glow from his computer screen dimmed by the fabric. He breathed. Counted the seconds. Until, eventually, his room returned to complete darkness. Closing his eyes, Trunks went to sleep.Trunks thought the first year was difficult, but the second turned out to be five times more difficult than the first. His mother was giving him more business responsibilities instead of allowing him to hole up in the lab for weeks at a time. Told him he needed to learn how to deal with people that wasn’t with his father’s methods. Trunks didn’t clarify that he never used his father’s methods unless it was an evil monster trying to destroy the earth. He knew what she meant. He had to be social, he needed to mingle, he needed to use her business sense for funds, contracts, deals, mergers, and all the like so that he actually was able to hole himself in the lab for weeks at a time.Did he like attending meetings that went on for an hour long than necessary? No. Did he like going to the parties, both national, and international to show that Capsule Corp cares about progress? No. Did he like wearing what his father lovingly referred to as a monkey suit to every single occasion no matter how trivial if it was for the business? Nope. Did he care for the photoshoots for magazines, and the people that would go to him for hopes of a date or to show him a new business venture? The former no, the latter always got him some interesting inventions shown. Some more useful than others, but there was always room at Capsule Corp for creativity. No, navigating a new aspect of his family’s business wasn’t the difficult part.What was difficult was Goten’s calls. They weren’t frequent. Far from it. Trunks got a call from him every few months, and left them unanswered. At first, when the second call came, he got worried. What if Goten was in trouble? What if he was calling to ask for help, or give Trunks his final words, and Trunks was too selfish to pick up? Too busy trying to preserve a friendship he wasn’t sure would be there upon Gotens’ return? His fears were satiated when all the reports came back normal, and more regularly than the attempts to call. His health was fine, and the synopsis of new technology, cultures, and plant life Goten discovered came back in all the emotionless technical jargon Bulma crash coursed him in before his departure. No, Goten was perfectly fine. He was making personal calls to Trunks, at random times of the day. Trunks knew a lot of time was passing between the calls, but he’d get so into his schedule, only to blink and see Project Freelancer 1 calling again. Goten probably figured out how to get earth’s time pulled up by now, so he was trying to call Trunks when he was free. Day or night didn’t matter.It was like he’d find his rhythm, get back on track, and the call would trip him up forcing him back to square one. Don’t think about Goten. Don’t think about how his face lit up when he laughed, or how he figured out how to burp the ABC’s backwards and did it incessantly to distract him during study breaks. Don’t think about how much he loved playing with the animals in his backyard and going hiking just as the sun rose. Don’t think about Goten taking his hand under the lake water during a camping trip to show him a swell of fish eggs he’d found. Don’t think about Goten’s shitty puns, or how he ran his hands through his hair when he was stressed, or how he sang badly, or fought, or danced, or-. He let his head fall onto his desk, watching another call go unanswered. No, don’t think about Goten. It was better this way.The third year was the easiest. Goten’s calls came with less frequency than the year prior. Trunks could focus. He graduated this year, and Goten wouldn’t be there to see it. His party was as big as Bulma could make it. Which was ridiculously large. Some of the Z-warriors couldn’t show up, but Goku and his family were there. He’d talked to Gohan for a bit, and of course Goten came up as a topic.“He’s coming home in June, right? Makes sense he’d land during his favorite time of the year,” Gohan had Pan in his lap since she’d tried tipping over the punch bowl for the third time that evening.“Yup.”“Happy to get your best friend back soon?”Trunks plastered on his photo shoot smile, “Yeah, he’ll get to see how much cooler I got since he left.”Gohan laughed, and it was easy. It was easy to pretend things were all right, and that he wasn’t going to curl up in bed after the party to be alone. His mother would congratulate him again with a hug and a kiss, Bulla would whine about not being tired before passing out in their dad’s arms, and Vegeta would give him a nod showing his approval. This was okay. Things were fine.In fact, they were so fine that when Trunks saw the exact arrival date for Goten’s ship, he rescheduled a meeting of his own. After ignoring his calls, Goten probably wouldn’t want to see him first thing. Trunks would be in Bermuda during the debriefing before his friend was sent home to work off his space lag for a few days. He’d see Goten at his Welcome Home party.
