tongue tied

i loved you then, i love you now.

In the bustling city of West City, where towering skyscrapers and busy streets were a daily backdrop, Goten, at fifteen years old, found himself in a predicament he'd hoped to avoid. School had just let out, and he was on his way home when a group of older students, notorious for their bullying, decided to target him.

"Hey, isn't that Choks' friend?" One of the bullies sneered, his voice dripping with malice.

"Yeah, let's teach him a lesson for him humiliating us the other day," another chimed in, cracking his knuckles menacingly.

Goten knew he could easily handle them. After all, he was the son of Goku, trained in martial arts and capable of incredible feats of strength. But he had always been taught to use his abilities responsibly, and violence was not something he wanted to resort to, especially in public where it could cause a scene. Also, just a little too much force and someone could end up dead, and it definitely wasn't going to be Goten.

He continued to run through the busy city streets, occasionally earning some honks from cars he ran in front hoping to lose the boys chasing him. Eventually, he rounded a corner only to find it was an alleyway with a dead end.

The bullies cornered Goten their jeers echoing off the brick walls. Goten's heart raced with a mixture of anger and frustration. He could feel the energy building within him, ready to burst forth in defense, but he held back, trying to think of a way out without escalating the situation.

"FWSH!"

Suddenly, a figure materialised in front of Goten. He was taller than Goten, with striking blue hair and an air of quiet confidence. There was a sword strapped to his back and he was wearing a blue cropped jacket with the logo of Capsule Corp on his left arm. Goten could only see his back, but his presence alone seemed to command attention.

Without a word, the blue-haired boy stepped forward. In a swift movement, he extended his hand and with a flick of his fingers, lightly tapped the forehead of the main bully. It was a gentle gesture, almost dismissive, but the effect was astonishing.

The bully flew backward, his eyes wide with disbelief before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The other bullies gasped in shock, their bravado evaporating instantly.

"Run!" one of them shouted, and within moments, they scattered in all directions, leaving Goten and the mysterious rescuer alone in the alley.

"Are you okay?" the blue-haired boy asked calmly, turning to face Goten for the first time.

"T-Trunks?!" Goten swore his eyes were deceiving him. This mysterious man looked exactly like his best friend just older. "When did you get so tall? And strong?!"

"Ah you must be Goten." He replied with a small smile, reaching out to ruffle Goten's hair. "I was actually looking for your brother and thought I sensed his Ki but it turned out to be you. You okay?"

Goten nodded, still slightly stunned by what had just transpired. "Yeah... thank you. I didn't want to fight them."

The blue-haired man nodded in understanding. "I could tell. Sometimes people need a reminder without all the fuss."

"Who... who are you?" Goten finally managed to ask.

The boy smiled faintly. "I'm Trunks, just not *you're* Trunks."

"What do you mean?" Goten looked at him confused.

"Walk with me." He gestured to the end of the alleyway and Goten followed him.

After leaving the alleyway, Trunks and Goten found themselves walking through the busy streets of West City. Goten couldn't shake off his bewilderment as he glanced at Trunks occasionally, noting the striking similarities yet undeniable differences between this Trunks and his best friend.