Love, A Game..

Chapter 10

Mrs. Briefs hummed quietly to herself as she poured a cup of tea. One and a half sugars, a teaspoonful of milk, filled half an inch short of the brim, just the way Bulma liked it. She placed another cup on the tray and took an unopened packet of biscuits from the cupboard, then poked her head into the living room.

“Trunks, dear, how do you take your tea?” she called. The handsome young man, who, oddly, had the same name as her grandson, looked up from the television.

“Uh, black, no sugar, thank you,” he mumbled. Smiling as she stored the information away for future reference, Mrs. Briefs carried out the requested specifications, then picked up the completed tray of tea and biscuits. But just as she was about to step into the living room, a tornado sent her flying.

“WHERE IS HE? I KNOW HE’S IN HERE SOMEWHERE! OHH, YOU’D BETTER BE HIDING, TRUNKS, COS WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU-”

“CHI CHI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY HOUSE?”

Bulma was possibly the only woman on Earth who could match Son Chi Chi for volume, but even she had to strain her voice to be heard above the murderous ranting of the ebony-haired firecracker.

“Rrrr … I’ll get him … how dare he … the nerve…” Chi Chi was now standing in the middle of a wrecked room, glaring all around her and bristling with furious red energy. One hand clenched the handle of her frying pan; the other gripped a terrified Gohan’s gi. Turning to Bulma, she almost snarled, “All right, spill it. Where’s Trunks? The one from the future?”

The cerulean-eyed woman blinked in surprise. “He was here a moment ago, Chi chi. Why do you ask?”

“Because,” growled Chi Chi, “I want to throttle him.”

*Well that was unexpected* thought Bulma. “Can I ask why?” she asked, rather nervously. Her friend may have had a terrible temper, but she normally didn’t get this fired up over nothing. “What did he do?”

Chi Chi’s eye twitched. “What did he do?” he repeated softly. “What did he do?” Bulma had a sudden premonition of an approaching storm. “HE CORRUPTED MY PURE LITTLE SWEET INNOCENT Gohan, THAT’S WHAT HE DID!” A manic light was in Chi Chi’s eyes and Gohan, his gi collar still firmly clenched in his mother’s grasp, looked absolutely petrified.

“What are you talking about?” asked Bulma cluelessly. Chi Chi leant in close suddenly, scaring her so she took an involuntary step backwards. Her voice lowered to a hiss.

“Your son,” she whispered venomously, “is gay. He corrupted my son.”

Bulma’s eyes boggled. “Trunks is a fruit?” she gasped. Her eyes darted to the still-fearful Gohan. “Is this true?”

The young Super Saiyan squirmed, trying to escape Chi Chi’s grip. “Mum – I can’t breathe-” he croaked, prompting the black-haired woman to release him abruptly. Taking a breath, he summoned up his courage, looked Bulma in the eye and said calmly, “Yes, it’s true. Trunks and I are in love.”

There was a loud thud as Bulma facefaulted. “You’re WHAT?” she screeched.

“We’re in love, mother,” said a voice, and all three turned to see Trunks standing behind an overturned armchair. In the same instant, Bulma gaped, Gohan’s face lit up with an adorable smile, and Chi Chi growled furiously.

“You!” she snapped, and advanced on him threateningly, drawing her frying pan back for a swing at his head.

Trunks yelped and dived sideways, scrambling as far away as he could from the enraged Son Chi Chi. She followed him relentlessly around the room, murder in her eyes, pursuing the teenager and cutting off his escape. But even as she cornered him and raised her weapon for the deadliest blow she could muster, Gohan, heedless of his own safety, stepped between them.