Even as an executive, Trunks liked to frequent night clubs, especially on weekends. The quick beat and music excited him. Sometimes he met girls, and men alike, and went out for a date or two. (Un)Fortunately, he was still a virgin. He and his dates almost never went past the good night kiss, or wave if it had been a particularly bad night.
It was Friday, and time for another stop at his favorite club. After work, he changed into tight, black pants, a matching tanktop, and an open, silken, lavender button-up shirt. A silver chain hung around his neck, bright against his tanned skin. He hopped back into his car and drove to the club. He parked his car in the parking lot, pocketing the keys, and walking to the door. After tipping the doorman, and flashing his ID, he was allowed access, but not before catching the eye of a girl with shoulder-length black hair and matching eyes. He winked at her, smiled, and walked into the sauna of a club.
He walked to the bar, casually, and was greeted by the slender, male bartender.
“Good evening, Mr. Briefs. Time again to be just another club hopper?”
“What’s on the menu for today, Ron?”
“Anything you want.”
“Just some water, please.”
Ron nodded and served Trunks’ water. He watched Trunks take a swig from the bottle, then surveyed the dance floor.
“I believe someone is giving you the eye, Mr. Br–”
“Just Trunks. Male or female, Ron?”
“Female. A real looker too. Black hair, nice body. Your typical girl.”
Trunks turned to follow Ron’s gaze. He was right. In the midst of the pounding music and flashing light, a young girl weaved through the crowds. She wore a tight, belly shirt and Trunks immediately recognized her as the girl from outside. He stood, straightening his sleeves and slipping the water bottle into a side pocket.
“Turn on the charm, Mr. Trunks.”
Trunks thought to correct him, then decided he could do it another time. He placed some money on the counter for the water, then walked to meet the girl in the middle.
“Hey,” she shouted to be heard above the music, “You come here often?”
“Of course! I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“It’s my first time. My friends brought me here to celebrate graduation!”
“Congrats!”
The girl smiled. “Thanks! Would you like to dance?”
“Sure!”
Trunks held out his hand, and the girl took it. She lead him out onto the dance floor and turned to face him.
Neither were shy as they began to move their bodies to the beat. They had a cleared spot on the floor as some of the other customers turned to watch the most famous regular and his new dance partner. The two danced close, touching bodies at certain times, only enough to cause a bit of friction. Before either got enough, they pulled away and began dancing as a separate, but still united, entity. The crowd cheered and hollered, and the music grew louder in sound and beat as it rose to its climax.
***
Trunks awoke the next morning, feeling a slight headache and ringing in his ears. He kept his eyes closed for an extra minute before finally dragging himself out of bed.
He wandered through the hallway and into the kitchen of the medium-sized capsule house. A flash of a new color caught his eye in the kitchen.
Stuck on the top door of the refrigerator was a bright yellow note with blue marker writing.
CLUB PRODIGY SATURDAY NIGHT.
CALL ME!
555-4926
Immediately, he remembered the dancer from last night. His heart gave a slight, butterfly-like flutter.
He looked at the digital clock above the stove. Eleven in the morning; it was late enough to call. He grabbed the phone and the note, and walked into the living room. Once in the room, he plopped down on the overstuffed couch and proceeded to dial the number.
Bring bring, bring bring, bring bring.
“Hello?” came a slightly groggy voice.
“Hey. It’s Trunks.”
“Oh..”
“I danced with you last night.”
“Oh!” the voice brightened, “Hello! How are you?”
“Exhausted.”
“Aah, same here.”
“Are you going to be at Club Prodigy tonight?”
“I suppose. I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”
“Then… I’ll have to show you. Where do you live?”
Trunks gave his address, then after exchanging goodbyes, hung up. He looked at the note, and then the phone, and smiled. He lay back on the couch, one arm draped over the back of the couch and the other over the side. He dropped the phone on the floor and stared at the ceiling dreamily.
She was pretty. She was nice. She was smart (at least, she wasn’t a ditz.) And she could dance.
And he wanted to say she was his type.
The phone ringing broke his thoughts. He grabbed the phone and pulled it back to his hear.
“H’lo?”
“Hey, Trunks.”
It was Gohan.
“Hey, Gohan. What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could get together today to look at those numbers.”
“Sure. What time?”
“Anytime you’re ready.”
“Cool. I’ll see you in about one hour. Your house, right?”
“Right. See you then.”
“Bye.”
Beep. The phone buzzed in Trunks’ ear, then he clicked it off.
Business with a good, old friend, and then dancing at a club. It would be a pretty good day.
***
Trunks arrived at Gohan’s house looking fairly professional. When he pulled into the driveway and got out of his car, he narrowly avoided being hit by Videl peeling out of that same driveway, looking absolutely furious. Hers and Gohan’s daughter, Pan, sat in the front seat. She looked defeated and just looked at Trunks as the car whipped down the road.
