Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After eating nothing but room temperature foods from a can for the past God knows how long, any type of hot meal made Trunks miss how things were between the time of the Androids and Goku Black. The time where everything was just...normal. Everyone was fine. Well, everyone who was alive at that point. The people were rebuilding Earth. He was able to just relax and enjoy the world without having to worry about being attacked. Even when he had to stop Babidi and Dabura, he had taken them out with such ease that he’d hardly consider them a significant threat. That period of time had been the best time of his life.

And now it’s gone.

Trunks was absolutely starving, but he ate his food slowly. He felt anxious. He was uncertain of what was going to happen to him and Mai now that their timeline was destroyed. He would steal glances towards Mai every now and then to see that she was laughing and smiling as she made conversation with his mother. It was a nice change. Seeing her smile made his heart flutter and all of his worries seemed to vanish at once. Her laugh sounded like music to his ears. He would do anything to make sure she was always smiling and laughing.

He turned his eyes back towards his food before she could glance over at him. He took a bite and chewed slowly. He had to take a drink of water after swallowing to help it stay down. It wasn’t that the food was terrible. He actually liked his grandmother’s cooking, but the uncertainty of their situation was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He felt a pair of cold eyes on him and glanced up to see his father staring at him. Trunks furrowed his brows a bit before setting down his fork and clearing his throat.

“Pardon me.” He said softly and stood up, pushing his chair back in before disappearing into the Capsule Corp building.

Once inside, the young man sighed deeply and walked to the nearest bathroom. The nausea was almost too much for him at this point. He didn’t know why the sudden wave of anxiety decided to hit, but God did it hit him harder than anything he’s felt before.

He closed and locked the door behind him. Turning on the sink, he cupped his hands underneath it and splashed the cold water onto his hot face. He repeated this action several times before turning the faucet off and grabbing a nearby towel to dry off. He stood up straight and removed the towel, finally catching a glimpse at his features in the mirror.

Unlike the child outside with his family, Trunks’ eyes were dim, dark, and not the bright blue that this version of himself had. Dark, heavy bags sat underneath his dim eyes. They were an instant sign to anyone that it had been weeks--no, months --since he had gotten any kind of decent sleep. Even the time he spent here, he had tossed and turned all night in bed just worrying about his timeline and how Mai was holding up. His face had thinned out. This was most likely caused by the lack of nutrients in his diet. He, however, had gained a bit of muscle mass in the time spent training with his father here. He could still remember what the new form he had discovered felt like and tried his hardest not to forget it. He never knew when he might need it someday.

Trunks jumped slightly at the sound of a knock on the door, shaking his head to bring his mind back to reality for a moment. He cleared his throat and breathed out, not even noticing how he was holding his breath. “I’ll be right out.” He said and took one last look at his face, making a small prayer that the lavender haired child of this timeline wouldn’t end up becoming like a mess as well.

He half-expected his mother outside the door. Or even his father coming in just to scold him for God knows what. But when he opened the door, he was taken aback by the black-haired woman in front of him. His heart leaped at seeing her, and he had to swallow it back down. “Sorry for taking so long. I was just...thinking.”

Mai tilted her head at him and furrowed her brows, frowning a bit. “Are you okay?” She asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. You’re so pale…” She reached her hand up to feel his cheek with the back of it. The small touch was enough to make Trunks’ stomach churn with some unknown emotion. “You’re burning up. Maybe you should go lie down somewhere.” She removed her hand and placed it into the pocket of her coat.

Trunks hadn’t realized he had been staring at her until she spoke her last sentence. He blinked and shook his head a bit. “I’m fine. I’m not sick.” He reassured her, giving a small grin as he reached to turn the light off and walk out. He was confused, however, when she crossed her arms and almost refused to move out of his way.

“Trunks. If it was enough for you to get up and leave dinner, then it’s enough for you to go lie down.” She relaxed her posture and frowned. “Well, before that, that God and his Angel wanted to talk to us. I don’t know about what, but just looking at the two of them gives me a bad feeling.” She shuddered. Trunks could only assume she was thinking about what she had been told about them.

“...” Trunks fell quiet for a moment. He didn’t know how to respond to her. He took a breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth, giving her a small nod. “Let’s see what they want then.”

The two of them arrived back with everyone else and took their respective seats next to each other. Trunks couldn’t help but blush a bit when he saw his mother look over at the two and smile as if they had gone off to do something inappropriate. Mai had seemingly noticed, too. Her own pale cheeks having a slight dusting of pink.

Trunks’ attention was turned towards Beerus when he heard the God clear his throat. Trunks half-expected him to start talking, but was surprised a bit when the Angel spoke for him instead.

“We’ve found a way to bring you back to a timeline similar to your own.” Whis stated. Trunks sat up instantly at the news and glanced at Mai to gauge her own reaction to it. “However, there’s a catch. This timeline already has its own Trunks and Mai. But it’s a timeline where Zamasu will be destroyed before he’s able to go on his little rampage.”

Relief filled Trunks as he heard those words. He stayed silent though and looked towards Mai. Whatever Mai wanted was what he would agree with it. If she wanted to go to that timeline and live, he’d gladly follow her to make sure she was safe. If she wanted to stay here, he would. Though he felt a spark of happiness when she seemed to smile at the idea and nod her head a bit.

