A Brief Interim part 3
By: Chocolate-chan

After Goten and Trunks had a rushed dinner, they took some upstairs to all of the kids, setting up their desks or tables in their rooms as mini dinner tables. Afterward, Trunks nabbed them all from the oldest down to take their baths.
Goten sighed as he caught Rei’s longish purple hair in one hand. She hadn’t had much of a stomach for dinner, and her system was now forcefully rejecting sustenance... a nice way to say she was throwing up. Downstairs, Trunks was trading Ai and Hikaru out for baths. Ai ran upstairs with a towel around her hair and Rei’s borrowed nightclothes on, chattering.
“So-o... cold!” She said, and Goten frowned.
“It just felt cold ‘cause you’re sick,” he explained. “It was normal, but you’re hotter than the bath is.”
“Uhn.” Ai came around him. “Rei-chan, daijoubu desu ka?”
“Iie..!” She moaned. Ai took her hair from Goten and ushered him along.
//Man, there’s practically a bathroom for every kid!// Oh well, it made things less hassle. Goten went and grabbed Keisuke and bounced him into a bath of his own, which he also complained about as too cold.
“Watchit, he plays instead of washing,” Akira noted as he trailed down the hallway with a blanket wrapped around himself.
“Isn’t there another spare bathroom on this floor?” Goten asked in suspicion.
“Uhh..” Akira paused and gathered his blanket around himself. He sneezed.
“YES!” Keisuke yelled suddenly from the bathroom. “Besides the one Rei-nee-chan’s in!”
“Why aren’t you in it?” Goten asked.
“I’m goin’.” He moved off and Goten grabbed his blanket as he passed.
Goten suddenly decided when all of the kids were occupied that he was hungry again. As he entered the kitchen he was met with quite an amusing sight; Trunks asleep at the table with his head lying by a plate half-filled with food. One fist clutched a fork with a potato on it, which stuck straight up in the air. Apparently someone else was still hungry too.
Goten paused, grabbed his roll and stuffed it into his own mouth.
“Trunks-kun.”
Trunks grunted and raised his head.
“Go to bed.”
“Uh-uh, the kids...”
“You’re red, right here,” Goten said, rubbing his own cheekbones and nose. He reached into his back pocket for the thermometer he’d been armed with, wiped it off with the napkin by the plate, and stuck it into Trunks’ mouth.
A few moments later it beeped back -- 100.6°.
“Go to bed.”
“Mmm... kay...” Trunks said, laying his head down on the table.
“You know, Bra wanted to do dinner for us all in a few days. We’ll never make it if you don’t go rest.”
“I feel bad leaving you out here.”
“Are you kidding? I’ma head for the hills as soon as you’re underneath the covers. Go to bed, I’ll make sure the critters don’t set fire to anything.” Goten proceeded to help pick Trunks up and carry him to his room.
“Stay with me, Chibi...” he murmured.
“Heck no. I don’t want what you’ve got.” Goten stuffed him into bed. “I’ll tell Bra we can’t make it.”
“Hai,” Trunks murmured and turned over.
Goten rescued Keisuke from the bathtub, threw a clean towel in for Akira, and told Ai to go lay down now that Rei had stopped dry-heaving. Then he started the bath for her and told Hikaru to quit brushing her hair. She insisted it be in pigtails, (like her mom’s) and Goten sighed and did it for her.
“I guess all those times Marron made me fix her hair when we were little came in handy,” Goten muttered. Hikaru gave him a big hug and moved upstairs. Finally Goten settled down at Trunks’ abandoned plate in the kitchen, grabbing bites off of it as he dialed Bra’s number.
“Mushi mushi?” She answered.
“Konbanwa Bra-chan, it’s Goten.”
“Ah, Goten! Nani kashira?”
“I just wanted to tell you that it looks like no one will make it to dinner.”
“Aww, why?”
“Trunks and the kids are sick, and so’s mine.”
She laughed to herself.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she said, “Typical. Oh well, I’ll be there in a little while.”
“You don’t have to..”
“Yeah right, Son Goten in the house alone taking care of six kids, counting my brother. I can see the day that flies. I’ll bring you guys some stuff, kay?”
“Alright. Don’t be surprised if we’re all passed out by the time you’re here.”
“With you, Goten, I’m never surprised.”
He laughed at her droll tone and they hung up.

“Oi, anyone up?” Bra came in the door to Capsule Corp., taking her groceries into the kitchen and putting them away. It was kind of odd to see the kitchen empty and the house quiet, but Bra just shrugged it off and moved up the stairs.
She peeked into her brother’s bedroom; Keisuke was in bed next to him. Akira and Hikaru were sharing a bed in the next room. //Those two have always been so close,// Bra thought with a smile. The little dark-haired girl from the other day was in Rei’s bed.
Bra descended the staircase again, coming into the living room. Goten was sitting on one end of the couch, fast asleep, with Rei’s head in his lap. There was a towel around her shoulders but Goten’s clothes were soaked. Rei turned on the couch restlessly.
