Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ All You Wanted ❯ All You Wanted ( One-Shot )

A/N: This is just a sappy little shounen-ai (sort of) Truten fic, written for The Vault's songfic contest and dedicated to all my fellow Pervs. Major shouts out to Raven for beta-ing, and to Nalan Li for inspiring me to write this fic months ago in the first place. They're two of the biggest Truten fans I know. ^_^ Arigato!

I had much fun writing it, since it's a lot lighter than my norm, so enjoy!

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Disclaimer:

Roses are red, violets are blue.

These characters don't belong to me, so please don't sue!

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All You Wanted

By Pareathe

~I wanted to be like you, I wanted everything

So I tried to be like you, and I got swept away~

There he is, walking out the glass double-doors like the poster boy of corporate excellence; one hand stuffed into the pocket of pleated grey slacks, the other slipping on a pair of nondescript sunglasses before moving inside his sport coat. He stops amid the flow of bodies moving like a swarm out of the skyscraper which houses Capsule Corporation's business office, and turns his back to the wind, brushing a few stubborn lavender strands out of his face. He nods occasionally as someone pats him on the back, or calls out a greeting that I can't hear from my place at the bottom of the steps.

He'd probably blend in perfectly with all those suit-and-tie guys rushing home at the end of the day, if it weren't for one crucial detail: he's a prince, and you don't have to know his father or his heritage to figure it out.

Everything about him screams royalty, from the way he keeps his back straight even when he's bowing his head, to the way a change in his expression can make his subordinates go from slacking around the water cooler, to working their asses off for him in an instant. Best of all, they all look at him like he hung the moon, no matter what he does.

Then again, I can't really blame them. He's been hanging mine since I was two.

Damn, he must've had a bad day; combat of the boardroom variety's the only thing which stresses him out so much that he takes advantage of the cigarette machine in the lobby. Guess it's lucky what's-her-name wasn't able to meet me for our date after all...

It's the biggest difference between him and me. He doesn't even have to try, and all the women surround him-some more discreetly than others-just waiting for the day when he'll be ready to turn in his bachelorhood, and inaugurate a princess into the Brief hierarchy.

~I didn't know that you were so cold, and

You needed someone to show you the way~

For me, keeping a roster of possible bridal candidates takes a hell of an effort, but hey, anything to keep `kaasan off my back, and him from having one up on me. Not like I'm competing with him; I couldn't, even if I wanted to. Which, oddly enough, I don't.

I've never wanted to be better than Trunks at...well, anything, actually. When I was a kid, I always told him I was gonna be stronger and faster than him, but we both knew it wasn't true. More than anything, I just wanted to be with him, even if it meant walking a step behind all the time. After all, it's hard to really appreciate the moon if it's not above you.

Halfway down the steps, he pauses, tilting his head down and peering over the tops of the dark lenses. Then he grins, and tosses the cigarette down, crushing it out with the toe of his shoe. It's kinda funny to see the cluster of women a few feet in front of me start giggling and nudging each other as he starts taking the remaining steps in twos.

Sorry ladies, but that one's reserved. Maybe next time, neh? It's bound to happen eventually, sooner rather than later if Bulma-san has her way about it, the day I see that same mischievous smile given to someone other than me.

It's actually pretty funny, the way those girls lunge at him, only to be pushed through with little more than vague acknowledgment. I think every one of them got at least two inches shorter when he blew them off. Hm, I guess they were all standing on their tippy-toes.

~So I took your hand, and we figured out that

When the tide comes, I'll take you away~

Damned shame, really, to think of all the phone numbers he just turned down. But they'll be there again tomorrow, so I guess it doesn't really matter in the long run.

I flash a smile of my own at them for good measure, then turn my attention to him. "So how's life at the office, Mister President?"

He snorts, and throws an arm over my shoulder as we step onto the sidewalk, seemingly oblivious to the jealous glares and whispers I hear coming from the ranks of the recently rejected behind us. "Fuck you. At least I'm not a slacker."

"I'm not a slacker," I protest in my most offended tone, which is as severely lacking as ever. "I just haven't found my niche yet."

"The technical term is chronically unemployed," he answers with a laugh. "I'll trade ya. You can play referee to a bunch of old geezers bitching back and forth across a table, and I'll sit on my ass and eat Cheetos all day."