“That sounds great.” She said and bowed her head down a bit, closing her eyes. “Thank you so much for this.”

“Please , we’re not doing it for you.” Beerus finally spoke, taking a drink of whatever liquid was in the fancy cocktail glass he was given. “We’re doing it to get you out of our hair. You’ll only cause more trouble for us later down the line.”

Trunks wanted to sink back into his chair at the words. They sounded cold and too blunt. Of course, the divine beings didn’t really care about the two of them, but they didn’t have to be so harsh towards them. Trunks only did what he thought would be necessary to help his timeline. But apparently he was wrong. He had failed. His timeline was gone.

“...When will we be leaving?” Trunks spoke finally. He made sure to keep all of his emotions on the inside. If he showed the slightest hint of something weak, he expected to be scolded by his father or be teased by Mai for it. He cared more about Mai’s reaction to be honest. He didn’t want Mai to think he was apprehensive about this. Who knows how it would make her feel.

“We’ll leave in the morning or early afternoon. It’s too late now, and Lord Beerus gets grumpy without his sleep.” Whis smiled a bit and looked down at the God. “Best not to have him easily upset. Don’t want to destroy this timeline, too.”

The joke made Trunks sick. He knew it wasn’t supposed to be harsh--or he didn’t think it was--but it left a bad taste in his mouth.

He nodded his head and stood up. “We’ll be ready.” Trunks sounded confident. And for the most part, he was. The idea of being able to go back to “his” world and not have to worry about some sort of threat was appealing to him. Though he had to admit, he was still a little anxious about it all. What would their Trunks and Mai think of them? Would they even introduce each other or would they just decide to stay to themselves and let those two live out their lives? That would be something they’d have to discuss once they arrived. Even though part of him knew that leaving them be would be the best option, he wanted to have access to his mother in that timeline just in case.

Mai stood up with Trunks and nodded, grinning. “Again, thank you for this opportunity.” She looked up at Trunks and her features seemed to soften. Or maybe Trunks just wanted to believe they had.

Bulma smiled at the two and stood up herself, clasping her hands together. “Well, that means you two are going to need to stay here for at least the night.” She grinned and closed one eye in a sort of wink. “So, do you want a room together or separate?”

The two blushed automatically. Mai shook her head and held her hands up defensively. Trunks furrowed his brows  and rubbed the back of his neck. The two of them spoke in unison.

“Separate.”

Chapter Text

Trunks’ heavy eyes stared at the ceiling stubbornly staying open even though he desperately wanted to sleep. The silence in the home was agonizing to him. He still had associations towards silence as unknown whereabouts of Black. And even then, it was never completely quiet. There was always someone in the group moaning or groaning from pain. There was always sounds of buildings’ foundations giving in and crumbling to the ground. There was always the crackling of fires that Black had started. The absolute silence was enough to drive him mad.

He rolled over onto his one side and glanced at the clock. The dim numbers lit up “2:31”. He groaned and rolled onto his back, sitting up a bit as he stared at the moonlit wall. Looks like it was going to be another sleepless night for him. Not that he was surprised. He hadn’t gotten enough sleep in so long. But he was hoping that his body would finally force him to pass out from pure exhaustion.

Trunks sighed and slouched back down onto the mattress, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair after and let his arms plop back down at his sides. Even his arms felt way too heavy for him to manage. Yet insomnia still pressed on like some desperate lover not wanting to let go. Trunks was safe. There were no threats. Then why couldn’t he relax?

Trunks glanced over at the clock and groaned when he saw that it had only been two minutes since he had last checked. He had been laying here for at least three hours now. Just staring off into space and trying his damndest to get some form of sleep. He hoped that at least Mai was sleeping at this point. She had always seemed to fall asleep with more ease than Trunks ever could. Even when they had no idea where Black was, she would easily slip into a light slumber. Trunks envied her in that regard.

Trunks closed his eyes and rolled over onto his side, tucking one of his hands underneath the pillow. If his body wasn’t going to force itself to sleep, he was going to have to try harder until it got the idea. After a few minutes of nothing but his mind racing around, he heard the door squeak open and sensed someone moving inside of the room. Trunks sat up a bit and looked over at the door. His heart leapt when he saw her , having to swallow it back down. She wore a pair of grey sweatpants and a light grey shirt that his mother had loaned to her. Her black eyes were casted down towards her bare feet as if she was embarrassed to be here. It was a refreshing sight to say the least.

“I, um...couldn’t sleep.” She murmured. “...Can I lay down in here with you for a little while?”

She sounded so sweet, so soft, so innocent. He felt his own face get slightly heated and nodded. Though he quickly cleared his throat after realizing he was casted in more shadow than she was. “Yeah. I don’t mind.” He answered and scooted over a bit to make room for her. Mentally, he was panicking at the thought of sharing a bed with her. What if his mother happened to walk in on them in the morning and begin questioning them? He didn’t want her to think that they had done anything in the way she would take it.

The feeling of her moving next to him made his chest tighten. And not in the bad way that it had done earlier. He didn’t really know how to explain how it felt, but it just felt...different. He made sure she was nice and situated before laying back down himself, turning his body to face the wall rather than her. The fact that the bed was a little small for two people to share meant he could feel her back up against his own. Even through the fabrics of both of their shirts, he could feel the warmth of her skin. He could hear the soft breaths that she took from how quiet it was in the room.

