Goten watched from behind his book as Trunks laughed and joked with his friends. He was jealous. He remembered when Trunks used to hang around with him. When they were younger, they were inseparable. But things change. Now that they were in high school, Goten was old news, yesterdays dirty gym socks, easily disposed of. It made him feel like crap. One minute they were friends and the next minute, bam you're outta here.

Trunks was still the over confident cool guy that Goten remembered from childhood. It was Goten who had changed. He was a nerd plain and simple. He studied way too much and made straight A's. He'd never been on a date, much less kissed a girl. And his mom was constantly popping up at school and embarrassing the crap out of him. It was no wonder nobody wanted to hang around him anymore.

It might almost be all right that Trunks barely spoke to him anymore, if it weren't for one little fact. Goten had fallen in love with him. When they were little they were just best friends. But now there was that rift between them. And watching Trunks from afar was what really sealed Goten's grave. The watching and knowing that he could no longer touch was what made Trunks that much more desirable.

Goten sighed and banged his head against his trigonometry book. It was totally hopeless. He was totally hopeless. Life was so cruel!

"Hey you!" Someone said.

Goten ignored it, they probably weren't talking to him anyway. People hardly ever spoke to him unless they wanted him to do their homework.

Someone knocked on his textbook. He lowered it and looked up at a group of upperclassmen. They smirked down at him. The apparent leader sat down across from Goten.

"You used to be friends with that Trunks kid right?" he asked.

Goten stared at the guy.

"Look, just answer the question, yes or no," he demanded.

"Yes," Goten found himself responding.

"Good, we need some inside info on him and you're going to help us," the guy instructed.

"That's what you think," Goten replied putting his book in front of his face again.

"No, that's what I know!" the guy said knocking the book from Goten's hands and grabbing him by the collar. Goten struggled in his grip. He'd faced guys bigger than this, but he wasn't supposed to fight at school. And besides, somewhere inside of him there was a place where he was afraid of this guy. Goten dangled in his grip choking as his air supply was cut off. The guy pulled back his meaty fist and aimed it at Goten's face. "You better cough up some dirty secrets now before I rearrange your face," the guy ordered.

Goten coughed, but that was about it. He tried to raise his hands to get the guy off him but without oxygen even he was helpless. Luckily someone decided to intervene. Just as Goten's vision began to black out he heard a familiar voice. He couldn't recognize it from so far away. He hoped that it was a friend as oxygen deprivation claimed him.

He awoke to the feel of lips on his and a pressure on his chest.

"Breathe damn it!" someone muttered.

He recognized the voice. It was Trunks. What a wonderful thing to hear, he thought before he slipped back into the gray.

"No! You have to breathe!" Trunks commanded.

Goten was tired. He just didn't feel like it.

"Fight damn you! You're stronger than this! Don't let some school yard bully beat you! You've faced worse. Fight it you bastard!" Trunks yelled.

Everything was fading when a shock went through his body. He convulsed helplessly. His eyes flew open and his lungs pulled in air. He began to cough wildly. He turned to his side and emptied his stomach contents on someone's shoe. Then he sagged back down onto the ground.

"Goten."

Goten looked over to where Trunks knelt.

"Yes?" he wheezed.

"What the hell happened?" Trunks demanded.

"They wanted information," Goten managed.

"What kind of information?" Trunks asked.

"Your dirty secrets," Goten answered.

"And what did you tell them?" Trunks demanded harshly eyes flashing.

"Nothing! I didn't tell them anything," Goten replied.

"Liar!" Trunks hissed. "You told them . . ."

"Told them what?!" Goten asked.

"You know what you told them," Trunks retorted.

"I didn't say anything!" Goten insisted.

Trunks slapped him across the face. "Don't you lie to me. I am your prince!" Trunks said.

Goten stared at him in disbelief. Trunks had never hit him outside of a spar and he had never held his royal heritage against him before. His cheek throbbed where Trunks hand had connected with his face. His eyes stung and tears began to leak out.

"Are you crying?" Trunks questioned.

"No," Goten replied dashing the tears from his eyes with his fist.

"You are," Trunks confirmed. He smirked at Goten. "Don't lie to me. You are a pathetic excuse for a Saiyan. Even the lowest warriors do not cry. And yet here you are sniveling like a child. If you insist on sniveling you may as well do it at my feet."

Goten turned away, trying to deny the situation. He was struck again.

"Don't you turn your back on me," Trunks growled.

Goten turned back slowly. Fearfully.

"W-what do you want from me?" Goten pleaded.

"I want you to hurt," Trunks said simply before he struck Goten once more.