"Hold on, Trunks-kun. Whatever you may think of me, you better leave the Cheetos out of it!"

"Yeah, yeah, Kami forbid if someone dares to insult food in front of a Son."

"Damn straight," I answer, followed almost immediately by a loud grumble from below. I chuckle and rub the back of my neck before I even realize what I'm doing. "Speaking of food..."

"You're so much like Goku-san sometimes, it's fucking scary, you know that?" Then he throws me a smirk that'd make Vegeta-san proud. "Then again, Chichi-san would probably eat her frying pan before she let you be as dense as your dad, neh?"

~If you want to, I can save you

I can take you away from here~

"Now who's acting like his father?"

He nods, his pastel locks falling into his face again. "You know how `tousan is. The best way to gauge his affection is by counting how many times he insults a person in a single day."

True enough. "So if it's really `like father, like son', does that mean I shouldn't take it personally when you put me down?" I ask, the question more rhetorical than anything. Since I wasn't really expecting a response, his breath tickling my ear all of a sudden catches me off-guard and makes me shiver.

"Hai, I always mean it in the best...possible...way."

Strange...I get the feeling I'm missing something important.

My stomach growls again, bringing an end to our banter, and he stops and raises an eyebrow at me. "So now I have to wonder if you didn't just show up today so I'd buy you a meal."

"Iie, I was actually supposed to meet someone, but she cancelled at the last minute, so since I was already in the neighborhood..." I shrug, letting the rest go.

"So that's what happened," he mumbles, although, if I didn't know better, I'd almost think that was a flash of disappointment I saw. Eh, it was probably just a shadow or something, `cause he looks normal now, and he gives my shoulder a squeeze.

"Ah well, I'll take you however I can get you."

~So lonely inside, so busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cares~

Whoa...I mean, I know we haven't been hanging out like we used to, especially now that he's taken over the bulk of the load at Capsule Corps., but still... I'm getting that feeling I had a second ago again, ballooning in my gut, telling me something's bothering him, just like when we were kids. Or it could just be because I haven't eaten since lunch.

"C'mon, you act like you haven't seen me in months!" I tease, elbowing him in the ribs.

"It would've been three months next week," he mutters, and I'd probably think he was pulling my leg, except for the dead serious expression on his face. Only a second passes before his features soften, and he ruffles my hair. "But it doesn't matter now, so what'd you say we get a shit load of take-out, and head to that lake by your house?"

It's been ages since we've done that, and if we hurry, we may even make it before the sun sets. "Sounds like a plan to me, so long as you're buying."

"Of course," he agrees matter-of-factly. "Don't I always take care of you?"

Interesting choice of words, though I can't say I mind hearing them. Considering how many people are constantly clambering for a moment with Brief Trunks, I guess I'm pretty lucky to be one of the few people who actually gets him, even if it's only for a little while.

It's not the same thing as a date, but this'll be more fun anyway, and a hell of a lot cheaper!

*~*~*~*~*

~I'm sinking slowly, so hurry, hold me

Your hand's all I have to keep me hanging on~

If someone had asked me even a year ago whether there'd ever come the day when I'd be damned glad to fill the role as Goten's back-up date, I'd have probably laughed, then punched the poor bastard. Oh sure, my `kaasan gave me the whole `everyone grows apart' speech once I took her place at Capsule Corps., but did I listen?

Of course not-I am my father's son, after all. We'd been together our whole lives, him and me. It never occurred to me things might change, so now the jury's in; for all the times I've ragged my best friend about taking after his father, it looks like I'm the real baka.

It's not even the job, though it does give me a convenient excuse. No, the real problem is I'm an idiot. I took it for granted Goten'd be able to figure it all out before I had to actually say anything. I mean...damn it, he's not that dense! I told him when we were still troublemaking little brats I'd always take care of him, and I wanted us to be together no matter what. Leave it to a Son to not take a declaration like that seriously.

The worst part is, my father warned me this would happen. Just like my mom told me Goten and I would probably lose touch, my `tousan actually spared a few minutes the very same day, and advised me to get off my sorry ass and make him my mate before everything got too complicated.

Even though I should be used to it by now, I still hate it when he's right.

Now look where I am, sprawled out beside him after stuffing ourselves with Chinese, just like when we were kids, trying to act like nothing's changed. Not very princely, let alone Saiyajin, of me, I admit. And if I'm really trying to act my part, shouldn't I just say, "To hell with it!" and tell Goten flat-out I'm in love with him...that I can't picture spending my life with anyone but him?

