Chapter 2

-Trunks’ POV-

I stretched my legs out in front of me, feeling the carpet under my toes and listening as somebody, probably my father, rummaged around in the kitchen.  If he was looking for something ready-made he was out of luck.  I knew mum had been out all day, somewhere with Chichi probably, and hadn’t even entered the kitchen when she returned.

Goten was sitting on the floor at my feet and seemed to be watching my toes move through the carpet.  Why that interested him was anyone’s guess, but then Goten could be awfully strange when the mood took him.

He looked up at me, head cocked to one side, listening, “What’s your dad doing?” he asked, “the food won’t cook itself, he’ll have to actually do something if he wants to eat.”

“Or rummage until he annoys mum enough for her to come down and make something for him,” I replied, “that’s probably the plan.”

Goten raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.  I saw his eyes dart to something by the door and turned slowly to see what he had noticed.

“Dad!” he shouted, looking around almost confused, “I told mum I was going back to Capsule Corp with Trunks, she didn’t send you to find me, did she?”

“No,” Goku looked over to the kitchen door where Vegeta could still be heard making as much a mess as possible in the kitchen, “I came to see Vegeta actually, he in there?”

The question hardly needed answering but I nodded anyway, wondering why Goku would come to visit dad at seven o’clock at night.

“Dad, while you’re here, can I stop with Trunks tonight, tell mum I had some homework to finish and Trunks is going to help me?” Goku winked at his son and nodded, the younger Son smirking as Goku headed towards the kitchen with intent in his eyes.  I didn’t get it but I didn’t ask, it more than likely didn’t make much sense if you weren’t a Son anyway.

“That ok with you Trunks?” Goten suddenly realised he hadn’t actually asked me.

I smirked and nodded; any chance to spend more time with Goten was fine by me.

-Goten’s POV-

I saw Trunks smirk and wondered what he was thinking.  It made him look very cute and I would have purred if I hadn’t caught myself just in time.  I found my eyes sweeping over him once again, taking in every detail, watching his toes curl and uncurl in the rich carpet.  I probably would have wagged my tail if I’d still had it.  I missed my tail but of course I was too old for it to grow back now and when mum had removed it she’d made sure it stayed gone.

“Trunks,” I waited for him to look at me.

“Mmmmm?” he’d had his eyes closed, and now he opened them halfway, making his lilac lashes look as if they weighed a ton.

I licked my lips before continuing, “Why did you never have a tail?”

He looked confused for a while, as if he didn’t understand the question, then smiled, “I did… do, mum doesn’t know, she thinks dad removed it, but I wanted to keep it and dad thought it was a good idea.”

“You… you do?” I couldn’t believe my ears, “and you never told me?” I thought I had known just about everything there was to know about Trunks, but if I hadn’t known this what else hadn’t he told me?

“Mmmm, mum removed it once, but dad showed me how to grow it back, he’s still got one too you know, and your dad,” Trunks looked at me confused when I looked up at him, I must have looked more hurt than I meant to let on.

-Trunks’ POV-

Goten looked upset, I couldn’t understand why, was this a big thing to him.  I wanted to ask but thought I’d better do it in private, “Lets go to my room,” I said, standing and taking hold of Goten’s wrist to pull him with me.

I dragged him down the hall and up the stairs, shutting the door behind me as we walked in.  I freed Goten of my grip and sat down on the bed, motioning for Goten to join me, which me did.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, not wanting to leave this in the open for long.

Goten looked up at me, a confused expression on his face, “Nothing, why did you think something was?”

“I know you Goten, I saw that look, when I told you I still had my tail, why did that hurt you?”

“Just… just, you never told me,” he looked up unhappily, I hadn’t realised it meant so much to him, “and I don’t have mine anymore.”

“Sorry, I didn’t think you would care, that’s why I didn’t say anything,” I watched him nod and knew I was forgiven, Goten always forgave me just about anything for some reason, I guess because we’d been friends for so long, “you could grow yours back you know?”

He shook his head and looked up at me sadly, “I’m too old now.”

I smiled at him, “And your dad’s younger than you now?  He only got his tail back about two months ago, I can show you how if you like?”

-Goten’s POV-

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I touched the scar at the base of my spine where my tail used to be and nodded, Trunks could show me how to get my tail back.

“First,” he said, looking over at me and standing up, “you have to feel where your tail will be, be aware of the spot where it will grow,” I nodded, that wasn’t too hard, “then raise your power level, but push it all towards that one spot and picture it coming out of your body in the shape of a tail, but be able to feel the flesh around it, as if you are powering up just your tail.”