“Hey. Can I...ask you something?” Mai spoke up after a few minutes.

Trunks hummed as a form of answering her. “What is it?” He asked back. The fact that she wanted to ask him something made him feel a bit uneasy, but he swallowed down the anxiety. If this question was important enough for her to ask right now, then it was important enough for him to answer.

“How do you feel about going to a new timeline? Like...isn’t it going to be weird to see ourselves and it not be...us?” Trunks heard Mai shift and felt her weight on the bed move. He could only assume that she had sat up, but he refused to let himself look at her.

“We’ve already seen ourselves technically.” Trunks answered with a small laugh in the form of an exhale.

“That’s not what I mean…” Mai’s voice sounded small. It made her seem much younger than she actually was.

Trunks sighed and sat up, turning himself to look at her. She was sitting up. Her knees were bent and brought up closer to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs in a hugging fashion, her head tilted towards him. The position didn’t look comfortable to him. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.” He watched her face to find out if his answer had satisfied her. He swallowed when she didn’t move or go to speak. Sighing, he moved to sit criss cross, placing his hands in his lap.

“Listen. I know it’s going to be hard to adjust to this new timeline. I mean, even coming here takes a little adjusting for me, and I’ve been here twice before. And the me here is a child.” He paused. “But how I see things is that we have two options. Either we try to coexist with the Trunks and Mai there. Or we don’t make contact with anyone we knew and stay as far away from them as possible. I know that might seem like a lot to ask, but it’s probably the-”

“That’s probably the best option…” Mai finished and turned her head to look down. “That’s kinda what I was thinking actually. Like going back and being able to see my friends again would be nice, but...having two of us the same age would make everything confusing.” She took a breath and let herself fall back down onto the bed. “I just wanted to know what you thought about it all.”

Trunks watched her as she turned over onto his side to face away from him. He took a deep inhale and exhaled through his mouth. He followed after her and laid back down on his back, placing an arm behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Silence fell down between the two of them. This silence, however, was not as painful to him as it had been when it was just him. He could still hear the quiet breaths she took if he focused hard enough. It was soothing to know someone else was there with him.

He closed his eyes, but didn’t shift or move his position. An intense wave of drowsiness fell upon him as he laid there. At this exact moment, he felt like he could finally fall asleep. He felt like he could sleep for days. All of the sleepless nights were finally settling in. His mind finally screamed at him to just fucking sleep already. This feeling was nice for a change.

His eyes opened when he felt Mai shift to face towards him. He half expected her to say something, but when he looked over, she was fast asleep. A small grin worked its way onto his face, and he shifted his own body to face her. He allowed himself to sit there and relish in the moment. Looking at her sleeping was enough to calm his core down. He had to admit that she was rather adorable like this. He had noticed it soon after they started hanging around each other during the turmoil. Trunks at first didn’t want to be too close to her in case some of the others in the resistance group assumed they were together. But eventually, Trunks had made it his own mission to never stray far from her if she was vulnerable like this. Something deep inside of him had pushed him to protect her. He couldn’t tell if it was human or Saiyan instincts--only that it was some sort of instinct.

The young man exhaled when he realized he had been holding his breath. He knew there were feelings for her inside of his heart that weren’t exactly entirely platonic. He just never had time to sit down and analyze his own emotions to see what they all could mean. Did he love Mai? He wasn’t exactly sure. He had felt love before. Love for his mother. Love for Gohan. But those were more of a familiar, platonic sort of feeling. He cared deeply for them just like he did with Mai. But there was...something else there. Whenever he thought of Mai, he thought of warmth. She was always kind to those she meet. The children of their group had even fallen in love with her despite the fact that she carried around something as dangerous as a gun. He admired her strength. He admired how strong her dedication to their cause was.

Something about her drew him in and didn’t want to let go of him.

And if he were honest, he didn’t want it to let go.

When she was in danger, his first instinct had always been to protect her. When she was severely injured, giving her a Senzu bean in the form of a kiss felt so right to him. He hadn’t even thought twice about it. Hell, he could have easily just put it in her mouth. And he hated himself slightly for even thinking about kissing her while she was unconscious. The first kiss they had ever had, and she wasn’t even awake to experience it with him. Could he even really count it as a first kiss then? It was just him pressing his mouth against her soft, pale lips…

He had flustered himself with thinking about it. Turning away from her, he placed his face into his hands. God, his mind was too tired for this. He really shouldn’t be dissecting himself right now. He sighed and adjusted himself to be a little more comfortable. He finally closed his eyes for the last time before drifting off into a well needed slumber…

His dreams had seemed so real to him. He couldn’t count on his hands how many dreams he had had of Black that seemed too real to him. Those were nightmares that he’d wake up in a cold sweat while panting. Those were nightmares that made him stay up for days. He didn’t want to have to face that demon in both the real world and his dream world. Besides, those nightmares would also involved someone he cared about dying. His mother. The entire group. Mai…

The first hint that told him this was a dream was the fact that he had just gotten off of the phone with his mother. His mother was dead. There was no use hiding that fact from himself anymore. She was dead, and there was nothing he or anyone could do about it.