You know, irony can be a real bitch sometimes.

~Please, can you tell me, so I can finally see

Where you go when you're gone~

It used to be so easy to just be with Goten, but now, the silence is killing me. I want to hear his voice, want him to look at me the way he used to, with that big, goofy grin and those wide, loving eyes...

Back when he thought I hung the moon.

At this point, anything is better than nothing. I've had nothing for too long. "So how's your mom? Still badgering you about settling down?"

There's that smile, lighting up his whole face. "Hai. She even asked Videl to introduce me to some of the rich girls she knows, since she thinks I can't find a decent one of my own."

"So she's still hung up on the money, eh?" Figures.

"Well, you know `kaasan," he answers with a shrug. "She's always wanted me and Gohan to have what she didn't. Lucky for me, `tousan told me not to worry about it too much."

I roll my eyes and laugh. "Of course he'd say that...he doesn't worry about anything unless it's about to blow up the planet."

"Iie, he was serious this time," he argues, his brow creasing in thought. "It was kinda weird, really... He said I shouldn't push myself to find a wife with a lot of money just to make Mom happy, cause..."

Whoa, I don't think I'll ever get used to the way Goten looks when he's really thinking about something. "What? What'd he say?"

~If you want to, I can save you

I can take you away from here~

Even in this dim light, I can see a faint blush spread across his cheeks, and he glances down. "Because he said you'd already promised to take care of me."

Proving once again either: a) my father's been bitching to Goku-san during their spars, or b) Goku's had another one of his atypical moments of insight. No wonder my dad thinks he fakes his idiocy.

But...a promise is a promise, and it's one I always intended to keep, even if Goten didn't realize it when I made it.

So why shouldn't I tell him so? What's the worst that can happen? It's not like I'll be losing much, even if he thinks I'm some kind of demented pervert for being in love with him all these years.

Then again, I might not be risking much, but when I think about the possibility of losing him, really losing him...the price is too high. Besides, I'd have done it years ago if I wasn't such an arrogant idiot, thinking he'd always be with me, just because it had always been that way.

"You okay?"

I jerk myself out of my reverie and nod. "Yeah, sorry about that."

His onyx gaze searches mine for several seconds before he frowns. "Seriously, what's wrong? And don't give me that `nothing' bullshit either." He leans closer to me and flashes that beautiful Son smile again. "You've been my best friend my whole life, so you can't fool me like everyone else. So what is it? Is work stressing you out, or is it something else?"

~So lonely inside, so busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cares~

"Nah, work's okay. I'm starting to get used to it, I guess, and it's less stressful than being at home these days."

"So my mom's not the only one itching for a wedding, eh?"

He has no idea... "Chibi, that's the understatement of the year. If it weren't for `tousan, she'd have already married me off so I could produce an heir to the Capsule Corps. empire by now."

"No shit?" he balks.

"You kidding? A day doesn't go by when she doesn't tell me she wants me to meet somebody. Matter of fact," I add with a grin as I glance at my watch, "I'm supposed to be having dinner with some woman from Accounting right about now."

He blinks a few times. "Wait a minute...then what the hell're you doing here? Dude, if I'd known you had a date tonight, I wouldn't have showed up like that! Why didn't you say anything?"

Damn it, Goten, why are you asking me something like that? Isn't it obvious? Even if you don't know how badly I want you, we're still friends, aren't we? Why the hell would I choose a blind date with a total stranger over hanging out with my best friend?

Kuso, what am I thinking? Of course he wouldn't understand...he's Son Goten, Ladies Man nowadays.

This isn't getting me anywhere, and Goten's starting to look worried. Half-truth's better than an all-out lie, right? "I hate blind dates. I was planning to skip out anyway."

~All you wanted was somebody who cares

When you need me, you know I'll be there...oh yeah~

"Oh." After a moment, he flashes me that famous Son grin. "Guess it doesn't matter for you, neh? You've got `em lined up around the block to marry you anyway, being the famous Brief Trunks, and all."

"Yeah, that's what they tell me, anyway," I growl as I lie down, my head cushioned comfortably by the thick blanket of grass.

"You make it sound like a bad thing," he notes curiously.