“Come on,” Bra whispered, “I think it’s time to let poor Goten rest.”
Rei’s eyes opened as Bra carried her up the stairs. “Bra-ba-chan...”
“You’re getting heavy, Willow,” Bra said, calling her by her nickname. “Feeling sluggish?”
“Ee...” The girl said with a yawn.
“Bed time. But Ai-chan’s in your bed.”
“‘Sokay,” she murmured. “I sleep at the other end when she’s here.”
Bra put Rei to bed and went downstairs again. Goten’s head lolled over to the side, and Bra shook him gently.
“Bra-chan?” Goten opened sleepy dark eyes and blinked them at her like one of the kids would have.
“Mm, you’re a mess. And you’re wet. You go throw your clothes in the dryer. I’ll get you a robe. Then you can go to bed.” She allowed with a smile.
“Iie, I don’t want to leave you alone down here.” Goten sat up and began to pull his shirt over his head, rising and heading toward the laundry room. Bra grabbed a robe from the downstairs bathroom and tossed it in to where he was standing in his boxers.
“C’mon, I’ll make you tea,” she said and he followed her to the kitchen, bumping into doorframes and pieces of furniture on the way. He sat down as soon as the dining room table was in sight, propping his chin on his hands. Bra discovered that the stuff for tea had been left out and she set a new batch to go.
“You look like crap, Goten. Have they been that much of a hassle?”
“Not really, I just haven’t really sat down since before I left for work. Trunks and I had a fight and now I’m feeling really drained.” He shrugged, and Bra brushed her hands off against her form-fitting jeans as she frowned.
“A fight? Over what?”
“Nothing... “ Goten said uneasily. “Something that happened a long time ago.”
“‘Something’ have to do with Marron-chan?”
“Well... not really, no.” Goten glared at the far wall.
“Yoshi, I’ll stop prying, gomen ne.”
She looked at his rumpled form for another moment before the tea kettle sounded. Bra grabbed two cups and brought them out and poured a cup for Goten. “‘S hot.”
“Arigatou.” Goten said and brought it up to blow on it. Bra sat across from him with her own cup, daring a hot sip every now and then.
//When I was little, I used to have the biggest crush on him,// she thought to herself in amusement, looking over the rim of her cup at him. He noticed and returned a smile, sleepy dark eyes glittering a bit in the light. //Gotta admit, he still looks pretty good.//
“You seem like you have a lot on your mind, Son Goten.”
“So do you, Bra.”
“Need a listener?”
Goten thought about it with a frown. He opened his mouth, and closed it again. At last he said, “Not right now. Thanks for asking. What about you? I can’t talk but I can listen.”
Bra shrugged. “I guess it’s pretty trivial. My work and David...”
“David?” Goten struggled a bit with the foreign name at such a late hour.
“The doctor?”
//Oh, her fiancee.// “Yeah, okay. What about them?”
She shook her head at last. “Nothing.”
Goten left it alone.
“You look a little warm,” Bra noted.
“Just the tea,” Goten claimed and took another sip.
There was suddenly a sound. Bra and Goten both glanced up at the ceiling. After a moment there was the sound of running footsteps on the stairs. A small body fell, and then picked itself back up to continue running.
Just as Goten was getting up to see what it was, Keisuke burst into the dining room and flung himself at Goten. Goten nearly fell when Keisuke gripped him around the knees, and he reached down and picked the boy up, sitting down with him in his lap and dabbing at the tear-streaks on his face with a napkin.
“What’s the matter, Keisuke-kun?” Goten asked, frowning in concern.
“I had a... nightmare.” The boy looked sheepish now that he was here, but Goten took it seriously.
“Do you have a lot of bad dreams when you get sick?”
“Sometimes. Not really.”
“There’s an answer,” Goten murmured, glancing over at Bra’s amused expression. There was sudden movement at the door, and Ai stuck her head in.
“He startled me,” was her answer to Goten’s inquiring look.
“Me too,” Hikaru said, coming in holding onto Ai’s hand.
“Ba-chan!” Keisuke cried when he turned his head to notice. Hikaru brightened and leaned to look around Goten, then the two ran around to her for hugs.
Goten reached over and rubbed Ai’s head slightly as she came to sit beside him.
Bra talked to the kids for a few minutes before she said, “You guys need to go back to bed.”
“Aww..” they muttered, but she took them back upstairs.
“You go too Ai. Plenty of time to run around in the morning.”
“G’night,” said, leaving Goten alone with his thoughts. He hadn’t really realized how parenting could be a full-time job with so many kids, since Ai was far less than a handful by herself. Oh well.
Bra came back down and insisted that he go to bed as well. Goten nodded slightly and propped his chin on a hand.
“I meant now,” she said and pulled him up, taking him upstairs. Goten allowed his arm to be draped over her shoulders since he nearly knocked over a large vase and a few more pieces of furniture.
“Look at you, you can’t even see straight. How do you expect to look after the kids?” Bra scolded as she took him into a guest room and sat him down on the edge of a bed.