The second hint was the clock on the stove of the kitchen he stood in wasn’t even a real time. He knew that when dreaming words and time didn’t make sense nor did they appear normally.

The third came as a sudden shock to his system. A pair of thin arms wrapped around his waist as he stood there. A thin body to match pressed up against his back, and he felt a cheek against his shoulder blade. “Who was that, dear?”

The voice was hers. He’d know that voice anywhere. He spent the roughly the past year making sure that voice of hers was never silenced for good. He found himself smiling and placing his own hand over hers. “Oh. It was just Mom. She wanted to congratulate us.” His dream self slowly moved her hands and his body so that they were facing each other. They pressed their foreheads together, and both of them grinning at each other.

Trunks didn’t need words to know what they were being congratulated on. His hands had moved down to be placed upon Mai’s stomach.

Suddenly, Mai had reached up and wrapped her arms around Trunks’ neck. Both of their eyes closed as the happy couple kissed. The kiss was gentle at first, but soon there was a spark of passion. A spark of passion that real Trunks craved to have between the two of them even if he wouldn’t admit it aloud. But he could live through these dreams he supposed. For now at least.

Soon, Trunks had picked Mai up and placed her onto the kitchen counter. The kiss had become much more sloppy, messy, and filled with so much love that he was jealous of himself. He pulled away from her mouth and was soon attacking her neck with little kisses and nibbles. Mai’s noises as he left a little bruise were enough to drive him crazy.

“Trunks…” Mai had said in a breathy tone. Never in his life had she said his name so sweet. Everything about this sparked some dormant instincts hidden deep inside. His hands slipped up underneath her shirt to cup her chest, squeezing softly to ensure he didn’t hurt her by being too rough.

Hurting her was the last thing he wanted.

Soon, he had worked her shirt off of her. Might as well see how far he could take things, seeing as this was a dream and really had no consequences. He found himself leaving a trail of kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, and between her breasts, slowly making his way downwards.

“Trunks…” When he looked up at her, she had her head leaned back. Her lips were slightly parted, her eyes closed, and a faint blush covered her features. Kami, did she look beautiful like that.

His name echoed in his mind. Her sweet voice slowly morphed into the voice of his mother with a loud banging noise on the door to the room he was staying in.

“Trunks! It’s time to get up! You only have an hour and a half to get ready and have breakfast!” This Bulma had always sounded a little stricter than his own mother. But he blamed it on the much more arrogant attitude of this version of himself.

Trunks groaned and sat up, glancing over to the side of the bed where Mai had been before they fell asleep.

She was gone.

Of course, she’d get up before he would. It was probably for the best to be honest. Less questions they’d have to answer if they were seen walking out together.

“I’m up!” He hollered at his mother, rubbing his temples as the reminisce of his dream still floated through his thoughts. It had felt so real to him even though he knew it was a dream. Real enough for his body to react at least. He felt like a child when he had come to realize there was wet substance in his pants. Only he doubted it was an innocent act of wetting the bed. God, was he thankful that she had left or this would be embarrassing.

He rushed to get out of bed and grabbed the clothes Bulma had washed for him the day before. Disappearing into the small bathroom attached to the room, he started the shower on a cold, but tolerable temperature.

And he could really use a nice, long, cold shower right now.

Chapter Text

Mai had noticed his awkward silence as they ate breakfast. He even refused to look at her for very long. She was worried that sleeping in his bed had made things weird between the two of them. But she couldn’t see why he would be so awkward about it. They had just slept. Period. Nothing else had happened between the two. So why does he act like they had committed such a horrible sin?

Or was she blowing this out of proportion? Was she being selfish thinking that his awkwardness was because of her? It could very easily be his own nerves getting to him. That happened a lot recently, and it upset her to see him like that. He was a ball of emotions. He had witnessed terrible, horrible things, so it came to no surprise to her that he was affected by what he had been through. When she really thought about it, all she wanted to do was wrap him up in a hug and never let go of him.

She furrowed her brows and reached for her glass of orange juice, taking a rather small sip. His silence made her nervous, and the acidic drink wasn’t helping when it came to settling her stomach. She wanted to say something, but what? What could she say to him that wouldn’t make things even more awkward? She hated small talk, but that’s all she could think of to say. She’d take anything if it meant coxing out some words from him.

“How’d you sleep?” She spoke up and sat down her glass, picking back up her fork to continue eating the eggs Bulma had made the two this morning. He had barely touched his. He had barely even eaten dinner last night. It worried her. She knew how hungry he must have been, so why didn’t he eat? “You slept for a rather long time. You really needed a good night sleep, huh?”

She felt stupid talking as superficially to him as she did. They had been through so much together yet she still hadn’t been able to crack the code of getting him to talk when he didn’t want to. He seemed so calm on the surface, but she could practically feel the uneasiness radiate off of him. And she didn’t need to be able to sense Ki to know that much.

“Hm? Oh. I slept fine. You?” Trunks answered her question with the bare minimum. God, she hated these moods of his. Was it because they were around “his” family? He had acted like this ever since they’d gotten here. The only time he had really let her in was when he was sure none of them were around to hear. Like last night when he went to the bathroom.

Or when she had gone into his room to sleep.

She was starting to regret ever going in there. She had a bad feeling that she was the cause of his behavior. Was it what she asked? Was it because she woke up earlier and just left him? Was it her fault?