Goten was going into total shock. There were so many people around watching his humiliation. And it was caused by one who had been his best friend in the world. By one that he loved. Someone he would do anything for. Anything, except sit around and take this abuse. And so he escaped, the only way he could think of, into himself. Goten slumped lifelessly to the ground as he retreated into his mind. Trunks sneered at the fallen figure but deep inside of him something was screaming.

"Trunks!" the air vibrated with the harsh roar.

Trunks looked up to see his father and Goku flying up. People scattered as the two landed. Goku rushed to his fallen son and cradled him in his arms gently. Vegeta stomped up to his own son.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Vegeta yelled.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Trunks spat. "I'm putting a common subject in his place."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You may have my blood in your veins but that does not give you the right to do this!"

"Why not?! You do whatever you want to. It's my turn. I'm sick and tired of putting up with him, his blabbing mouth was the last straw." Trunks yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Vegeta demanded.

"He was spreading lies about me!" Trunks retorted.

"How do you know? Who told you?" Vegeta asked.

"Because I do!" Trunks screamed.

"Vegeta!" Goku called out.

Vegeta turned to Goku. Goten was spasming wildly in his arms. Vegeta ran to them and put a hand on Goku's shoulder as a tear slid from Goku's eye.

"This is not over," Vegeta hissed venomously before he, Goku and Goten teleported away.

Trunks stood in the middle of the abandoned schoolyard staring at the spot his father just vacated. Staring at the place where Goten had been moments before, something inside of him broke.

Trunks awoke in a strange place. He appeared to be in a cave. How he got there, he didn't know. The last thing he remembered was standing in the middle of an empty schoolyard. Then memories began to batter him, fast and furiously. He cried out in agony grabbing his head to keep it in one piece. What had he done? Something terrible. Something so wrong that it caused him pain. He opened his mouth to scream, but even the simple act of breathing was too much.

"So, you finally get your punishment."

Trunks looked up to see his father standing above him. Trunks attempted to make a noise but he couldn't. Instead he pleaded for answers with his eyes.

"You haven't been training. You've been slacking off. You've also been avoiding Goten," Vegeta stated.

Trunks barely managed an affirmative nod.

"Your pride got the better of you then. Every Saiyan must use their strength regularly or else it will build up. The more it builds up, the worse the resulting outburst. And let me tell you for the record that yours was bad," Vegeta informed him.

Trunks winced.

"Usually the release of temper is caused by our pride. Even the smallest grievance, real or imagined will set the temper off on a victim." Trunks flinched at the word victim.

"Most Saiyans will release their anger on anyone who happens to anger them. But there are some Saiyans who will only attack a special type of person. You see, there are fine lines between love and hate. When power builds up it blurs the lines and one can easily cross from love to absolute hatred. You, my son, definitely crossed that line today. You crossed from love to hate. Do you want to know why you are in pain?" Vegeta asked.

Trunks managed to shake his head no.

"The only Saiyans who cross that line like that are ones with very strong emotional ties. They are attached to their victim by thin threads of destiny. The threads link them together and are the highest most sacred type of bonds," Vegeta looked down at Trunks. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked.

Trunks' thoughts were a whirl and the words were not connecting into fully formed thoughts. He shook his head.

"It's means that you just attacked your soul mate," Vegeta informed him coldly.

Trunks froze. He had a single moment of perfect clarity. He had a soul mate. It was Goten. And he had hurt him. Then the waves of pain crashed down on him with a vengeance. He finally managed to cry out in pain.

"Do you know why you hurt?" his father asked. "It is because for every injury you inflict on your soul mate. You feel the feedback. You are feeling Goten's pain. However, your pain is but a mere shadow, a whisper compared to the agony he is in. Luckily for him, the pain was too great to stay conscious. You are not so lucky though."

Trunks fought to gain his voice. "W-what c-can I d-do?" He asked.

"Haven't you done enough?" Vegeta asked.

"T-to help-p," Trunks wheezed.

"I don't know, I've never done this to my soul mate," Vegeta replied.

Trunks cried out in anguish.

"I do have a theory of course," Vegeta commented.

Trunks looked up at him desperately.

"You raised your hand against Goten in absolute hatred with intent to cause serious harm. I believe that to relieve your pain you must act in absolute love with the intent to pleasure and heal," Vegeta said.

Trunks digested the information. "H-help me?" Trunks asked.

"I will help you," his father said as he bent over to pick Trunks up off the floor.

Vegeta carried Trunks into a room where Goten lay nude and sweating on the bed. Goku looked up with a worried expression on his face. Vegeta lay Trunks out on the bed next to Goten. Trunks cringed when he saw Goten's pale complexion and the sweat pouring off his skin. Vegeta put a hand on Goku's shoulder and they both left the room, closing the door behind them. Trunks reigned in the pain in his head as best he could, trying to clear his mind for the task that lay ahead of him.

