Welcome to DBZ Saiyan Garden

I just think…the passion is gone. I’m sorry.”

If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

Videl’s words repeated themselves in Gohan’s head over and over again. It had been six months since the court hearing that had announced the official termination of his and Videl’s marriage. Six months that Gohan had spent wondering what had gone wrong, what had dimmed the spark that had once burned so brightly between them.

Currently, he was lying on his bed in the small apartment he had rented a few months prior to the hearing, reflecting on everything that he and Videl had been through together. When his friends had first heard that she had filed for a divorce, they were there, trying to cheer him up, trying to make him understand that life wasn’t over.

But to him, it was.

Gohan had given everything he had to make his relationship with Videl work, and to stay working. Though, his efforts had not come to fruition. And now, as he lay staring at the cracked ceiling above him, he had come to realize that love was not meant for him. Ever.

If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down

A tear ran down his cheek as the thought entered his mind. “Never again will I give my heart to anyone,” he vowed quietly.

***

Trunks paced back and forth in his office, wondering how he should break up with his latest girlfriend. His mother, always wanting grandchildren, had been pushing him to settle down with someone and produce an heir to Capsule Corporation. Even so, Trunks had realized long ago that his interests lay with no girl, but instead with a man. A man he had loved since childhood. A man named Gohan.

If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

The lavender-haired ouji had been the first one Gohan had come to when Videl had delivered the news that she no longer felt that their marriage was worth it. He had been the shoulder on which Gohan had cried on, the silent ear that had listened as Gohan repeated how much he loved her. He had bitten his tongue then, not voicing how he shared his pain. How he knew what it was like to love someone, but not be loved in return.

“President Briefs?” came the lively voice of his secretary over the small intercom sitting on his desk. “Raika is here to see you.”

“Oh joy,” he muttered under his breath. He pushed his index finger on the button on the intercom and spoke tiredly, “Send her in.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try

Raika was a beautiful young woman. Her emerald eyes contrasted well with her shoulder length strawberry blonde hair. A smile was always on her lips, her mood ever cheerful. She walked towards Trunks with her usual grin on her face, her eyes dancing in the light. Her pink sundress fluttered in the self-produced breeze.

“Trunks! Sweetie! I’ve been waiting all day to see you!” She wrapped her arms around him and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. “Where are we going tonight? I was thinking about -”

“Raika,” Trunks interrupted, chewing his bottom lip nervously, “I don’t think we should go out tonight.”

Her perfectly arched eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Why not? Are you busy? If you are, then we could -”

“What I mean to say is,” he continued, again cutting off her sentence, “I don’t think we should go out tonight…or any night. I think maybe we should call it quits with our relationship.”

“What?”

Take a chance on me
(That’s all I ask of you honey)
Take a chance on me

“I’m sorry, Raika. It’s just…I don’t think our relationship can advance any further…”

Raika stood still a moment, her expression hurt, her eyes growing shiny. She brushed the stray strands of her hair behind her ear and tried to blink away the tears. “Why…?” she asked quietly. “What did I do wrong? What did I do…to make you feel this way?”

“You didn’t do anything. It’s…I…”

“It’s someone else? You love someone else, is that it?!” she almost yelled, her anger at his abrupt decision beginning to show through.

“Raika, please… I didn’t want to hurt you…”

“Don’t, Trunks. Just don’t. Your sorry excuses aren’t necessary.” She wiped at her eyes with the back of her arm and turned on her heel, walking out the office door.

Trunks cringed as she slammed the door closed, then sighed heavily. He truly wished he hadn’t had to do that, but he just couldn’tlead her on any longer. She deserved someone better. She was worthy of someone who would care for her, someone who would love her. He could only hope that Gohan would feel the same about him.

We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together
Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better
‘Cos you know I’ve got
So much that I wanna do, when I dream I’m alone with you

The lavender-haired man pressed the button on his intercom, “Teri, hold all my calls for me, will ya?”

“Of course, President Briefs. Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah.”

***

Gohan sat up, drying his tears on the back of his hand. He sighed deeply and rose from his bed, walking to the bathroom. He turned on the shower and, while waiting for the water to heat, stared at himself in the mirror. The stranger that returned his gaze surprised him momentarily. The dark circles under his eyes, the tangled strands of ebony hair, the dull irises…they all seemed foreign to him. He remembered a time when he would look into the mirror and like what he saw, but that seemed so long ago.