“Look at you,” Goten returned, but didn’t really complete it until after a moment’s thought. “I remember last time I was living here and saw you, you were a little brat.”
“Uh! Tha-anks!” Bra mock-scowled, crossing her arms.
“You’re still really young,” he murmured. “But I think you’ll be a good mom someday; from what I’ve seen you’re great with the kids.” he yawned. “David’s lucky.”
“I’m not....” Bra paused, angling her head and her gaze met the wall to the side as her arms tightened. “I’m not marrying him.”
“Nani yo? Joudan darou?” Goten blinked up at her in consternation. “When did that happen?”
“I dunno, almost a week ago. I haven’t told Trunks-nii-chan yet.” She looked thoughtful. “I guess neither of us thought it would really work. We’re both always rushing around and we don’t get to spend that much time with each other.... I dunno,” she repeated.
“Baka na!” Goten exclaimed. “You don’t give up for that!”
“Hush up,” Bra told him, pushing him back toward the headboard. “You sleep.”
“Bra-chan...”
“Everything’s fine. Do what I say... or I’ll tell Trunks and my big brother will beat you up.” She grinned and Goten laughed slightly before nodding.
“Oyasumi nasai, Goten-chan.” He was already asleep, so Bra closed his door and went downstairs, reading a book till early morning when she fell asleep.

Trunks woke groggily sometime late in the morning hearing kids bounce and chatter on his bed.
“Hey you, you go away and you let me sleep,” Trunks insisted and turned over, feeling them immediately pounce on him.
“Tou-chan, Bra-ba-chan’s here! She made breakfast!” Keisuke messed up his hair as Hikaru bounced over and layed on him.
“Goten-san’s sick.”
“Mm.” Trunks closed his eyes and listened to the two chatter at each other for a few minutes. Then he said, “I think if you two are so energetic you should go to school.”
“Oh, Tou-chan, that’s a good -hack! Hack hack!- idea,” Hikaru said faking coughs. She nudged her brother and after a moment he began making exaggerated and unrealistic noises to the effect that he was dying of sickness.
“Uh-huh, you get lost and think of some better noises to make.” They tumbled off his bed, but in the hall he heard “Tou-chan’s awake!”
The door opened again and Bra came to take his temperature. “Nii-san, your kids are a handful.”
“Goten’s sick?”
“Mm-hmm. The kids are getting better, though.”
“This is bad news indeed.” Trunks murmured around the thermometer until she smacked him playfully and told him to keep still. She set on the table some juice and a little toast.
“I didn’t know how much you could eat, so...” She paused and took the thermometer away. “You’re at 99-8.”
“Bra-chan, how are the kids feeling?”
“I think they’re all better. I did the temp thing this morning and they were all normal, they just seem tired.” She smiled and brushed his hair from his face. “You need a haircut Nii-chan.”
“Why don’t you take them to go do something? They like spending time with you, and you’ve been busy lately. They’re already missing school.” He thought. “You’ve met Ai already, haven’t you.”
She nodded, seeming to indicate that ’kids’ included them all. “What will you and Goten do without me here, die?”
“We’ll be fine. I’m sorry you’re missing work time, but since you’re already here and all...” he grinned at her.
“Alright fine.” Bra handed him the juice and he drank it quietly while she rose and headed toward the door.
“Arigatou, Nee-chan. Have fun.”
“Ja Trunks-nii-chan.” She paused halfway out the doorway. “Did I tell you I’m not marrying David?”
Trunks shook his head, and Bra just nodded and left the room.
“Good, I didn’t like that creep anyway.” Trunks said shoving a piece of toast in his mouth.
Pretty soon Bra came to announce that she was taking the kids to a movie, and Trunks waved as she walked away. He listened for the sounds of the happy footsteps going down the stairs, and the door shutting as the left. The car started and puled away outside.
Trunks got up and wrapped a blanket around himself, feeling a little dizzy as he walked down the hall looking in the rooms. At last he saw a familiar lump in a bed and dropped his blanket by the door, throwing himself onto the lump, which grunted and shifted. Goten pulled the covers down off of his face, glaring flatly at Trunks.
“Ohayou, Chibi,” Trunks said, ignoring his expression and kissing him on the cheek. Goten rolled his eyes and then shifted his arms up around Trunks.
“Where is everybody?” Goten asked after a moment. “The house is quiet.”
“Bra took them, to a movie I think. They’re all better.”
“Of course, we’re not.” Goten said, allowing Trunks to nuzzle against him slightly.
“Oh well. It could just be an excuse to lay in bed together for a day or so,” Trunks murmured, getting comfortable.
“Not with them around. What would they say?”
“You mean you care?” Trunks opened his eyes and looked up at Goten. “You didn’t seem to care that it was odd before...”
“That was when I was sure it wouldn’t get this far!” Goten frowned slightly.
“I think they’ll be happy for us.” Trunks closed his eyes again, seeming rather sluggish.
“Who?”