I close my eyes and force myself to stay calm, taking several long, deep breaths before speaking again. "I guess you wouldn't understand," I mumble to keep the anger rising within me from being betrayed in my voice. "It sucks, having all these people acting like they know me just because they work for my company, or read some ridiculous magazine article. I mean, I get fucking fan mail, for Kami's sake!"

"You...you get..." Before he finishes his sentence, he doubles over, laughing so hard I see tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

I can't believe this! This bakayaro actually thinks it's funny?!?! "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Go...gomen ne...Trunks-kun," he manages out between peals of laughter and gasps for air. "It's...not funny really, but...it's just...thinking about you...getting fan mail...like some kind of movie star... Those girls really must not know shit about you if they're doing all that!" He's still laughing, but he's calmed down enough to talk without choking. "Man, I could solve that problem for you, no sweat!"

"Oh really," I ask, smirking at him just like my father would, my anger dispelled by his enthusiasm. "How would you manage to do that?"

"Just get someone to interview me sometime," he replies with a wink. "By the time I was done telling them about the Trunks I know, you'd never have to worry about having fans ever again! You'd be back to being stuck with me all the time."

He may not know it, but hearing him say it like that... "I'd probably take you up on your offer...if that were really true. But thanks anyway, chibi."

*~*~*~*~*

~If you want to, I can save you

I can take you away from here~

See, I'm missing something again; Trunks is acting even weirder than before!

"What do you mean, if? Maybe if you weren't so popular, I wouldn't have to go out so much to keep myself busy," I answer, punching him softly in the arm.

I'd meant it as a joke, but he bolts back up, his expression as serious as I've ever seen it. "You're shitting me, right?"

Well, since he asked... But how do I explain this so he won't misunderstand and think I'm just a whacked-out hentai? "Uh...well, I was kidding about the popular part; I know it's your work that keeps you so busy-"

"Fuck work," he interrupts, and I'm caught off-guard by his vehemence. "I can put in less hours anytime I want. The question is, would you make the time?"

Would I make the time? C'mon...who's supposed to be the idiot here? "Of course I would. You're my best friend! Besides," I continue with a laugh, "even if I spread a bunch of dirt around about you, there wouldn't be enough pages to tell them everything, so I'm sure you'd still have plenty of girls beating down your door. Of course, none of `em could ever know you as well as I do, neh?"

"Yeah," he replies, his face pensive, "I know."

I don't understand why he suddenly seems so depressed, but it's been too long since we've been together like this; I'm gonna cheer him up, one way or another. "Eh, you shouldn't let it get you down, you know," I advise seriously. "I mean, it's not like any of the girls I go out with know the first thing about me, either."

He raises an eyebrow at me, silently asking me to continue.

I shrug. "Sure, `niichan didn't have to worry about how Videl would react when they got together. Videl may not be one of us, but she was a fighter, and she knew before they ever went out something was different about him. By the time he had to sit down and explain things, he'd helped save Chikyuu from Buu. What was she gonna do after something like that? Dump him?"

~So lonely inside, so busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody who cares~

He grins at me. "Yeah," he remarks, "you have a point there."

"And as for you, the girls wouldn't care if you were half-alien or all alien," I continue earnestly. "Gohan was a hero, and you're Brief Trunks, son of Bulma and heir to Capsule Corporation. But it's not like that for me. I mean, I can't offer a woman much of anything really. All they get is...me. I don't have anything else."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing, chibi," he states, his blue eyes which almost glow in this light boring into mine. "Like having you wouldn't be good enough."

I offer him a crooked smile. "You'd know that better than me, Trunks-kun. What d'ya say? Am I worth all the trouble?"

He scowls like he's about to lay into me for saying something truly stupid, but his expression smoothes soon after, becoming a smile. Although genuine, it still screams, 'troublemaker!'

"I can't speak for anyone else, but..." his hand moves--toward my cheek? Nah, must be a trick of the shadows or something--then pauses before ruffling my hair, "you're worth it to me."

Now that's the Trunks I know, the one who always made me feel like his equal, even if he's a prince and I'm a pauper. When we're together like this, it's just like the old days; it reminds me how much I miss them. "Glad someone thinks so," I reply. "Maybe you should tell that to `kaasan so she'll quit worrying so much."

"Like she'd really listen to me. Besides, Chichi-san wouldn't be Chichi-san if she wasn't freaking out about something, right?" He winks playfully.