“I slept okay. Not the best sleep, but enough to keep me going.” Mai smiled at him and took a bite of the eggs. She shifted her gaze away from him towards the TV in the dining room area. A news report on some sort of sports team was playing, but she wasn’t really paying much attention as she stared blankly at it. She never really liked sports if she were completely honest.

“Are you okay?”

His voice had broke her concentration on the images on the screen. She turned her head towards him and blinked. She grinned a little and nodded her head. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You were kinda staring off.”  She watched as Trunks made a face of concern, a slight tilt in his head. “Do you have something on your mind?”

‘Why won’t you talk to me?’

‘Is something wrong?’

‘You seem stressed. Wanna talk about it?’

‘Was it something I did?’

These were all thoughts that flooded her head at once. He was giving her an opportunity to ask the questions she wanted to know. But the words got caught in her throat. She took a breath and sat down her silverware, propping her head up with her hand with her elbow against the table. “Not really. I guess I’m just...apprehensive about this new timeline thing.” It was a lie. But a lie that was believable enough for Trunks to not push further. Or at least she hoped it was believable enough.

Trunks nodded at her and looked down at his untouched food. “Yeah. I get that.” Relief washed over her when he didn’t press for any more information. She reached over and placed her hand on top of his.

“As long as we have each other, right?” She grinned and gave his larger hand a squeeze before slipping it away from him. She was afraid to let her touches linger for too long. She still wasn’t sure if she had caused his mood to be so sour. She didn’t want to keep upsetting him if she had. Why couldn’t she just ask him what’s wrong instead of sitting here doing nothing?

Mai stood up when she finished the last bite of her eggs, gathering up her dishes. Even though Bulma said not to worry about cleaning up, Mai felt like she’d be rude if she didn’t at least put her plate in the sink. After Mai stood there for a second while leaning against the counter, staring down at the nearly empty sink.

She jumped when she felt a hand against her shoulder. She looked back and saw a pair of blue eyes that were enough to make her grin.

“Do you wanna maybe talk about it?” Of course, he’s offer her reassurance. That was just the kind of guy he was. Even though he didn’t talk about his own problems often, he always made sure Mai knew he was there for her whenever she needed it.

She was lucky to have him in her life. The past few years before hadn’t been the best year of her life in all honesty. After running around with Pilaf and Shu for so long, she had gotten bored and lonely. They had been good fun, but she didn’t need that kind of entertainment anymore. She had left a little after Black had showed up. She still blamed herself for not being there to protect them. Yet she knew it was for the best for her survival in the long run. If she had stayed, there was no doubt she would have disappeared with them.

“Mai?”

She had been staring off again. She hadn’t even noticed.

“Oh! Sorry!” She quickly apologized and turned her body to face him. She leaned up against the counter, crossing her arms as she shrugged a shoulder. “I just...I don’t know. I can’t really talk about this. I don’t even know how I feel.” She spoke softly and looked down at the ground.

“...Well, maybe I can help you figure that out?” Trunks spoke in an equally soft and gentle tone. She felt both of his hands move to be placed onto her shoulders. She was sometimes surprised by how gentle he could be. Especially after witnessing the fight between him and the monstrosity that was Zamasu.

“Not right now. It’s almost time to leave.” Mai said and looked up at him. She had only ever seen such concern on his face when she or his mother had gotten hurt. His brows were furrowed, but his expression remained soft. Just looking at his face like that was enough for her heartbeat to accelerate. God, why did he have to be so sweet all the time?

“You two doing okay?” Bulma’s voice had startled her. Trunks’ hands had immediately dropped back down to his sides, and she felt a little disappointing that he didn’t keep them there. She understood why he’d do it. This Bulma would assume they were together when they weren’t. Their Bulma would have just brushed it off without saying anything. Whether she was thinking those things or not was a mystery to Mai. “Beerus and Whis are here, so you two should go finish getting ready.”

Chapter Text

Whis had given them clear, cut instructions on how to approach things. Even he agreed that it was best for them to ignore the other versions of themselves. So that had given them their answer on what to do for certain. Whis also suggested only Mai take trips into towns or villages. People would know Trunks’ face. They wouldn’t question someone like Mai. Trunks didn’t know how to feel about that one. Being in complete isolation while Mai could go out and be with others. The mere idea seemed terrifying to him. What would she do if people tried to flirt with her? Would she accept it? Or deny it?

What if she fell in love with someone and left him to be alone?

A chill ran down his spine at the idea. He slouched down into the seat of the time machine, keeping his eyes on the controls so she couldn’t see him. Why did the idea of her being with someone else make him so jealous? She wasn’t his. And he wasn’t her. It shouldn’t matter if she wanted to be with someone else. He understood completely actually. He was a mess. She deserved to be with someone better than him.

“How much longer?”

Her voice brought him back to reality. He perked up and turned to see her face. She was sitting against one of the sides of the time machine, being careful not to touch any of the controls or lean against the glass. The machine wasn’t built for more than one person, so her closeness was enough to make him feel like he was suffocating. He had barely been able to look her in the eyes since he had gotten up that morning. The images of that damn dream flashed into his mind from time to time, and he had to try his hardest to push away those thoughts until he was at least alone.