“My mom and your dad, and probably the kids, then everybody else eventually.”
“You’re crazy. It would never work.”
“Did you used to think that, ten years ago?”
“You know I wouldn’t have gotten that far; I only knew that I wanted you back then, I didn’t care about another thing in the world.” Goten looked away.
//We’re still not there yet, are we Chibi?//
“Now we have kids to think about,” Goten continued. “Back then we could have done whatever we wanted, and if our parents didn’t like it then we could have left. But we couldn’t do that to the kids, going off somewhere. Besides, we’re making it sound like you and I could really have some kind of relationship, and we _can’t_ ,” Goten said. His voice was a little rough, and Trunks was unable to tell whether he believed that or was trying to convince them both.
“What do we have now?” Trunks asked, amused.
Goten looked into his warm blue eyes, and made a gesture with one hand as he glanced away. “A thing,” he described distractedly.
“A thing,” Trunks repeated. //You’re too funny Chibi.// “What kind of thing?”
“A thing where we..... I don’t know. It’s just not a real... thing.”
“Restrict your use of the adjective ‘thing’, will you please; I’m getting confused.”
Goten growled at him, turning over onto his side and making as if to ignore him.
“I’m sorry Chibi,” Trunks murmured in his ear, arms going around him and spooning Goten in front of him.
Goten sighed.
“I bet I know what will make you feel better.” Trunks tickled him gently until Goten smiled and turned to look at him.
“What’s that?” He asked suspiciously.
“Bath time.”
“Iie!” Goten insisted suddenly, staccato note turning it into ‘Iyah.’ “Not with you.”
“Hai.” Trunks gazed at him mischeivously. “Come on.”
Goten made a pretense of fighting him until Trunks picked him up and carried him into the bathroom. Goten leaned tiredly against Trunks and waited as the bath water ran.
“Get in,” Trunks told him. Goten sighed and did, and Trunks rolled up his sleeves and perched himself at the edge of the tub on his elbows. “The water feel cold?”
Goten nodded and leaned his head on Trunks’ shoulder. Trunks held him for a moment before reaching down into the water and bringing the sponge to Goten’s shoulder, water dripping down onto him.
“You look just like one of the kids with that look on your face,” Trunks noted. “Your _red_ face.”
“You go away,” Goten told him. “I can wash myself.” He pulled away, or tried to, but there really wasn’t much of anywhere he could go.
“You still upset with me, Goten-chan?” Trunks inquired.
Goten shrugged, and said no.
“I don’t believe you. I think you just put up with me ‘cause you’re sick and you have to.”
Goten shrugged again, and Trunks pulled him over again and finished washing him slowly. He threw a towel onto Goten’s head as the water drained, and said “You dry off and go to your room. I’ll bring you lunch.”
Goten seemed to lose a little of his ill-humor at the prospect of food. He nodded and grabbed the towel as Trunks left. //Bastard,// he thought idly. //I should kick his teeth in for some reason.//

Bra returned home with the kids a few hours later. They ran around the house hyper from candy and excitement, and Bra smirked slightly to herself. //Not my kids, I can spoil ‘em.//
Bra hung her coat and kicked slush from her shoes as she came in and the kids just abandoned coats and boots and ran around heedlessly. A servant came before Bra had even finished hanging her coat and was picking them up.
Bra climbed the staircase smirking as Keisuke chased Hikaru with a toy laser. Bra glanced in Trunks’ room, slightly surprised to find that he wasn’t in his bed.
“Of course, no way he’d stay put,” she muttered. When she reached the guest room, she looked in and found Goten sitting with his back against the pillows by the headboard, fast asleep with a tray across his lap. He was snoring slightly. Trunks lay at the foot of the bed, head on Goten’s feet which were under the covers, body perpendicular to Goten’s, also fast asleep.
//Hmm. Trunks looks like he’s already feeling better. Goten still looks sick.// Bra surveyed the scene for another moment, noting the contented look on Trunks’ face and the way his hand gripped one of Goten’s ankles.
//They look almost too happy,// something in her noted with a strange twinge. She sighed and moved over to brush Goten’s forehead with the back of her hand, feeling that he was still warm but seemed a little less so than before.
Goten’s eyes opened as he stretched his arms. “Your skin is cool,” he murmured.
“I just came in. It’s still cold out,” she said.
“‘M I still sick?”
Bra nodded. “Yup, you sure are.” He looked a little disappointed, but shrugged.
“Oh well, at least I get spoiled.”
“Yup, you sure do,” she laughed. He was red across the cheekbones, but the rest of his skin was a creamy color, paler than was usual for him. “You feeling okay?”
“Thirsty.”
“I’ll bring you a glass of water.” She turned to go, and Goten caught at her hand, thumb brushing across her knuckles as he looked at her sleepily.
“Thanks Bra-chan, for all the trouble you’ve gone to.”
“It’s fine, I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, turning and ignoring the beat his dark eyes made her heart skip.