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Trunks was avoiding him. He didn’t have a choice. Goten looked different. He’d broadened out over the years. Not nearly as big as his father, and not quite Gohan’s size either, but close. His hair was longer, held away from his face with glowing band he’d gotten as a present from one of the planets he’d landed on. His voice was a little deeper. His grin a bit more sharp. The clothes he wore were new, having outgrown his old ones, and his scent was strong. Or maybe it was just Trunks imagining things. Goten mostly smelled the same from the distance Trunks kept. Perhaps a little earthier? Maybe he’d rolled in the dirt as soon as he got home. That sounded like something Goten would do. Bulla and Pan made it a point to see which Son brother could spin them the fastest as they clung to their arms like jungle gym bars. There was new scarring on his brown arms which hadn’t been there before he’d left.Trunks had to avoid him, because Goten just kept pulling him in deeper with his existence, and he was going to drown. This was still Goten. It was still the guy he’d fused and fought with so many times. The guy he’d sat in fields with watching the stars as ants crawled over his pants legs. The person he’d shared his secrets with, and held secrets for in return. Trunks couldn’t do it though. Every time he got close, it was like there was too much of Goten, and he needed space to breathe.Honestly, he’d probably ruin Goten’s fun with his attempt at awkward conversation. What was he supposed to say? Hey, long time no see, sorry about ignoring all the calls he sent for the past two years? He was busy with work? No thanks. Seeing Goten laugh and smile with everyone else would have to be enough. Maybe he could talk to Goten some other time. Give a sincere apology, and hope they could go back to what they had before the other left earth. Yeah, he could try that.At least, that was his plan until Goten cornered him while Trunks was edging towards the next building over, far away from the party.“Yer actin like yer dad lurkin around the party like this,” Goten said, his hands shoved into his pockets.“And you look like your dad, mister social butterfly,” Trunks had to actually look up at Goten. It was a few centimeters difference, but it mattered. “Welcome home, Goten.”Goten wasn’t looking at Trunks as he said, “Woulda been nice to hear that from ya after I landed.”“I’m sorry. I had a meeting overseas, and I couldn’t reschedule, or we’d suffer some heavy losses. They’re our main benefactor for reinforced malodite.”“That so? Cause Bulma said she was pretty sure that meetin was supposed to happen a week prior to my arrival,” Goten was glaring at Trunks now.“Mom has a lot on her plate. It makes sense she might get the dates mixed up in her head, that’s why we have a schedule,” He smoothed over.“Ya know, I’d almost believe you if you hadn’t been ignoring my calls for the past two years.”The words hit him like a slap in the face, and Trunks realized how unprepared he was for this conversation. He’d probably never be ready enough to talk to Goten about it. He needed to recover. Deflect. Anything!“You just always caught me at a bad time. Meetings, business parties, lab work, school, and training. My schedule got packed tight as soon as you left.” Trunks had been the one to pack his own schedule, but he wasn’t lying…mostly.“Would ya cut the bullshit.”Trunks kept his arms at his sides, not wanting to look defensive crossing them. Goten had gone from angry to hurt, his brows furrowed, his lips curled into a grimace, and his shoulders dropping as he took his hands out of his pockets.“You know I figured out how to get earth time pulled up. I called ya at times ya shouldn’t be doin any of those things, and you ignored them. You ignored me. If I did something wrong ya can just tell me to my face here and now, cause I got no idea what I did to earn the silent treatment from you. Are ya mad at me for leavin’?”“Of course not! Goten, I’m so proud of you.”