“Eh. Can’t say for sure. I’ve only traveled from our timeline to their timeline. Not to any other timeline. Maybe another five? Ten minutes?” It was probably the longest sentence he had spoken to her since last night. While they had said goodbye, he didn’t even look at her until his mother just had to comment about grandchildren. They had both just looked at each other before looking away while blushing furiously. The idea wasn’t unappealing to him, but he certainly was not in any shape to be a father. At least not right now.

“I hope we get there soon. I wanna see how this timeline’s different.” She had a childish like tone to her voice. It made Trunks smile.

“Probably won’t be too much longer.”

When they had arrived, the sun had started to set on this world. The sudden change had disoriented him since it was only late morning when they had left. It truly hadn't been that long since they’d left had it? He could tell that Mai was in the same boat as he was. Except she seemed to be a bit exhausted to him. She wasn’t used to tie traveling like he was. It took a lot out of her, and Trunks knew it would be best to get her to bed as soon as possible. So, he had deployed the Capsule home when they had landed. Lucky for them, they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere for now–a wasteland with rocky, jagged hills going for as long as eyes could see. In a few days, Trunks wanted to move their base of operations to a place more aesthetically pleasing. But those would have to do.

Afterwards, he had whipped the two of them up a small dinner using the food in the house and what food his mother had given them while Mai folded and put away their clothes. Dinner had been silent, but not uncomfortable. Sometimes it was nice to just sit in someone else’s company for a change. Especially when you’d been to Hell and back with that person. When dinner ended, Mai had taken a quick shower, claiming that it’s been so long since she’d been able to shower so frequently. And he believed her. The most they could do while Black was terrorizing them was take wash clothes and wipe themselves down. But they did that only once a week or so to save water. With that menace on the loose, it was hard for the group to go off and fetch clean water for bathing or drinking. So, it was always best to ration what they had.

Once they had settled down for the night, Trunks started to gather up bedding so he could sleep on the couch. He figured she’d want to have the bed to herself after a long day. Plus, he just wasn’t as tired as she was. He was probably going to stay up a little longer. Though he hadn’t decided on what he’d be doing during that time. Maybe go and scoop out the land? See where the nearest village or town was? Sneak to West City to see Capsule Corp? Just seeing how his mother and self were doing wasn’t a sin, was it?

“Trunks?” Her voice made him stop what he was doing. He dropped the pillows and blanket he was carrying onto the couch and turned to look at her. He was taken aback by what he saw though. She was wearing a pair of soft, pajama shorts with a loose tank top. Something that he had never seen her in before. He swallowed and tilted his head a bit, focusing his attention on her face rather than any other part of her.

“Yeah? Is something wrong?”

She looked down to the ground, a slight blush on her face. He couldn’t help but think that she looked adorable. “Can you...come lie down with me?” She spoke softly, but it loud enough for him to hear.

He couldn’t say no to her. Never in the million years could he say no. She could ask him to stab himself in the chest, and he’d do it if it made her happy. The only thing he wouldn’t be able to bare himself to do for her would be to kill her. Hell, he didn’t think he would be able to kill anyone innocent. But especially not her. She was special to him. She was the only scrap of his world left. And he was never going to let go of her for as long as he could.

He nodded his head. “Yeah. Just gimme a minute, and I’ll be right there.” He smiled as she disappeared back into the small bedroom. He hoped he had seemed calm enough to her. His heart was racing a mile a minute under the surface as he tried his hardest to dissect why she would want him to lie down with her. Though he felt stupid when he really thought out it.

She was probably as scared as he was. As nervous as he was. As anxious as he was. She probably found comfort in having him around her. He had been the one to deal the final damage to Zamasu before he was erased. He was able to transcend to a form that was powerful enough to protect her from whatever threat may come. Well, any except for a God of Destruction. But why would Beerus wake up in this timeline and try to destroy Earth? Maybe the reason why Mai slept so soundly when he was around was because she was around him. He felt stupid for having not realized this sooner.

He decided to just leave the pillow and blanket there. He wouldn’t need them in the room, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to sleep in there or not. He might just lay in there long enough for her to fall asleep. Once he walked into the bedroom, he went over to the empty, right side and crawled underneath the soft, plush blanket with Mai. She was facing towards him, a hand placed underneath the pillow and the other curled up towards her face. He could see the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed deeply and as calm as still water. He took a deep breath and rolled onto his back, placing his hands against his stomach as he stared at the ceiling. He released his breath and sat up, debating on whether or not it was worth lying here if she had already fallen asleep.

“Where are you going?” Her voice startled him. He had assumed she had been sleeping already. He turned his attention towards her, and his heart leaped in his chest. Her eyes were barely opened as she looked up at him. It was the calmest he had ever seen her when she was awake. “You okay?”

“Oh...Yeah. Just getting comfortable.” He lied back down with her, making sure his face was towards her as he copied her hand positions. “You okay?”

“Mhm…” She hummed and closed her eyes fully once more, grinning as she reached out to touch his hand. “I’m just...glad that we’re okay and have this mess somewhat figured out.”

Trunks felt his face heat up and was glad her eyes were closed. He didn’t want her to tease him about being so easily flustered. “Sorry about that...the mess that is.” It didn’t matter what everybody told him. He was the one who choose to go back in time. He was the one who had “defeated” Zamasu. He was the one who had unleashed the immortal god to corrupt their world. He was the one who caused Goku to summon Zen-Oh who in turn destroyed their universe. It was his fault.