//This is so strange....// Bra thought to herself as she went to get Goten some water. She brought a plate of cookies down into Akira’s reach for him distractedly, not even thinking that he shouldn’t be eating cookies so close to dinner. She went upstairs, hearing a crash in the other room downstairs while she was halfway up.
“It’s okay! It’s fine!!” Rei yelled loudly. Bra rolled her eyes and smiled, then pushed open the door to Goten’s room as she stopped by it. Goten was asleep once more when she walked in, so she left the water on the table, covered her brother with a blanket and closed the door to a crack behind her.

“Tou-chan!!” Trunks heard the shouts as he came home, his kids halfway in and out of uniform as they ran to him.
“Tou-chan, you free today?” Hikaru asked as he lifted the girl and gave her a peck on the cheek.
“Yeah, why?” Trunks asked, watching the others’ eyes become all shiny.
“We wanted to go do something.”
“What’d you have in mind?” He asked. Hikaru looked to them for help, but it seemed that she had been voted the one to ask him. The others followed as Trunks took Hikaru into the kitchen and sat her on the counter, grabbing a bottle of water and turning back to the small horde.
“Let’s go out and play, you know, at a place. A sport or something.”
Trunks thought about it; they had wanted to go to the new ice rink since before it opened.
“Hockey right?”
Hikaru grinned, and Trunks laughed. “Alright.”
Kaisuke cheered, and Rei suddenly added, “We want to bring Ai-chan.”
Trunks frowned. “I’ll call Goten-kun and see, but it is kind of last minute.”
Trunks went out to do that as the kids ran to get their ice skates. Actually, Akira and Hikaru wanted to play hockey. He knew Rei didn’t particularly care for it, that was probably why she wanted Ai. Keisuke didn’t usually care.
When Goten picked up the phone, Trunks greeted him.
“Oh, hey. Something up?” Goten asked.
“Not really. The kids wanted to go ice skating at the new rink, and I think Rei might cry and freeze her eyes shut if Ai-chan doesn’t go too. And of course, you could come if you want.”
Goten paused. “Ai-chan and I were going to go meet Bra for dinner.”
“If I talk her into going, will you come?”
“Of course,” Goten said after a moment. Trunks started to wonder if something was wrong. “I know Ai will be happy, she loves spending time with your kids.”
“Something the matter, Chibi?”
“No, why do you say that? Tonikaku, I’ll get her ready and you talk to Bra. Gotta go, I’ll meet you at Capsule Corp.”
“Alright...” Trunks said and hung up, determining to find out what was wrong with him.
Trunks dialed up Bra, who when she heard the arrangement, laughed and said, “Well, I guess I’ve got no choice now, have I?”
“Of course you do, Nee-chan,” Trunks said.
“Uh-huh, you know I can’t ice skate. Seeya later.”
Goten arrived first with Ai, who was wearing a new scarf. “Oi Trunks-kun,” he said mildly, and shook his coat on the front step slightly before coming in. Ai hung her coat as she also bid him hello, seeming not to want to take off the scarf. She walked away to find the others, and Trunks took Goten into the living room.
“What’s up with the scarf?” Trunks inquired.
Goten shrugged. “I guess she likes it, I just got it for her for no reason.” He looked up as he sat down, watching Trunks who was regarding him closely. “What?”
“I wanna know what’s up with you Chibi. You sound strange today.” Trunks said.
“Nothing, just tired I guess.” //I don’t honestly know. It just feels strange spending so much time around the kids, with him, pretending there’s nothing going on.//
Trunks didn’t seem to believe him, coming over to sit beside him on the couch, and he leaned over and placed a kiss in Goten’s snow-flecked hair. “Try again.”
“Cut that out,” Goten said quietly, pushing him back. “You want them to see us?”
Trunks raised his eyebrows. “I honestly don’t care,” he said. But he moved back and gave Goten some space. He had been like that ever since they’d all gotten over being sick, like he was trying to decide something and wanted Trunks out of his hair, only he wouldn’t come out and say that.
“Y’know,” Bra said as she entered the room unexpectedly, “I’ve never ever been good at skating of _any_ kind.”
“We’ll help you. You know the kids try to teach you every time.”
“I’m afraid to try, ‘cause they couldn’t catch me if I fell,” she retorted. Trunks kissed his sister on the cheek and went to gather the kids.
“I’m...” Goten stood and shrugged. “Sorry, Bra-chan.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry, I love the kids,” Bra insisted, catching one of said short people as he ran up to her.
“Ah well,” Goten said with a smile.
It seemed like forever until they could don their skates, during which time the kids danced in expectation. As soon as they were laced up they took off, Hikaru and Akira commandeering a small area for their game as Keisuke half-tumbled, half-ran over the ice hanging onto his sister’s jacket and laughing. Trunks took off after them being the first laced up, and helped Rei stand Keisuke up to re-instruct him in skating.
“You gotta admit, he’s done a great job with the kids, hasn’t he.” Bra commented.
“Yeah, he certainly has,” Goten replied, pausing to watch Keisuke grab onto Trunks’ leg as he was about to fall.