“This cannot be good.”
Trunks walked up to the front porch. He knocked on the door and it swung open at his touch.
“Gohan?” he called into the house.
No answer.
He opens the door further and steps in.
“Gohan… You okay?”
The first room he stepped into was a wide hallway that had 6 ways to choose. The first on the right were the spiraling stairs which led to three bedrooms. The first on the left was the coat closet. The second on the right was the kitchen, which opened into the living room; the second on the left was the study. The third on the left was the bathroom, and the last door was opposite the front door : The back.
Trunks walked through the hallway, looking into each room. When he arrived at the entrance of the study, he paused.
Gohan stood, facing the book shelf. His tall, lean body was shaking, and his usually proud head was lowered.
“G-Gohan…?” Trunks whispered.
Gohan paused, then looked over his shoulder. Seeing Trunks standing in the doorway, he turned all the way around.
“She’s leaving me, Trunks..” He raised his hands, showing Trunks the papers clenched in his hands. Tears spilled from his eyes and he broke down in sobs.
Trunks rushed over and embraced Gohan. Proud, strong Gohan had been reduced to tears on Trunks’ shoulder.
I hope that bitch is happy.
Trunks slowly lead Gohan over to the leather couch and sat him down. He sat down beside Gohan and gently pried the papers from him.
While holding onto Gohan, he glanced over the papers.
Divorce…
He tossed the papers aside and turned his full attention to Gohan.
Gohan had finally stopped crying a long while after Trunks lost track of time. Immediately, he apologized, “‘m sorry, Trunks. We’re supposed to be doing business.”
“Don’t be sorry… She has no right to treat you like that, Gohan.”
“Maybe she –”
“Nope! I don’t even want to hear it! You don’t deserve that treatment! You should trust me on this.”
“Why..?”
“Because I’m your friend, Gohan…”
Gohan looked at Trunks and the slightest smile came to his lips. “Only a real friend would stay while I blubbered like a baby…”
“You aren’t a baby –”
“– No, just like one.”
Trunks sighed. He gave Gohan a smile.
“Do you feel like working?” Trunks asked.
“Only if you do.”
Trunks tugged at Gohan’s arm, “Let’s go get some lunch. My treat.”
“Oh! Oh, no, Trunks. I couldn’t burden you!”
“You’re not. Get up, and let’s go get some lunch and spend a bit of a boy’s day out.”
Trunks coaxed Gohan to his feet and lured him out the door. After a bit more talking, they were both in the car, and Trunks was driving them to a favorite restaurant.
***
Trunks had just enough time to change before his date was planning to arrive. He was in the same clothes as last night, except he had changed the color of his shirt. It was now a blue color, one that matched his eyes.
Ding dong.
He rushed to the door and opened it.
She stood at the door in a short, red skirt, exposing her long, tanned legs. She wore a white tube top, and over it, she wore a red jacket over it. The sides only extended a few inches and didn’t look like a very functional coat.
“Ready to go, Trunks?”
“Yeah!”
She smiled and stepped closer to Trunks, “Mind if we talk a little bit? My friends are taking the car around the block a few times.”
“Oh.. Sure.” He smiled back and manuvered around her to close the door. He turned to face her, back against the door.
Surprisingly, he found the girl’s body against his and she had already captured his lips in a kiss. He opened his mouth to welcome her wandering tongue. Both engaged in passionate kissing; Trunks’ hands were at her back, holding her close, and her hands were longingly wandering over his body.
A horn honking broke the mood.
“Those’re my friends. They’re getting a little impatient…” She looked up at Trunks, and smiled, “Should we make them wait a little longer?”
Trunks, flushed, grinned at her. He leaned forward, kissing her again.
Another horn sounded. They pulled away, beaming, then left the house.
***
Prodigy was more exclusive than the last. The girl and her friends talked to the doorman. After a few minutes, the doorman nodded and released their group inside.
It was a huge building. It had a bar area separate from the dance floor, which was crowded with dancers. The DJ’s desk was high on a platform and on one side of him, on a lower platform, was a cage. It was wide and tall, and no one was inside.
“Hey!” Trunks tapped on his date’s arm. He pointed to the cage, “What’s that?”
“The dance cage! Wanna try it?” She turned to look at him.
“I guess…”
She smiled and grabbed his arm. “Let’s go!”
They wove through the crowds. The girl talked to a man similar to the doorman standing in front of the cage door. He smirked and stepped aside. He opened the door.
The girl climbed onto the platform, stepping into the cage. She motioned to Trunks to join her.
Trunks stepped onto the platform gracefully. He stepped into the cage, the hair on the back of his neck standing on edge when the door clanged shut behind him.
“All you gotta do is dance,” she ‘whispered’.