“...You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault.” There it was. Something that she’d been telling him since he first started to complain about the situation. God, why did she have to be so persistent on this? “I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true, Trunks. There was no way you could have prevented or predicted what was going to happen.” She shifted herself to where she was propped up on her elbow, brows furrowed. “You did what you set out to do. Destroy Black. You had no idea that what happened was going to happen. The destruction was not your fault.”

“...” Then whose fault was it? was what he wanted to say to her. If he couldn’t place the blame on himself, then who was the right candidate for such shame? He bite down on his back teeth as he thought, clenching his jaw. His eyebrows set down into a glare as he did so—a face he made often when he was thinking on how to respond to a difficult problem like this. He didn’t want to hurt her feelings by denying what she said, but he couldn’t bring himself to lying to her about how he was wrong. He wasn’t wrong. The destruction was his fault. The deaths of those thousands of people left were all on his shoulders. No one else had pushed the first domino down to cause the chain reaction but him.

He heard Mai talk a deep breath and sigh, turning her body away from him. “It’s getting late. We should probably get some sleep and adjust to this new day cycle.”

“...Yeah. That would be for the best.” Trunks said and matched her movements, moving so that they were laying back to back. “Night, Mai.”

“Goodnight, Trunks.”

Chapter Text

Running. He was always running in these types of dreams. Whether it be running in a forest, field, or a shallow pool of water. Right now, it was the water that he splashed through. His surroundings were entirely black. There was no light in this world for some reason. He had no idea why he was running. But he couldn’t bring himself to stop. These dreams were never lucid dreams like the others. These dreams were always just watching what was happening rather than influencing it all. He hated these dreams.

Panic and fear spread through his veins with the adrenaline. His heart raced against his chest as the water splashed up his legs, drenching the bottom of his pants. His breathing was ragged as his lungs screamed for him to stop and allow him to take a break. But his legs were disobedient and continued to run. Whenever he looked back, he saw the black void that surrounded him. If there was nothing in this world, then there was nothing to run from. What was he running from?

After what had seemed like an eternity running in pitch blackness, he saw a light that stood out brightly. Relief washed over him as his pace slowed down once he approached the light. His pounding heart fluttered once he saw what was in the middle of the light. The ground beneath the light was high grass with beautiful wildflowers of purple, yellow, and blue. A woman dressed in a flowy, white dress was kneeling in the middle of the patch of green. A bright blue rose was placed behind her ear as she looked to be messing with something in her hands, her gaze casted downwards towards her work. Her black hair stood out against the light vibrant colors. Trunks was able to instantly identify the woman.

It was her.

Trunks finally stopped when he was five yards away from the edge of the light. His breathing was ragged and his heart pounded so hard he could hear it in his ears. A grin creeped up onto his face as he looked at Mai’s hands steadily tying together the ends of flowers. “Mai…”

Mai perked up when she heard her name, her head turning towards Trunks with a confused look. Her eyes widened at seeing him, and she immediately stood up. All of the flowers that were in her lap falling to the grass. “Trunks!” She exclaimed as she lurched her body towards him suddenly, instantly wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. “Trunks…”

Trunks returned the show of affection. His arms wrapped tightly around Mai as he pressed his face against her hair, squeezing his eyes shut. He took a deep breath of her scent and held it before exhaling through his mouth. Her scent was enough to prove to him that she was undoubtedly his Mai. Her scent was enough to soothe his nerves and allow his adrenal glands to calm down.

They stood like that for several minutes, just holding each other tightly and not letting go. It was therapeutic to him. Being this close, his sensitive ears were able to pick up on the very quiet sound of her heart and breathing. The steady beating calmed his own heart down as his lungs unknowingly followed the rise and fall of her chest. Holding her close was enough for him to forget he was even in a dream in the first place. This all felt like Heaven to him.

Though the moment didn’t last as long as he had hoped. Soon the space that she had occupied had been replaced by air. When he opened his eyes, he looked around at the changed surroundings with confusion. Instead of being surrounding with the eternal blackness like a few minutes before, crumbled buildings surrounded him. He could hear and smell fire burning somewhere nearby. This area looked all too familiar to him as a shiver run up his spine and caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.

He was back. Back in his timeline where everything was crumbling, collapsing, and being destroyed by a monster. Back to the timeline where he had failed everyone and couldn’t even save those he cared about. The mere thought was enough to cause a bottomless pit to form in his abdomen. His stomach acids found a new way to make him feel like he was going to throw up as his head started to spin from just seeing it all. But the thought of where Mai was located was enough to prevent him from having a full on meltdown.

Trunks glanced around the ruins, trying to force himself to fly upwards so he could better scout the surroundings. But his body didn’t allow this. His dream didn’t want him to go anywhere. He groaned and took a breath, moving his hands to cup around his mouth. “Mai!”

As soon as he had shouted her name, a sharp scream cut through the air. Trunks’ immediate reaction was to turn around towards the sound and to clench his teeth, the noise churning his blood. What he saw was an image that was not there a moment before when he had just looked, but an image that made his blood boil and his protective instincts kick in.