“Are you going to help me skate, Son Goten?”
“Of course,” he replied with a grin. “Seems like I owe you a favor anyways.”
Bra stood, and Goten was quick to grab her arm as she wobbled.
“Also seems like a girl who can fly both by herself and fly aircars should be able to skate in a snap.”
“I wouldn’t know, I never have time to do this stuff,” Bra said, making a face as Goten took her out onto the ice. “I’m a businesswoman, y’know? And I never bothered to learn it as a kid, ‘cause I can fly. I kinda thought I missed my chance.”
“Nah, there’s always room for skating.” Goten teased. “Come on, stand up.”
“This feels strange...”
“Of course it does. Balance the bottoms of your feet over the blade, and try to act like you’re standing normally.”
Bra readjusted her feet and Goten started to move, taking her along by the grip on her arm. Hikaru hit a puck past Akira and Goten stopped it and kicked it back with one foot.
“You know how skates work? You put all your force on the width of the blade. There’s so much pressure it liquidates the ice under you for a split second and you glide on water.” Goten said as he looked around at all the people.
“Now I have to swim too?!” Bra joked, and Ai slid past and around them in a circle as if it were second nature. “Looks like Ai-chan’s pretty good at this.”
“We used to go to the rink in Kyoto,” Ai volunteered. “It’s fun once you learn, Bra-san.” She skated away toward where Rei was doing large lazy circles and the two paced each other, chattering. They made movements every now and again that seemed to suggest they were interested in the technique of performing martial arts moves on the ice.
//Uh-oh....// Goten thought. “There you go,” he told Bra, “Expert opinion.”
Bra paused at his admittedly thin humor and smiled at him.
Trunks came up to pace them, Keisuke on his shoulder. “Saiyan’s don’t skate, I guess.” Trunks said joking at their speed. Bra stuck her tongue out at him.
Keisuke had a red mark on one side of his face, which was probably why he was on his father’s shoulder and not on the ice. He stuck his tongue out too.
“Careful,” Goten warned him, “It could freeze that way.” He was rewarded by Keisuke’s fearful expression as his tongue hid in his mouth again, gloved hands slapping across to keep it in.
“Think of it as flying, Bra-chan,” Trunks advised.
“Exactly,” Goten agreed. “In fact, you can fly. Just right above the ice, see, and put more pressure on it as you go.”
Bra frowned, and started with the idea, gaining just the most barely distinguishable height.
“Gotta keep some pressure on the ground or you’ll never learn to move your legs the right way.” Trunks swung Keisuke down as he said this.
“I wanna fly,” Keisuke muttered petulantly.
“We’ll see if you can, when you’re older,” Trunks told him soothingly.
“Can the others?” Goten asked in curiosity.
“Rei can if she’s been practicing. I haven’t really spoken to the twins about it. I don’t think I could deal with four flying kids if they act like we did at that age. But pretty soon I’ll find out.” He held his son steady and moved off, holding him straight as he glided over the ice, getting him to move his feet.
Goten noticed Bra was moving a lot easier. “You been putting your feet down?”
She glanced at him almost guiltily. She slowed down then, and he could tell she just had.
“You’re just like the kids,” he teased. Bra grinned ruefully and shrugged.
Trunks glanced at the two of them from across the rink. Bra held onto Goten’s arm, and the two laughed over something. Trunks pushed back a pang of irrational jealousy and turned his attention back to Keisuke.
“Come on Bra-chan.” Goten urged as she began to use less of her cheating methods, and began to skate. “Over to the wall by Akira, and back. If you don’t do it, I won’t help you anymore.”
“Aww,” she complained but went slowly, only stopping by running into the wall with a palm.
“Well, we’ll work on stopping later.”
Bra seemed invigorated by her success, and came across the ice faster on the way back. Unfortunately, she slipped and would have ended up with her face buried in the ice if Goten hadn’t caught her against him awkwardly.
As he laughed at her, she glared up at him. “My father would die if he saw me embarrass myself like this.”
Goten laughed harder and stood her onto her feet. “Baby,” he teased and put his hands on her waist. “Come on, you want to go faster?” He pulled her along with him as he pushed off from the spot near the wall, keeping only one hand around her as he taught her to lean into the turns.
The first time he took her around a turn she brought them both down, herself flat out on her back on the ice and Goten down onto his rear, laughing and complaining.
“You guys look funny,” Rei teased as she slid by, hands behind her back.
Goten pulled Bra to sit up. “Next lesson, getting up without falling back down. Just so you know how to do it.”
“Goten, I don’t wanna learn that!” She flushed with embarrassment.
Goten stood and laughed down at her some more.
Bra glared at him and levitated until she could put her legs straight under her again.
“Cut it out!” Goten cried and grabbed her by the arms, pushing her down firmly until her feet touched the ice again. “You want someone to see you do that?”
“Should I care?” She asked, crossing her arms. “It’s their fault if they can’t fly.”