Trunks took a moment to study Goten's body, as he never had before. He did have a wonderful body but now it was covered in sweat and shivering as his body burned up. Goten's neck was mottled with bruises and his cheeks bore large handprints. Trunks raised a hand and gently stroked Goten's sweat beaded brow. His skin was burning up. Trunks looked over on the bedside table where a little bowl of ice water and a washcloth were sitting. He reached over and retrieved the cold cloth. He began to gently bathe Goten's face with the cold water. Then he began to caress Goten's sweating body with the cloth. Goten began to stir as the frigid feeling roused him from his pain.

Trunks discarded the cloth in the bowl in favor of an ice cube. He pressed the ice cube to Goten's burning skin. Goten hissed in reaction. Trunks trailed the cube around Goten's nipples watching them shrink in reaction to the temperature. He leaned forward and began to gently nibble on one, flicking it with his tongue and warming it up once more. Trunks continued to move the melting ice down Goten's body and over his flat stomach, causing a slight shiver to run through him. As he watched the ice melt over Goten's body he himself began to feel overheated. He sat up and stripped out of his clothes throwing them off the bed. He grabbed the wet cloth and drizzled the cold water down his chest to cool himself off. A groan from Goten made him look up. Goten was starting to wake up a little bit. His eyes were slitted open and he was licking his dry lips.

Trunks leaned down next to Goten's face. "Goten," he whispered softly. "Goten are you awake?"

Goten groaned and blinked at him.

"Goten I'm sorry I hurt you but I'm going to make it all better alright," Trunks told him.

Trunks saw a flash of understanding in Goten's eyes and leaned down to kiss him softly. Trunks ran his hands over Goten's damp body whispering soothing words the whole time. Goten squirmed under his soft touches and caresses. Goten lifted his hand to return the favor but Trunks stopped him.

"No, this is for you. I hurt you and I will make it right. Please let me do this for you," Trunks implored.

Goten sighed and relaxed back into the pillows. Trunks resumed his explorations of Goten's body, but this time with his mouth and tongue. He made his way down Goten's overheated body until he reached Goten's impressive erection. He looked at it standing proud and licked his lips. He leaned forward and took the tip into his mouth. Goten whimpered as Trunks began to suck. Trunks focused his thoughts as he pleasured Goten. He needed to approach this with absolute love and the intent to pleasure and heal. He didn't want to cause Goten any pain at all and so he decided that he would give himself to Goten. Decision made he pulled back and looked up at Goten.

"Goten," he whispered. Goten looked up at him. "I love you," Trunks said as he straddled Goten's waist.

He positioned Goten's slick erection at his entrance and slowly sat down. He shut his eyes tight against the pain. But even that passing pain could not combat with the torment that still beat in his head. Finally he was fully impaled by Goten's length. Goten reached up and caressed his face, which clearly showed his feelings. Trunks kissed the fingertips that brushed by his lips. When he was a little more comfortable with the thickness that was filling him, he lifted up again. As he slid back down the length inside of him brushed up against a spot that gave off intense pleasure. Trunks moaned as he slid down upon it again.

Trunks put his hands on Goten's firm chest as he pushed himself up faster. Goten put a hand on his hip and stared up into his eyes as Trunks gave himself to the one he loved. Trunks could feel himself nearing ecstasy and as if sensing it, Goten moved his hand to Trunks' erection. Trunks lost himself in passion. His body tightened and he cried out splashing his seed all over Goten's chest. He could feel Goten's release rushing into his body and in that moment something clicked. All the pain was gone. The echo from Goten was still there however and he had the strange double feeling of being both himself and being Goten. He was being impaled and at the same time he was in himself. Liquid fire ran through his veins and he collapsed onto Goten's chest panting.

Goten hugged Trunks limp body tightly. "I love you," he whispered, brushing violet strands of hair from Trunks' face.

"I'm sorry," Trunks whispered. "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault!"

"Shh," Goten hushed him with a kiss. "I forgive you. I understand. Just sleep now love, we'll talk about it later."

Trunks nodded as he faded off into sleep with his head cushioned on Goten's chest listening to his steady heartbeat. Goten stroked Trunks' soft violet hair a while longer before he too succumbed to sleep.

Vegeta and Goku peeked into the room where their sleeping sons lay.

"Were we ever like that Vegeta?" Goku asked.

"No, Kakarroto, we were lucky. Neither of us ever crossed the line. We were close, but you are stronger than that." Vegeta said.

"What about you? You're strong too," Goku pointed out.

"Because you are my strength," Vegeta answered pulling Goku in for a kiss.

The End!