Love, A Game..

Chapter 16

Gohan's heart was pounding furiously. He could feel his pulse strongly in his fingertips, in his throat, in his temples. Only the most powerful exertion of control over his emotions prevented him from collapsing in tears, latching onto Trunks' neck and refusing the let his koibito go.

Much too soon for the teenager's liking, he was being forced to leave his beloved Gohan, when he would have given anything to be able to stay just one more day ... one more hour ... one more minute ...

They'd said their goodbyes the previous night, as they lay close together in Trunks' bed. Each had refused to release the other after their last time together, and so they fell asleep bonded in body and heart. But not even sleep could ease the pain of the farewells they knew they would have to make all too soon. Trying to savor their remaining time together, Trunks and Gohan had been joined at the hip, at the hand, and at the heart, ever since the teenager had been wished back to life.

Of course it wasn't enough. Of course it couldn't begin to make up for the grief of enforced separation. Of course it wouldn't spare either of them the agony of losing the one they loved.

But at the time, it helped.

All the Z Senshi had assembled to bid Trunks farewell. Even Android 18 had turned up with her new friend and soon-to-be boyfriend Krillin. The lavender-haired bishonen was still uneasy around this timeline's version of the cyborg that had destroyed his world, but for his mate Krillin's sake he tried to act normal around her. After all, as the bald monk emphatically insisted to anyone who would or wouldn't listen, she wasn't really a bad guy anymore.

Vegeta and Goku were also there, and to almost everyone's surprise they were actually standing within three feet of each other without the vengeful prince trying to destroy Kakkarot. The one more likely to be a threat to Goku's safety was Chi Chi, who was standing as far away as possible from the two purebloods and alternating between shooting death glares and stubbornly ignoring them. Hell hath no fury etc. She had promptly kicked Goku out after finding out about his infatuation with Vegeta, and her father had moved in with her on a permanent basis. With Gohan now spending the majority of his time at Capsule Corp, the little house in the mountain district was quite contentedly hosting the Ox King and his raven-haired spitfire of a daughter all alone.

Not so Bulma. After walking in on the two Saiyans and receiving a rather delicious eyeful, the blue-haired female had literally shrugged and jumped into Yamcha's bed. The other human hadn't minded adopting Chibi Trunks as well as his old girlfriend and the trio were very rapidly turning into one happy family.

Everyone seemed to be settling down and everything wrapping up in a neat little package ... except for Gohan. When Trunks left he would be alone, and in the very depths of his soul he knew he could never move on from his lavender-haired angel.

It was killing him to let Trunks go, just as it was killing the trunks to leave. The azure-eyed teenager was so preoccupied with the impending separation from Gohan that he had to make a conscious effort to respond to the goodbyes the others were saying to him. With all his heart he just wanted to cling to Gohan and never let go. He embraced his mother, mutely signaled his father, and spoke to each of the Z Senshi, accepting their farewells and well-wishing with as much composure as he could manage. Then it was Gohan's turn.

They hugged. Nothing else could really convey the amount of emotion present at this, their last goodbye. Gohan could hear his ribs creaking as Trunks' arms tightened around him fiercely, desperately, and warm tears slid from his eyes to soak the older boy's jacket. He pressed himself as firmly to the other demi as was physically possible, but even this close contact was hopelessly unsatisfying.

"I'll always love you, Gohan," the teenager whispered in his ear. So many times the charcoal-eyed demi had felt that same delightful breath tickling his cheek ... it choked him to think he never would again.

"Think of me?"

"Always."

"I'll never forget you, Trunks." Both were now extremely close to losing control. It was impossible to tell whose voice wobbled more, whose words were more choked, whose hold was more desperate ... who was more devastated at their parting.

An eternity too soon, Gohan was pushing Trunks away. As the lavender-haired part-Saiyan took a deep, trembling breath, his younger counterpart sniffed, trying not to hiccup. "Go ... go on," he whispered. "Get out of here." He looked at the ground as his koibito, with heart-rending reluctance, turned and climbed into the time machine, but once the vessel's engine started he couldn't help meeting the other's gaze.

He thought his heart was being ripped out right then and there. The grief in Trunks' eyes, the way cornflower blue shimmered into a spectrum of mourning tore him apart. Every line in his beloved's face conveyed the agony he felt, and Gohan's soul bled for him.

And then the time traveler flew high in the sky and vanished in his gaze. He started crying hard and his heart broke into a thousand pieces..

The end

=============================

There say something..

Believe me, it's not yet the end.. 😂😂