“Normal people don’t fly! You’re not normal!”
“We having a problem?” Trunks asked, pausing on a trip past. He was holding Akira and Rei by the hands.
“Bra cheated!” Goten said, telling on her mercilessly. “She levitated up!”
“Bra-chan, where’s your spirit?” Trunks half-frowned at her, laughing.
“It’s been frozen,” she insisted. “I’m getting better. You,” she pointed accusingly at Goten. “Tell him I’m getting better.”
“Yes ma’am,” Goten said with a laugh and skated around the two kids, who reached up and grabbed onto his arms.
“I’m going to hurt him.”
“Bra-chan, you’re such a princess.” Trunks teased and took her by the hand. Goten stopped and lifted his arms, one kid dangling from each one.
“I guess that means we’ve traded?” Goten asked with a laugh.
“I guess,” Trunks replied.
“I’m sorry, Bra-chan,” Goten said, skating close and brushing an airy kiss on her cheek. “Don’t be mad at me.”
She reached out and swiped at him, but nearly fell on her face instead.
Trunks laughed. “There’s another reason to know how to skate, besides the fact that Goten would never let you live it down; you can kick his butt as soon as you can skate.”
“I can kick his butt now! It’s just not fair now cause I’d fly down his throat and we’re on the ice.”
Goten stood back just out of arm’s reach and made faces at her.
“And to think, a grown man acting like that,” Bra said as Goten skated away with the kids.
Trunks frowned slightly. //I think it’s cute.// “Ah well, Bra-chan, you know him.”
“Yeah.” Trunks draped an arm around her shoulders in a brotherly fashion, and she held onto him partly holding herself up. “He never changes, you know?”
“Mm.”
“I kinda feel weird,” she admitted. “But it must be because David went back to America and we broke it off.”
“You mean you _like_ Goten?”
“I used to, a long time ago.” She said slowly. “Even back then he was hopeless.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can’t you tell?” Bra asked, looking up at him, and Trunks glanced across the ring where Goten had restarted the abandoned hockey game, and everyone was in this time.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” he admitted.
“Goten was so in love with you then. I used to wish he felt that way about me.”
“Goten?” Trunks looked back and forth from Goten and Bra, saying “I could see it now, but not back then.”
“I could always tell when you did something for him, just because, gave him something or said something that made him happy. I wished he would look at me like that. I always wondered why you never saw it. Years later I learned there was nothing in your eyes but Marron.”
Trunks felt guilty suddenly. //Come on, how was I supposed to know? He never told me. I guess I just feel bad that I never even noticed.//
“I don’t know what you-”
“Come off it, Nii-chan. Bra shifted against him affectionately. “I had a moment there but I know I couldn’t be happy with him. To him I’m as much his little sister as I am yours. He still looks at you that way, only he doesn’t do it when you look at him anymore, ‘cause you’d know what it was. He waits until you turn around.”
“...” Trunks couldn’t find any words for that. He negotiated them around a turn as Bra continued.
“You always wanted him to pay attention to you, that’s what you needed from him. I always thought that deep down where you yourself never realized it was there, part of you loved him too, and you wanted him to be with you as much as he did. Only, the rest of you squashed it down cause he was a guy and he was your friend, and it was buried under what you felt for Marron. But I think he needs you, Nii-chan,” she finished softly.
“You’re crazy, Bra-chan.”
“You know I’m right. You most definitely need _him_ . You’ve always needed him.”
“If you’ve finished dispensing romantic advice for the day?”
“Not quite. I have an idea.”

“Okay,” Bra said to the five red-cheeked kids in the kitchen as Trunks and Goten left to hang up everybody’s coats. “We’re going to play a game, how ‘bout it?”
“Sounds cool,” Akira mumbled through his doughnut. “What game?”
“This is going to be a good one. We make your dad think you disappeared. Before he gets back, we sneak out of the house, of course, you’ll be carefully supervised by me,” she made a grand gesture toward herself, “so no one gets in trouble later.”
Keisuke giggled uncontrollably at the thought.
“And while we’re out, we get ice cream and go to my place to play video games!” Bra said, which got them all onto her side.
Trunks watched out one of the windows as Bra and the kids ‘snuck’ out to the car. He leaned out to where only his sister could see him and gave her the circle of finger and thumb for her quick work.
As the car pulled away Trunks went down to the cellar and grabbed a bottle. He climbed the stairs and closed the door, going to where Goten was sitting in the livingroom, surveying the bruising to his leg with a frown.
As he heard movement in the doorway he pulled his pant leg back down and sat up. He seemed surprised to see Trunks there though, and watched him carefully as he set down the bottle.
“I bought this before the wedding... and before you left for Kyoto twelve years ago.”
“It wasn’t ten? You said ten.”
“I was rounding.”
“Twelve years...” The number was frighteningly big to Goten.
“Marron and I were going to save it for a special occasion, but it never came. What do you say?” Trunks gave him a grin, not-quite-shy, but as close as he ever came.