Trunks nodded. He still wasn’t completely at ease of being inside a cage, but he could get over it. He began to move to the beat. He and the girl began their unified dance.
People began to stop dancing, and turned to watch Trunks and the girl. A few whistled, but could barely be heard above the music, and could not be heard at all in Trunks’ world. He shut them out and concentrated solely on the music and the dancing Aphrodite in front of him.
As they got closer, the temperature rose and Trunks felt the sweat trickling down his face, his neck, almost everywhere. The girl looked at Trunks through half-lidded eyes. Their heads drew forward and they began kissing. Their bodies ground together and their hands roaming their body.
“Woo! You go, Pan-Chan!”
Pan-Chan…?
Trunks opened his eyes for a moment and looked down at the girl. They pulled away, although continuing to dance, Trunks whispered, “Pan..?”
Her eyes immediately averted from his. “They must be talking to someone else…”
Skeptical, Trunks answered, “Okay.”
She looked relieved. She smiled and moved closer to dance with him.
After a few minutes, Trunks decided she was wrapped up in the music.
“Pan?” he asked.
“Yes?” She looked up at him, and then, upon meeting his cold gaze, realized her mistake, “Oh no, Trunks!”
“That’s it.” Trunks reached a hand through the bars and undid the slide lock. He grabbed Pan by the wrist and yanked her out. They jumped onto the dance floor and Trunks stormed towards her friends. Pan resisted him the entire time.
“Trunks! No! You don’t understand!”
Trunks looked at Pan’s friends. They all went quiet and somber.
“We’re leaving — now.”
***
Trunks found himself outside his apartment. He was lecturing the group of girls, after having collected their fake IDs.
“… Furthermore, you’re not safe in there! You’re only sixteen! There’s a reason you’re only allowed in clubs when you’re twenty-one!”
Pan had been reduced to tears. She looked at Trunks, then asked, “Are you going to tell Dad?”
“You’re damn right I am! Of all things, you come on to me! I’m almost ten years older than you! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?”
“I .. I don’t know..”
“Don’t you ever do it again!” He looked at the girl in the front seat, “You guys go STRAIGHT home! I MEAN IT!”
“Yes sir..” she answered meekly and started up the car.
Pan looked back at Trunks. Her face was red and the makeup was streaking with it. Now he could see the little girl behind the mask… and it hurt him.
“I really do like you, Trunks… I love you.”
“You’re too young to love.”
A sharp pain shot through his heart at his words. How long ago had it been since he had been told that exact same thing?
The car sped off. Trunks stood on the curb, lost in thought.
It was his mother that had told him… told him that he was too young to love Gohan.
***
“Gohan! You home?”
The door had been left wide open and Gohan was nowhere to be found.
“Trunks…?”
Trunks looked up and saw Gohan rounding the side of the house. Dressed in an open shirt and jeans, he was shivering from the cold.
“What are you doing, Gohan?”
“Walking…”
“Wanna take a drive with me?”
“Sure.” Gohan walked over to Trunks and together they walked to the car.
After driving for what seemed like ages, Trunks pulled off in a secluded area and got out of the car. Gohan got out and sat on the hood of the car next to Trunks.
“You look more depressed, Gohan,” Trunks started, concerned.
“I’m just lonely… Videl told me I was worthless –”
“– You’re not.”
“So, I was thinking over my life.. Trying to figure out where I went wrong…”
“You didn’t go wrong. Some of the people in your life went wrong.”
Gohan looked at Trunks, “You sound depressed too. What’s up?”
“I.. I had to tell Pan that she was too young to really be in love with me…”
“My Pan?”
“Yes. And when I told her such, I remembered when I had been told that…”
“Who told you that?”
“My mother.. She said I was too young to be in love with…” Trunks looked at Gohan shyly, “…with you.”
Gohan thought about this, then started to laugh.
“Ah, come on.. It’s not that funny!” Trunks blushed furiously, glaring at Gohan.
“No.. I’m not making fun of you! I had to keep telling myself that you were too young for me to love.”
Trunks paused, then leaned back on the windshield. He looked up at the sky and whispered, “Can you imagine how different our lives would be if we acted on those feelings…?”
Gohan looked at Trunks, then smiled slightly. He leaned over Trunks, kissing him softly. After getting over his initial shock, Trunks gave in and returned the kiss.
Gohan lifted his head slightly. He smiled more. “We can’t change the past.. Do you want to see what we can do with the future?”
“What happened to my being too young for you?”
“We’re both adults now. As far as anyone’s concerned, we’re the same age.”
Trunks smiled. He wrapped his arms around Gohan and pulled him closer. Their foreheads touched, then their noses, and then finally their lips.
He was handsome. He was nice. He was smart. There was only one possible thing missing.
“Hey, Gohan… Can you dance?”
