Welcome to Boxer & Rice

Trunks leaned against his locker, as he easily slid into conversation with his best friends between periods,”Hey, are you going to the game on Friday?”

Gohan smiled, hoping for trying to play something of a hard to get, “Well, I was thinking about it, why?”

“I dunno, was just asking…” Gohan’s smile became slightly tense, obviously not getting the invite he was looking for.

“Oh, I met this girl…. I gotta tell you about it later.” Gohan blinked in shock. slightly put-off as Trunks turned to rush off as the bell rang.

Tru looks at me, I fake a smile so he won’t see
That I want and I’m needing everything that we should be
I’ll bet she’s beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she’s got everything that I have to live without

Gohan chatted easily with Trunks at lunch, hoping the comment about the girl wouldn’t be brought up. Of course, there was always hoping for steering the conversation else where, but Gohan knew that what ever his angel from the future wanted, he would gladly give.

“So, as I was saying… I met her at the mall. She was actually stopping two thugs. Apparently she’s into marshal arts too, and works for the police force. Get this, I know this is going to sound crazy, but she’s HERCULE SATAN’S daughter! Can ya believe it?”

Gohan smiled supportively for him to go on talking about the girl who obviously had the other teen demi star struck. “Her name’s Videl. I’m thinking about asking her to go to the game with me on Friday. That’s ok with you, right man?”

A smile plastered over the pain, he was such his father’s son, no one, not even those closest too him (except for Piccolo who the teen confided even the most sacred secrets to), knew he could hide such strong emotions behind the simple expression. “I don’t mind at all. It’s just one guy’s night out night anyways right?”

“Yeah… So Sharpener says you’ve been working on a new song?”

“Wha?” Dark eyes glanced up in shock. Surely no one knew of the song he had just secretly written. It was one to NEVER be shared.

“Yeah, he says he heard you plucking away to some new ballad? Says you were humming quite the tune. I’d love to hear it when you get done with it… If it’s not already finished?”

“Umm… no… I probably won’t finish it. It’s not really going anywhere.” Gohan lamely admitted, hoping he could burn the sheet music for it before anyone (namely a blue-eyed prince) found out about it.

“That’s too bad. I was looking forward to hearing it the way Sharpener was ranting over it.”

Gohan just smiled and nodded as conversation turned once again to other interests.

Tru talks to me, I laugh cause it’s so damn funny
That I can’t even see anyone when he’s with me
He says he’s so in love, he’s finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he’s all I think about at night

“Hey Gohan, wait up!” Gohan turned at the sound of his name being called, to see his blonde friend hurrying to catch him.

He smiled as he finally caught his breath, “Hey Sharpener, what took you?”

“Oh, you know the usual. Got caught passing notes to Erasa again.” The blond managed a sheepish grin, despite the fact that it looked highly out of place for his personality. “She’s worth the extra page of homework though.”

Gohan gave a slight chuckle at his friends statement.

He was even more caught off guard by Trunks’ added on sentence, knowing only the lavender-headed teen could truly make him laugh to the point of tears. “You only say that to use the extra homework as another excuse for your all too frequent study dates.”

The blond’s blush finally died to some extent as Gohan caught his breath knowing how tall too true the statement was. Trunks just smiled in amusement at the expense of both of his friends, shaking his head at their combined antics.

The three of them walked together, falling into an easy conversation, Sharpener eyed Gohan carefully, assessing every time the dark eyed teen watched their blue-eyed friend. He had never really caught how much Gohan watched him. It should have been obvious for so long… At least he finally had a reason.

They stopped infront of the first part of their split ways. Gohan and Sharpener walked a little farther together to each get to their destinations, living a tad bit farther from the school. Sharpener noticed the way Gohan’s gaze lingered longingly on the disappearing form. He sighed. Gohan was certainly in head over heals.

“So, are you ok?” The blond hoped to distract his friend long enough to see if everything really was ok.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Gohan tilted his head as he was slightly confused, not paying the closest of attention to the blond.

Sharpener sighed. The conversation was bound to get rough, and things always got worse before they got better. “I mean between you and Trunks. Are you really ok with it?”

Gohan blushed, hoping that his friend wasn’t implying what he thought he was implying, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gohan knew the lie sounded forced, and he knew Sharpener could see straight through it, but surely he didn’t know why… right?

“Gohan… I heard the song. It was… so sad. It’s a great song… but…” Words failed him. The silence was already thick with tension, and was growing steadily more menacing by the minute.

“I won’t tell. I promise.” Dark eyes searched chocolate depths only to see that the depth was filled with a sincere vow. It really hurt, knowing that this was out in the open made him feel a thousand times more vulnerable to the world than what he was.

“Thanks Sharpener. That really means a lot to me.”

The two continued on their walk, as time went by, the silence grew into one of a comfortable warmth between friends. Words weren’t even needed to be uttered to convey emotions.

He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He’s the song in the car I keep singing, don’t know why I do

Gohan locked himself away from his family, hoping to get just a few more of the cords worked out. Even if he did intend to finish the song, that didn’t mean Trunks had to know anything about it.

Sharpener didn’t know just what secret he had been letting on when he told Trunks of Gohan’s newest song, but after seeing a quick scribble of the words in the music book of the locker they shared, he vowed himself to secrecy.

Gohan had told Trunks that the song wouldn’t be finished, and he would most certainly second his best friend. He had know Gohan longer than he had known Trunks, so therefore was where his loyalties were to lay.

Tru walks by me, can he tell that I can’t breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She’d better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she’s lucky cause

Gohan felt like a third wheel, well, more like a fifth wheel. The group of friends had met up at the football game, to cheer on the home team, no matter how badly they were being crushed.