“Why’s now special?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you can tell me later on.” Trunks abandoned it by the door and approached him, standing in front of him for a moment before reaching down to pull Goten to his level.
“Trunks, what are you...” Goten sounded tired.
“You know...” Trunks began, and he reached up to pull Goten by the arms, until they looked directly back and forth into each other’s eyes. “I figured you would get mad at me.”
“Nani?” Goten blinked.
“All that fighting and stalling, so I could finish what I couldn’t fit into my sixty seconds. What I wanted to say to you. And all I needed was a few more seconds.” Trunks tried to damp down his grin but it didn’t work.
“And what was that, exactly.” Goten’s gaze narrowed.
“I..” Trunks looked down, shrugged, then up at him again. “I love you.”
He watched as Goten’s eyes widened and he leaned back in disbelief. Trunks wouldn’t let him go very far.
“I... I-”
“Shh,” Trunks told him softly; he could see Goten was at a loss for words.
“Trunks,” Goten said, raising his head. “Where are the kids?”
“They’re gone.”
“Where’s Bra?”
“Helping me. Showing me the light you may say. She’s gone too.”
“And where...” Goten flushed. The question would sound dumb. “Where are you?”
“I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere.” Trunks leaned forward and brushed his lips over Goten’s cheekbone, feeling the unaccustomed warmth of his blush. “Where are you?”
“I’m...” Goten paused, then gave him a bit of a grin. “I’m looking at you. And I like what I see.”
Pleased with the answer beyond what he could say, Trunks took the dark-haired one into his arms and laid a light kiss on his mouth. Goten took a breath, and Trunks kissed him again, a real kiss that sealed their lips and bodies tightly together.
Goten melted willingly against him, feeling a thousand sensations course through his body. //Impossible. No way this could happen... it’s too perfect...//
“I’ll admit it,” Trunks said softly as he pulled his mouth from Goten’s. “Watching you and her in the rink, I felt a little jealous for a minute.”
“Just a minute?” Goten sounded disappointed.
“The whole time we were there, I’ll admit that too. Then she talked to me, and...” He paused. “Were you _trying_ to make me jealous, you dirty little _monkey_?” Trunks shook him a bit.
Goten laughed and broke from his grasp, running from the room and up the stairs. Trunks ran after him, right up into the master bedroom, where Goten spun around behind him and barred the door shut, grabbing the key from the table and locking it, then tossing it aside. Trunks noticed that his breathing was a little shaky, like he’d exerted himself more than he had. But he gave Trunks a grin and his dark eyes shone.
Trunks looked him over from where he stood appreciatively. His expression was a little flushed, from their flirting and the running, and all in all he looked dark and inviting. Trunks crossed his arms, and Goten asked him what he was wearing that expression for.
Trunks didn’t bother to answer. He sat down on the bed and patted it beside him. Goten paused and looked at his face closely. He sat down, and laid back as Trunks did.
It was kind of nice taking their time, and Trunks moved to lay against his side, arm draping over him.
Goten sighed and said suddenly, “Aw damn. We left the champagne downstairs.”
“You think we need it?” Trunks asked in amusement.
“Yeah, I know what you mean, but you’re kind of fun drunk...” Goten smirked at the ceiling.
Trunks leaned over and nipped at his neck once, prompting Goten’s gaze to find his. “I’ve never played with you drunk...” he teased, one fingertip tapping his chest.
“Will it suffice if I said I was drunk on you?” Goten asked and rolled over onto him, wrapping their bodies into a spindle of warmth and limbs. His mouth returned the interesting sensation of being bitten, but decided he would have more fun otherwise, and he left a warm trail along Trunks’ neck with his tongue.
His face drew away just far enough to look down into Trunks’ passion-dialated eyes, and Trunks gazed up at him silently for a moment before he murmured, “Bra was right about you.”
“How’s that?” Goten asked, swallowing as though trying to rid himself of the unaccountably husky tone.
“You were watching me all the time, and I just didn’t see it.”
“Damn straight,” Goten murmured and leaned down, tongue darting along the underside of his love’s chin, leaving him shivering. Trunks grabbed his face and brought it up to kiss him, and Goten indulged him for a moment before pulling away. “No, you cut that out. I’m in charge here.”
“I can change that.”
“No you can’t,” Goten told him quite seriously and tickled him until he was begging for it to stop.
“You beg well, for a prince.” Goten murmured with a grin. “What else can we make you beg for?”
“Never had to beg before. You plan on making me?”
“I think you would be easy to break,” Goten replied with his still-indulgent smile. “And if you prove yourself fun, I’ll give you a reward.”
“Hmm, the idea of a Son Goten reward...”
“Trunks, trust me. The begging will be worth it.” He examined Trunks’ face closely, something he had not really paused to do before. There were a few more wrinkles than ever before. Goten knew the same was true with him, but the last twelve years had been difficult enough for him that he knew he’d earned every one. Trunks was still beautiful to his eyes. “I love you.”
Trunks only smiled.
*~*~*~*~ Oshimai ^_^