“Then why aren’t ya actin like it?”Because all the confidence and bravado he had turned into a business only resource, and this roadblock between them was self-made by Trunks based on his refusal to deal with his own feelings. But when he worded it like that, it sounded desperate. What should he do? What should he say?“I went through a lot to get all those souvenirs ya asked for too. Even while you were bein a huge jerk,” Goten moved some of his loose bangs out of his face.Trunks meant it as a joke when he’d made the request, but the fact that Goten put in the effort for something silly like that… Now he really couldn’t tell him the truth. He didn’t deserve Goten whose scent was getting a lot stronger for some reason.“Trunks?”He didn’t actually know what sunlight smelled like, but Goten smelled like one of those scented candles that would have the label slapped onto the front with the bright, gold calligraphy print.“Trunks.”And now he was talking, but Trunks was having a hard time listening, his head trying to catch up with his feelings and separate the two so that he could form a sentence. Think of some answer that would appease Goten enough for him to escape. For him to breathe. He was drowning again, his heart thudding in his chest.Goten placed his hands on Trunk’s shoulders, “Trunks, are ya even listenin to me!”He blinked at Goten, looking into his dark brown, nearly black eyes, and decided he didn’t mind drowning so much. It was a mistake as soon as he grabbed the sides of Goten’s face pulling him down to mash their lips together. But it felt like a really, really good mistake, because Goten was so warm, and his lips were so soft, and his cheeks were like marshmallows under his palms even though his baby fat was long gone. His mind was screaming a chorus of yes, yes, yes, this was what he wanted! This was what he’d been waiting three years for, but the full feeling was cut short when Goten pushed him away by his shoulders.Panting, he looked at Trunks with wide eyes, keeping him at arm’s length. A moment passed, maybe two, when Goten’s features slipped from shock to frustrated. Trunk’s blood ran cold. He fucked up.“I- I need to-,” He pulled out of Goten’s grip, taking a few steps back. “I’m sorry, I have to, go, somewhere else.”He didn’t wait for Goten’s response as he turned tail and ran into the field of trees near his home. He started running so fast his feet lifted off the ground, and he figured, hell, might as well fly away for a while. Maybe for a long time. He could hang out near a random canyon and yell out his frustrations until the party was over, because he screwed everything up in less than thirty seconds. How could he be so stupid! All he had to do was answer at least one of Goten’s phone calls, and this wouldn’t have fallen apart as fast as it did.He kept beating himself up until he’d flown for several hundred kilometers, then he started lowering his ki signature the further his flight went. The last thing he needed was his dad or any of the other Z-warriors following him out here. This was childish. He was a grown man. Trunks was the heir to two legacies both Saiyan and human. He talked to people with more money and power who could kill Capsule Corp if his mom was unable to smooth things over. He’d fought threats dangerous enough to eat planets, and alternate versions of himself were strong enough to kill creatures like Frieza with a sword for goodness sake.But the look of frustration, and maybe a little disgust, on Goten’s face was enough to send him to the middle of nowhere. Floating down, he sat on the edge of the cliff. This canyon was huge, and he could tell from some indentations in the craggy rocks that maybe some people came here to spar. Which meant this place wasn’t so secret. Whatever. He put his face into his hands, and he heard his mom’s voice in his head scolding him about getting oil on his face that would make him break out later. His watch beeped, and he chanced a glance at the screen.Mom calling…Damn it Goten. The bastard ratted him out already. He still hadn’t told either of his parents he was gay. Trunks knew he’d regret this, but he ended the call. He could deal with her wrath later. Maybe after breaking something. The question is what would get him the most sympathy? Not a leg. A rib? A couple of ribs perhaps, the chance of puncturing a lung was high, and he hadn’t broken anything in a few years. That would put her rage off for the first month giving him time to think of excuses. He continued lowering his ki until it was only the smallest blink he could manage. That