Videl looked way too comfortable flirting with Trunks, for his liking. Sharpener had his arms wrapped around Erasa to cuddle using the chill of the wind as an excuse to edge closer. At half time, Sharpener made an excuse to get away from the group and insisted Gohan join him as the rest of their friends went for snacks and refreshments.

Sharpener sighed as he raked a hand through his silky golden locks. The two found themselves at the bridge that connected the vistor’s and home team’s sides. “Man, I thought you said you were ok with this.”

Gohan frowned as he looked out over the field. “I’m fine Sharp,” he hissed at the blond. “I don’t know, maybe I just need time to get used to the idea. I always knew he’d never feel the same way for me, it’s just hard to let it go, you know?”

“Hey, if you know, need to talk or anything, I’m all ears. I’m always here for you man.”

“Thanks Sharp. I’m glad you’re ok with it.” He let a sad reminiscent smile slip, “I was actually afraid of loosing your friendship too.”

Sharpener let out a soft sigh. “You should know me better than that. I wish you would have told me sooner, I would have let up on the jokes about all the girls I’ve tried to hook you up with. I don’t know… maybe would have helped you to find a boyfriend instead?”

Gohan laughed. Truly laughed feeling as ease talking about the subject with someone he was once even too afraid too mention. “Would you now? And I suppose you know my type?” He smirked as the blond blushed knowing not anything except for the sexual orientation of the other, being that he just found that out too.

So, there they were, out to eat after the game, feeling like the unnecessary weight on a double date. He smiled easily enough, making sure that any thoughts about the pain were securely tucked away into the corner of his mind.

He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He’s the song in the car I keep singing, don’t know why I do

Gohan sat at the booth of the cafe that was their regular meeting place on Sunday afternoon. He had strategically avoided having too much contact with the object of secret affections all weekend, using excuses such as baby-sitting and home-work to avoid long conversations, but he knew if he missed their weekly excursion to the small cafe, it would be obvious (if it wasn’t enough already) he was avoiding the other.

So here they sat, each silently drowning in their own cups of french vanilla, or caramel and cinnamon cappuccinos. The intermingling scents so familiar, yet oddly foreboding this time.

“Gohan… what’s wrong?” Trunks noticed how his closest friend refused to look him in the eyes.

Gohan took a sip, trying to rid the dryness in his mouth in order to reply, “Nothing’s wrong Tru.”

A slight sigh left the lighter teen’s lips. “Goh… Gohan… Please. I really want to help. I swear. You just have to tell me what’s wrong so we can work it out. Please Gohan. I know you’ve been avoiding me lately, and if I’ve done something… I just…”

Gohan bit his lip knowing tears would only make the situation worse. “I don’t think this is something you can help me with Trunks. It’s not you I swear, and I know as dumb and cliché as that sounds, there’s just… things… I need to work out first.”

“Things…?” Trunks grew tired of Gohan skipping around the truth. He knew that he was hiding something, something big, and it was really beginning to piss him off that Gohan wouldn’t tell him. They were supposed to be best friends, but Gohan obviously didn’t care enough about that to share. “Look, if you can’t even be straight with me… Damn it Gohan!” Trunks didn’t know what to do at this point, and getting desperate was getting the best of him.

Gohan stiffened at the nearly violent outburst. Trunks didn’t have that short of a fuse, but he knew the fire had been lit, and that it was burning to the boiling point quickly. He stared back with a blank expression, hoping to come across as cold, knowing he couldn’t hide the fear now brewing in the tense environment.

Trunks looked back up again, obviously ashamed for such a harsh outburst, but what did he have to do to get through this. Gohan’s expression immediately softened when he saw the tears welling up in the blue eyes he’d never wish to see pained again.

“Trunks. I’m sorry. I just thought it would be better… I… I didn’t want to…” He was the one hanging his head in shame now, seeing that he had accomplished what he had set out to avoid.

“Didn’t want to what, Gohan?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” And with that soft admittance, the tension began to bleed away as two friends looked at each other with small smiles on their faces. Trunks reached across the table to Gohan’s hand, and knew with the affectionate squeeze, somehow everything that had felt wrong, had suddenly felt right.

“It just hurts to think about, and I didn’t want to be a bother with it.”

“Gohan… What are you talking about?” Trunks asked in a slight desperation, hoping he wasn’t confused as to where this might lead.

“I love you, Tru. I think I have for quite some time, it just seems that I didn’t want to admit it until it was too late.” Gohan looked up, expecting to see the worst of a pair of angry blue eyes.

Trunks stared back in shock. No, not shock… Hope? A pair of vibrant blue eyes were lit with hope, love and understanding.

So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I’ll put his picture down and maybe
Get some sleep tonight

Trunks knew he had made a colossal mistake, but now knew things weren’t beyond repair. Gohan liked him, really liked him, and he liked Gohan.

Videl wouldn’t have even been brought into the picture if he had known then the chance he had with the dark eyed demi. He was just hoping to distract himself with admitting to himself there was no way Gohan would ever feel the same.

Boy did he call that one wrong. He had managed to make a complete ass of himself in assumption as well.

They had spent the entire Sunday afternoon talking things through, and working things out. Needless to say, both had felt better, to an extent. Gohan felt a twinge of guilt at hurting the girl he barely knew, and knew Trunk felt even worse for using her.

He’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who’s got enough of me to heal my heart
He’s the song in the car I keep singing, don’t know why I do
He’s the time taken up, but there’s never enough
And he’s all that I need to fall into..

Trunks and Gohan shared their first kiss, safely tucked away from the fall’s chill in the warmth of the blue-eyed demi’s car. Of course it was impossible for the other to share such mutual feelings.

As taboo as they seemed, neither teen really cared at this point. They were there for each other, and that’s all that really mattered.

Tru looks at me, I give a smile only he can see.

There was always a way re-write the ending of a story.