tongue tied

don't leave me tongue tied, don't wave no goodbye

'Ring...Ring...Ring'

Goten rubbed his eyes, groaning as he reached over to his phone to see it ringing with the name 'Trunks (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥' at the top of the screen. He sighed, picking it up on its fifth ring. "Hello?" He managed to croak out.

"Goten! I overheard my Mom calling my Dad. There's some danger. You need to come down to Capsule Corp so we can check it out together!" Trunk said excitedly through the phone. If Goten was being honest, he didn't really want to see Trunks right now, given the state of his feelings but the thought of fighting did intrigue him.

"I don't think my Mom would let me." Was all Goten could think of to say.

"Just makeup an excuse."

"Mkay." Goten replied tiredly.

"Love you." Trunks said jokingly but was met with silence. "Say it back." Goten could almost see the pout on Trunks' face.

"Love you too." Trunks smiled at that, hoping that Goten was smiling too. "Bye." Goten quickly hung up the phone, stretching to properly wake himself up.

He made his way quietly down the hallway of his home, hoping to slip past without catching his mother's attention. As he approached the living room, he heard the sound of Chi-Chi cooking.

Heart pounding, Goten paused, unsure of what to do. Trunks' insistence echoed in his mind. He couldn't afford to waste time; lives could be at stake. Without thinking too much about the consequences, he approached Chi-Chi.

"Mom," Goten began tentatively, trying to sound casual, "Trunks just called. He wants to see me. Said it's important."

Chi-Chi turned to him, concern etched on her face. "Is everything okay? You two haven't spoken for a while."

Goten hesitated, not wanting to lie outright but also knowing he couldn't reveal the true reason. "Yeah, I... I think so. Just something he wanted to talk about."

Chi-Chi studied him for a moment, her motherly instincts sensing something was amiss. Finally, she sighed softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, Goten. Just be careful, okay? You were quite hurt by his actions the other day."

Goten nodded gratefully, nervousness washing over him as he turned to leave. He hurried out of the house and took to the sky, flying as fast as he could towards Capsule Corp. As he flew, thoughts raced through his mind. He wondered what Trunks had discovered, why Bulma seemed so concerned, and whether they were truly prepared for whatever danger lay ahead. But amidst the worry and uncertainty, one thought remained clear—Trunks needed him, and he couldn't let his... friend? Face this alone. A certain feeling of guilt rushed through him as he thought about how selfish he was to have the idea that maybe today was the day Trunks would express his love back.

He knew Trunks loved him, all friends love each other. But he wanted Trunks to like him, to *want* him, to yearn for him in the way Goten did.

Arriving at Capsule Corp, Goten landed gracefully near the entrance. Trunks was waiting for him, looking tense but determined.

"Goten, you made it," Trunks said, relief evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Goten replied, his breath slightly taken away by how good Trunks looked when he was worried. "What's going on, Trunks?"

Trunks hesitated for a moment before answering, his expression grave. "I overheard her talking about some energy my Dad and yours felt from Planet Beerus."

Goten frowned, his senses on high alert. "What kind of trouble?"

Trunks shook his head, his blue hair swaying slightly, distracting Goten. "I'm not sure yet. But I thought we should check it out together. You know, like old times."