When he was still with Videl.

He turned away from the glass and stripped of his clothing, stepping into shower stall. He sighed through his nose, allowing himself to relax a bit under the warm spray. His eyes closed as he washed himself quickly, then he turned off the water and walked out of the stall. He dried himself with a nearby towel and wrapped it around his waist. His gaze wandered back to the mirror, his mind curious to see if the quick bath had returned him to his old self. He stared into the eyes of his reflection and saw the deep anguish hidden in those midnight orbs. Disgusted with the image, Gohan clenched his fists and slammed one into the mirror, the glass shattering and flying across the room. A few shards scraped against his skin, drawing blood. A lonely tear travelled down his cheek to mingle with the red liquid on his face.

Gohan fell to his knees and tightly gripped the cotton towel between his fingers. His heart ached so much; the pain was just too much. He had believed so deeply in his heart that Videl had cared for him as much as he had for her. He had thought that he had finally found the love that his parents shared, the love that he had searched for so long. He had expected to spend all of eternity with Videl, his high school sweetheart.

As reality caught up with him again, he felt his world crash around him. Videl would not come back to him, and there was no one else who would love him the way he needed to be loved right now.Realizing that there was no other option, no other way for his depression to end, he formed a ball of energy in his hand.

It’s magic
You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair
But I think you know
That I can’t let go

Trunks parked his car in the lot of the apartment complex where Gohan now resided. He had held in his emotions for the older man too long. It had been six months since Gohan and Videl’s relationship had officially ended, and he could no longer keep silent. He walked to the elevator, and pressed the button for Gohan’s floor. The corny music that played in the background helped soothe his anxiety over finally revealing to Gohan what he had felt for so long.

He vaguely heard a ding that signaled the opening of the doors. Trunks stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway to Gohan’s apartment. He breathed in deeply, then knocked on the door. He waited a few moments but received no answer, so he knocked again. Still no answer.

Trunks furrowed his eyebrows. ‘Why won’t he come to the door? I know he’s in there…’ As he was about to knock a third time, he felt Gohan’s energy signal decrease rapidly. Trunks’ eyes widened with worry, and he used his strength to force his way into the small apartment.

If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

Gohan clenched his fingers into a fist, compressing the sphere of light into a line that vaguely resembled a dagger. With trembling hands, he brought the makeshift knife to his wrist and sliced deeply into his skin. He grimaced at the pain, but it was nothing, he decided, compared to the pain in his soul.

As he watched the blood flow from his wound, he heard the main door open and rapid footfalls rush toward where he was kneeled on the floor. The footsteps stopped at the bathroom door, and he sensed Trunks’ ki standing there.

“GOHAN!!”

If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down

The blue-eyed prince’s heart stopped as he stood staring at his beloved on the carpeted floor. He felt numb as dull black eyes were lifted to stare at him. No, not at him, through him. Trunks dropped to Gohan’s side and wrapped his arms tightly around the older man, cradling the shaken form against him.

The dampness Trunks felt on the thigh of his pants shocked him back into reality, and he remembered what Gohan had done to himself. Tears gathered in his eyes as he tore off the hem of his shirt and tightly bandaged Gohan’s wound. The white material was soon stained red, just like his pants and the carpet next to them.

“Gohan…Gohan, why…?” Trunks asked quietly, his voice breaking.

Gohan continued to look at his wrist, ashamed to look Trunks in the eye. He felt Trunks pull him into another embrace and rest his cheek on the top of his head, muttering softly to him. “Gohan, please, don’t ever…don’t ever do that again…”

“Why does it matter?” Gohan said, his voice hardly above a whisper. “Why does it matter what I do to my life anymore? Videl doesn’t care…no one…no one cares…”

“Oh, Gohan… Gohan, I care! I’ve always cared about you! I always will!”

If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

Gohan’s eyes widened, disbelievingly. He shook his head fervently, then groaned and sagged against Trunks as his abrupt blood loss caught up with him, dizzying him. Trunks held him tighter, unabashedly letting his tears flow down his cheeks.

“Gohan…I wish I had come here sooner… Maybe I could have… Gohan, why do you think no one cares? Everyone cares about you. And I…I love you, Gohan.”

“…What?”