"Hai," I answer. There's no denying the fact that my mom wouldn't be the same if she didn't worry. "I guess I have no choice then," I sigh. He raises an eyebrow as I jump up and throw my fist in the air. "Videl's rich and snobby friends, here I come!"

"Baka," he moans, shaking his head while rubbing his eyes beneath a swaying curtain of lavender locks, "just because she wants you to marry a girl with money, doesn't mean you actually have to."

"Right again, Trunks-kun," I agree, looking down at him with a sly grin, even though he probably can't see it in the dark. "Maybe I should find a man with money instead, neh?"

Before I have time to laugh at my own joke, he grabs the back of my shirt and yanks, throwing me off balance, and I end up flat on my back. Within a millisecond, he's hovering over me, a hand on either side of my head, holding me still with the intense look in his eyes which seem to have an internal lamp, negating the need for any type of exterior light.

I swallow hard, shocked at how fast my heart's beating right now. I don't know what's happening here...but it's something major.

~Please, can you tell me, so I can finally see

Where you go when you're gone~

"Do it, and I'll never forgive you, Goten."

Nani? What the hell's he so upset about? We used to joke like this all the time, and I know the idea itself doesn't offend him, or at least, it didn't when we were kids. Also, even though he sounded angry, his face...I don't know. The closest thing I can compare it to is a sad sort of longing, but that doesn't make any sense. I mean, what could he possibly want that he doesn't already have?

"I...I was kidding, Trunks-kun," I manage out, despite the confusion which feels like a vice clenched around my throat. "I didn't really mean-"

"I know," he growls through clenched teeth. Then he takes a deep breath and looks away. "I know," he repeats, softer this time. "But...you shouldn't joke about shit like that, chibi. Guy or girl, it doesn't matter. Nobody'd ever know you like I do, and they couldn't..." His voice trails off, and he gives his head another violent shake before he moves away, rolling onto his own back beside me, and covering his face with his forearm. "Sorry...forget I said anything," he moans after a minute. "I don't know what the hell's wrong with me tonight."

That makes two of us, especially since he didn't finish what he was saying.

I blink as the arm covering his eyes falls to the ground, and I see a new, determined look on his face.

"Just promise me something," he begins, looking over at me.

I nod, unable to respond with words, or even hear myself think because of my pulse pounding in my ears. It's weird; almost like it's the first time I'm actually seeing him. I never realized just how-beautiful?-he is, especially in the moonlight.

"If you ever do decide to give up on finding a woman your mom would approve of, or if you get tired of looking for someone who'll love you whether you have stuff to give them or not," he hesitates for just a second, "I don't want you to go off and do something stupid. If it gets to that point, let me know first."

I'm not sure why, but... "Does this have something to do with what you were gonna tell me a minute ago?" I venture. Contrary to popular belief, `tousan's not the only one who can follow his instincts when the occasion calls for it, and this, I'm fairly sure, is one of those times.

My suspicion is confirmed when his eyes widen slightly. "Yeah, but I don't think now's the time. Not yet," he murmurs, almost as though he's talking more to himself than to me, "but maybe...maybe it'll be the right time sooner than I thought. For now, let's just plan on hanging out like this again soon, okay?"

None of this makes much sense to me, but it's obvious whatever's happened, it's made Trunks feel better. For the first time in a long time, he seems...content, almost serene. Besides, if he says now's not the time, far be it for me to argue. Trunks has never steered me wrong before when it really counted.

"I'm free tomorrow," I reply with a smile. "What do you say? Meet you after work?"

He returns it with one of his own. "I'll be waiting."

So, feeling sure things are more normal between us now than they were when I met him at the bottom of the stairs at Capsule Corps. this afternoon, I do something I haven't done since we were The Terrible Two: I roll onto my side and rest my head on his shoulder. He glances down just as I look up, a mixture of surprise and insecurity distorting his smooth features, but they disappear almost immediately as he shifts slightly so he can drape his arm across my shoulder.

Yeah, this is the way it should be, and who knows? I'm not sure how, but maybe...maybe someday, we can forget all the other crap that's been thrown between us, and just stay as we are right now, like we've been all our lives. Unbeatable, and inseparable.

Not that I'd actually tell him that.

~End~

Lyrics: All You Wanted by Michelle Branch