should buy him time. His exit might’ve ruined the whole party.The thought made him feel guilty and selfish. He’d done what he could to avoid Goten, since it was his welcome party, and he was so dramatic that they were going to do a manhunt for him. Groaning, he leaned forward, his eyes gazing at the craggy rocks. How deep was the drop? Four or five kilometers down? If he positioned himself just right-“Hi Trunks!”He jumped grabbing the ledge with both hands, turning to look at his new companion, “Goku, my mom talked to you about this!”Goku scratched the back of his neck with a bashful smile, “Hehe, sorry ‘bout that.”That’s where Goten got it from. Trunks shook his head, narrowing his eyes at the older man. Goku was purposefully flaring his ki. Why was he doing that? Wouldn’t it make more sense to grab his shoulder and IT him back to the party?“What do you want, Goku.”“Oh, I don’t want nothin,” Goku stretched his arms up towards the sky and sighed letting him drop back to his sides, “Real peaceful out here, ain’t it?”“Yup.”They sat next to each other in silence, Goku obnoxiously flaring his ki for some reason. There was a pattern to it. Up, up, low, up, low, up up, low, low, up, low, over and over again. It reminded him of morse code. Ah shit. He was so distracted by Goku he didn’t even notice Goten’s ki closing in. Welp, time to break those bones now. Can’t talk to Goten if he’s in a coma. Standing up, he looked down at how long the drop was, and figured if he pushed away from the edge far enough, the rock with the really round end would get him good in the rib cage. The one next to it would hit the back of his skull, and the sharp one in the far left might slice his foot open. Perfect.“You should talk to ‘im,” The older Saiyan said.“I will, just not now.” Trunks steadied his shoulders, his feet curving along the rim of the ledge. This was gonna hurt. A lot. Thank kami for his high pain tolerance on his dad’s side.Goten was really close now, and Goku said, “Good luck,” before he vanished again.Trunks took the leap. The air rushing around him as he fell was different than how he felt flying. It was rougher, almost like the world was trying to push him back up instead of letting him glide through. Splaying out his arms, he wondered how long it’d take to get him to a healing tank. At super saiyan maybe a few minutes by flight. Not like Goten couldn’t carry him before he decided to get buff anyhow. There was another large surge of ki from the ledge of the cliff. He gave himself a little push from his feet to fall faster. His hair whipped around his face, as he closed his eyes waiting for impact. Except, he’d stopped in mid-air.Goten had grabbed him by the ankle before he hit the craggy rocks below, his hair a frazzled mess as he glared at Trunks, "Were you about ta strategically break yer bones so ya wouldn't have ta talk ta me?"Trunks crossed his arms as he was held up, twenty feet from his intended landing spot, "Goten, that would be ridiculous! I'm not a kid anymore." A beat passed before he added, "I was going for a concussion."Instead of replying, Goten spun Trunks around and threw him into the air. It was a lot harder than he expected. Trunks was used to Goten throwing him around, but how strong he’d become since he’d left was starkly obvious when he landed with a thud back onto the cliffs edge. He didn’t move, his shirt and pants covered with dust, and his face planted on the ground.Turning his head, he saw Goten’s shoes, “If you’re gonna kick my ass just toss me off the cliff yourself and save us both the trouble.”“If ya jus’ tell me what the hell is goin’ on with you I wouldn’t be so mad,” Goten’s tone was angrier than earlier.“I like you,” he muttered with a mouthful of dirt.“What?”He shifted his arms to push himself off the ground and stood up. Staring Goten straight in the eyes, he said with more confidence, “I said I like you. I’ve liked you since we were stupid pre teens, I liked you before you left, and while you were gone I couldn’t fucking talk to you because I knew I’d spill and beg for you to come back and ruin your opportunities, and get in your way a million times because I’d want my feelings to go before your future!”“You like me?”“YES.” He’d gotten in Goten’s face sometime during his rant. Breathing heavily, he stepped back and tried to dust off his pants, “It doesn’t matter now though.”“Yes, it does. Trunks, I like you too.”His voice came out cracked and high pitched, “What. SINCE WHEN.”