“I’ve loved you since I was a kid. I didn’t know it then, but I did. I always wished that you would love me back…but you were with Videl all the time… I figured you would never feel the way I felt about you.” Trunks wiped his tears away, and looked Gohan in the eyes. “Gohan…”

The older Saiya-jin stared into the watery cerulean orbs in front of him. He saw the panic on the surface, and the love held underneath. The love that Trunks had just confessed to him.

“Trunks, I don’t…”

“Please, before you reject me, Gohan, could I…I mean…well…um…” Realizing that his thoughts couldn’t be voiced with mere words, he did the first thing tha came to his mind, something he had been longing to do for years. He cupped Gohan’s face in his hand and leaned down, softly brushing his lips with his own.

Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try

“Trunks–”

“Gohan, please…just take a chance on me…”

Take a chance on me
(Come on, give me a break will you?)
Take a chance on me

“Trunks…I can’t…after everything…Videl, she was…she was everything to me…”

“Please, let me be your everything now. Videl won’t come back, but I’ll always be here for you, Gohan. I love you; I love you more than Videl ever could. Just let me show you that. Please!”

Trunks took Gohan’s injured hand in his own and gingerly kissed the temporary bandage wrapped around his wrist. He returned his glance to dark eyes and hoped that Gohan could see in his eyes at least a fraction of the love he held in his heart. They held each other’s gaze for long moments, Trunks’ eyes desperate, and Gohan’s eyes searching.

After what seemed like an eternity to Trunks, Gohan ended the staring contest and spoke, his voice quiet, “I can’t forget about her, Trunks.”

If you change your mind, I’m the first in line
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

The lavender haired man forced a smile to his lips. “I don’t expect you to do that. I just want you to let me take away some of the pain. I…”

He trailed off, not able to finish his sentence, for he realized that it would be hopeless to go on any further. It was obvious that Gohan loved Videl. More than he would ever love Trunks. Who was he to come into the older demi’s life and ask him to start another relationship just after he had been forced to end the one he thought would last forever? Trunks tried to blink back the tears that had accumulated in his eyes, but to no avail. They escaped and fell down his cheeks, dropping onto the back of his hand.

Gohan skimmed his fingers over the damp spot. “You…what?”

“It…doesn’t matter…”

“Trunks, tell me.”

“It’s just…Gohan, I would do anything to keep the sadness from your eyes. I would take on a world of pain…just to see you smile again…”

If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down

Gohan watched as the other man toyed with the frayed edge of his shirt. He kept his face expressionless as his thoughts raced throughout his mind. Here was Trunks, his little brother’s best friend, confessing his love for him, trying to save him from the sorrow he was steadily drowning in. Trunks loved him, but he loved Videl…didn’t he? If he loved Videl as much as he thought, thenwhat was this emotion he felt in the pit of his stomach? If he truly loved Videl, then that means that there would be no room for anyone else, right?

Trunks swallowed nervously, uncomfortable with the silence that hung in the air so heavily. “Gohan…I-I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have…”

Gohan’s eyes settled on him as Trunks inhaled deeply and began to rise from the carpet. “I’ll go now…”

“Trunks…”

If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown
Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

The sapphire-eyed ouji stopped his movement and stared at Gohan expectantly. The ghost of a tired smile tugged at the corners of Gohan’s lips as he spoke. “Please don’t go, Trunks. I…I’d like it if you stayed around for a while.”

“Gohan…” Trunks crouched down in front of him. “I’ll stay with you forever if you want me to.”

“Trunks,” his voice seemed exhausted, “I can’t promise you much, but I’ll try. Just…just be patient with me, I…”

Trunks cut him off, pressing his gently lips to his. He stood again and held out his hand for Gohan to take. Gohan stared blankly at the hand momentarily, then raised his own hand to lock fingers with Trunks, accepting much more than the proffered hand. As he pulled him to his feet, the violet-maned president wrapped his arms around him, touching their foreheads together.

“Don’t worry, itoshii,” he whispered. “I’ll wait until the end of time to be with you. And I’ll do the best I can to make sure nothing ever hurts you again. I love you, Gohan.”

Tears pricked the edges of Gohan’s eyes as he heard Trunks’ heartfelt words. He returned the embrace, hugging Trunks tighter to his own body, the contact reassuring him, comforting him. In his heart Gohan realized a hope that he hadn’t felt in months.

Honey I’m still free
Take a chance on me

Everything would be all right.