He stopped and waited for me to try, I did as I was told, felt the spot at the base of my spine, felt my energy build and pushed it all to that spot imagining it was going out into my tail behind me.  I felt a tingling sensation at the base of my spine, like I had a tail made of pins and needles.  It was working I was sure it was, but then I heard Trunks sit back on the bed and my traitorous eyes flicked to follow him.  The loss of concentration made the energy disperse again and the tingling feeling left.

I sighed and dropped my hands, that had been my fault; I should have kept my concentration.  I suddenly found it very funny and began to giggle; Trunks didn’t have a clue and looked at me confused from his position on the bed.

“That’s ok,” he probably thought I was laughing out of frustration, “you almost had it, just try again.”

I nodded, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye and composing myself again.  I gave it another try, feeling the spot at the base of my spine I gathered my energy and pushed towards that spot.  I could feel the tail made of pins and needles again, feel it flick in the air behind me.  Then there was a strange, sharp pain where the scar was and I felt fur against my skin, just like the base of a tail connected there.  I powered down again, giving a whoop of pleasure as I brought my tail around my front, stroking the fur briefly to make sure it was real, and then, without thinking, turned and jumped on Trunks, pushing him back against the bed under me and laying my head on his shoulder.

I felt his arms come up around my shoulders in more than just a friendly congratulations and calmed myself to pick up my head and look down at him.  I was very aware of his arms around me, protective and loving, at the same time firm and soft.  I looked down into his eyes, half lidded with those heavy lashes again.  They were shining, questioning, and in that brief instant they gave me the courage I needed.  I bent my head, slowly so he could pull away if he wanted, but he just tightened his arms around my shoulders and held my gaze.  I dipped my head, hearing his breath coming a little short, expectantly.  Just as our lips began to touch the door was flung open. 

Bulma strode in; an armful of clean washing balanced in her arms and strolled over to the bed.  Only stopping once she saw the two of us looking up at her in a dazed and confused manner.  She dumped the washing on the end of the bed and raised one eyebrow.  Not staying to linger she spun on her heals and walked out of the door, sending the parting words over her shoulder, “Like father, like son, I guess.”

-Trunks’ POV-

I watched as my mum left the room, wondering what she had meant by those words, I didn’t get it, but before I had time to contemplate I felt the weight lift off of me and saw Goten shuffle backwards along the bed a bit.  I felt the loss of that comfortable weight like a sharp dagger; my emotions were delicate and confused as it was at the moment.  Had Goten really been about to kiss me or had I just imagined it, surely I hadn’t?  But then, it could have just been wishful thinking, he had been thanking me after all and probably hadn’t realised where my mind was headed to, after all, he was so innocent.

“You got your tail back?” I asked the question I already knew the answer to just to break the silence.

“Yep,” he brought the said appendage out from around his back and wafted it in the air to show me.  He didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, that whole scene may have been my overactive imagination, “I haven’t seen yours yet.”

I looked at him confused, then realised he was talking about my tail, no one had seen mine besides my father, it was very delicate, as are all saiyans tails and I didn’t want people to know I still had one, but this was Goten, I could trust Goten.

I pulled my tail out over the top of my pants at the back, I wear it like a belt but under my pants, and brought it round my front so Goten could see it.

-Goten’s POV-

As soon as Bulma had walked in I had realised exactly what I was doing and lost my nerve.  I’d jumped up and prayed Trunks hadn’t noticed, which he obviously hadn’t.  He asked about my tail and I allowed the topic change, following that line of conversation.

When Trunks brought out his tail I was shocked.  It was sleek and shiny, but it wasn’t like any other tail I had ever seen, due to the fact that it was the same soft lilac colour as his hair.  The fur looked so soft and my fingers itched to touch it, but I knew from experience it was too delicate a thing to be mauled so I kept my unruly fingers on the bed sheets.

“It’s lilac,” I stated the obvious.  Trunks nodded and stroked the tip, making my eyes widen a little and my mouth water.  I had to get these emotions under control or I was going to do something I would later regret.

“And yours is brown,” he stated, “like your dad’s.”

“And your dad’s, and all the others, but yours is different,” I saw him glance at his own tail as if he had never considered this before and then shrug.

“A tails a tail, does the same thing,” I watched it wave out of sight and dropped my own to the bed wondering what Trunks would do if I stroked his tail, wondering what noises I could wring from the lilac-haired demi-saiyan.  No! I had to keep these thoughts in check; this was going to be a long night.