“Since we were kids I guess? I don’t know when it started, but I knew I was mad when you told me I should go to space. I got all my confidence up to try and tell you how I felt and dropped it. Next time I said to myself.”They were planning to confess to each other on the same day. If Trunks wasn’t so happy that Goten returned his feelings, he would’ve leaped off the edge again. However, something didn’t add up.“If you like me, then why did you push me away when I kissed you?”“Cause I thought you were tryna shut me up.”“Why in the hell would you think that.”Goten’s cheeks grew darker with a blush, “Well, you know those movies we made fun of, when the women was arguin with the guy, and instead of listenin to her, he kisses her, and she goes limp in his arms? I know they tried to make it romantic, but it always looked rude. Like he didn’t wanna bother dealin with her feelins.”He was right about one thing. Trunks did stop listening to him, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to listen to Goten. It was more, Goten was honest, and genuine, and hot, and smelled so damn good that he wasn’t sure when or if the chance would ever come up again, so something in his brain pressed the override button.“I’m sorry.”“Trunks.”“I’m sorry I ignored your calls, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you landed, and I’m sorry I was too stupid to just tell you how I felt, but I don’t regret telling you to go into space,” Trunks took Goten’s hands in his own feeling how much rougher they’d become. “Every report that came back, even with all that tech jargon, I could tell you were excited and happy out there. I’d have hated myself if I told you to stay. I really am proud of you Goten.”Goten’s eyes were shiny as he bent down touching their forehead together, “I missed you.”“I missed you too, so so much,” Trunks blinked away any wetness that started to build. Nope. He wasn’t about to cry. Happy tears be damned. “Can I kiss you now? Properly this time?”“I don’t know,” Goten smiled, “Ya haven’t taken me out ta dinner yet.”“I’ve treated you a thousand times.”“Yeah, but that was before ya said ya liked me.”“You’re really going to make me work for this aren’t you?”Goten leaned in closer, his smile more mischievous as he said, “Maybe.”Trunks didn’t have to fill the gap between their lips, Goten going the rest of the way, and this was so much better than his previous attempt. He tugged his hands out from Goten’s, wrapping his arms around broad shoulders and holding him close. Goten let out a small hum wrapping his perfect arms around Trunk’s waist.He wasn’t sure who pulled away first, but their noses were still touching, Trunks taking in all of Goten’s features, “I lied again.”“Huh?”“I love you, actually.”Goten’s entire face enflamed, as he pressed his face into Trunks, “Trunks!”Trunks grinned. He was so cute. They stayed close, just holding each other before Trunks said, “We should head back. I already know you launched a man hunt for me.”“No I didn’t.”“Then why did my mom call me? She doesn’t even know I’m out of the closet yet by the way, so thanks for that.”“I asked to use her phone cause I said mine was dead, and I thought you’d answer when you saw her name on the caller id,” Goten pouted.“And Goku?”“You just about vanished yer ki! My dad’s the only one strong enough to sense something that small. No one else knew you were gone, but they definitely know I’m gone. And are ya tellin me your super genius mom who ya spend hours with huddled over little motherboards in the lab can’t figure out yer gay?”“When you word it like that, it sounds stupid.”“That’s cuz yer stupid, Trunks. I’m the brains, remember?”“All right you! Let’s get back to the party before I really shut you up,” Trunks pinched Goten’s side and stepped out of his arms.“Yeah, as much as I love ya I’m not lettin ya make me miss out on my own cake,” Goten started floating away.“Ye- wait, what did you just say?”“I said I’m gonna go eat my cake,” Goten’s smile was cheeky, the sunlight making his eyes glitter.“Did you just say you love me?”“I don’t know. Guess you’ll have to catch me ta find out,” and with that Goten zoomed off.Trunks was after him in a second, a matching smile on his face, “When I catch you I’m going to embarrass you in front of your entire family!”“But first ya gotta catch me!”For the record, Trunks did catch him at the edge of the party, them tumbling and rolling in, covered in dirt and tree branches, as they wrestled on the ground. Goten smiling, warm, and smelling like outside as he laughed, and Trunks grinning, himself messier than he’d been in years. It was better this way.