On the ground was Mai. Her fragile body looking like it had already taken quite the beating. Her coat had been torn and tattered to the point where it was barely even on her person. The gray shirt underneath was dirtied with a wet, red substance and torn at places so he could see the pale, abused skin underneath it. She was struggled to crawl forwards towards her gun that was only just barely out of her reach, one of her eyes closed as she looked to be clenching her jaw from pain.

Trunks tried to move forward. He tried to will his body to allow him to aid her like she had aided him all those times before. His Saiyan instincts were screaming at him to rush over to her so he could protect her from whatever it was that had hurt her so badly. But the dream forced him to stay still. Forced him to stand idly by and watch her struggle to merely move a few inches forward. Forced him to be still as he heard crunching of glass and rock beneath the heavy boots of the monsters who had undoubtedly caused her pain.

Black and Zamasu emerged from a cloud of smoke and dust nearby. Both them wore a similar expression of disgust as they watched Mai try her damndest to arm herself once more. In what seemed to be a blink of an eye, Black was looming over the female. His head was tilted to the side as he placed his foot on top of the gun, pushing down until Trunks could hear the snap of it break beneath his foot.

“Leave her alone! It’s me you want!” Trunks yelled in order to get Black’s attention, but it seemed that the imposter couldn’t hear him. Or he was simply ignoring him as a way to torment the half Saiyan. The thought made Trunks grind his teeth, once again trying to fight the nightmare’s will of keeping him still. But, alas, all his efforts were pointless.

Black kneeled down to get a closer look at Mai, his nose crinkling in disgust as she glared back up at him. He reached forward and ran his knuckles down her cheek, almost as if he was showing her a sign of pity. But before Trunks was able to relax and force himself to believe nothing bad was going to happen, Black grabbed a hold of Mai’s hair and stood up, yanking her up with him.

This sudden action was enough to cox out a cry from Mai, her hands moving upwards to pry him off of her. Black scoffed at her and used his free hand to take hold of one that was reaching for him, twisting it until it was in an abnormal position. This once again made Mai scream out, the pained noises tugging at Trunks’ heart. God, why couldn’t he move? Why couldn’t he go and save her from this torment?

Black looked over to Zamasu who seemed to have stayed in the same place and just watched the other without a word. A cruel grin was on the Kai’s face as he watched. The idea that Zamasu was pleased by what was happening was enough to make Trunks’ hatred for the heavenly being skyrocket.

Black dragged Mai’s body a few feet closer to Zamasu, ignoring her pleads and cries for mercy. He suddenly stopped much to Trunks’ surprise and lifted Mai up by her hair so he could get a better look at her face. Mai could barely open her eyes from the amount of pain she felt. From where Trunks stood, he was able to see her chest rise and fall with her shallow, quick breaths. With Black’s free hand, he grabbed ahold of her face, tilting her head in all sorts of directions as if he was studying her. His expression turned to one of displeasure as Mai bite down hard against his hand, causing him to drop her to the ground.

Black hissed as he rubbed at the point where her teeth had sunk in. Even if she had broken skin, it had caught him off guard. He growled and delivered a harsh, sharp kick to her side that had enough force to practically send her flying against the jagged debris around them. A shriek escaped her throat as her back hit against the hard concrete. The sound of cracking bones rung through Trunks’ ears as his eyes widened at the scene before him.

“Mai!” His mouth involuntarily screamed out her name as he fell to his knees helplessly. There was nothing he could do. He was allowed to move forward no matter how hard he tried to will the dream to bend for him. Black couldn’t hear him when he tried to distract him. He was useless against this. And that thought hit a sensitive part of his Saiyan pride.

Mai was gasping for breath as both Black and Zamasu approached her. Black gave a look towards the stoic Zamasu almost as if he was questioning on what to do with her next. Would they leave her there to die from the pain? Or would they end her miserable, mortal life and her suffering? Zamasu cleared his throat as he prepared to speak.

“You mortals may believe that these actions against you are wrong. That you have done nothing to deserve such a ‘cruel’ punishment.” Zamasu took a step closer to Mai, his hands folded behind his back as he held his head up to cast his gaze down towards her.

“But as Gods, we know that mortal existence is enough to call for its extermination.” Black added on, a cruel grin creeping its way up onto his face. “You can cry and plea to us all you want, mortal.”

“But you’re better off not to waste the last few breaths of your life.” The Kai moved his arms to be at his side, raising a hand to have his palm facing towards her. A small sphere of energy formed from his palm as he tilted his head to the side. “Or maybe you shouldn’t worry about that. Seeing as your life is about to end.”

A shiver ran down Trunks’ spine as a lump formed in his throat. He wanted to throw up. Just watching such cruel acts towards her were enough to torment him. But Trunks perked up a bit as he saw Black shift, dread washing over him. Slowly, the imposter’s head turned to look towards Trunks and locked eyes with him. He held the eye contact for a few seconds before he smirked maliciously and there was a flash of bright light.

Trunks woke up, his breathing heavy and his heart pounding out of his chest. He felt sick to his stomach as he sat up, his brain running a mile a minute as he was still trying to process what had just happened. He hastily looked around to try to find something concrete that would tell him he was awake. He slowly started to calm down when he realized that he wasn’t dreaming anymore. He took a deep breath and exhaled shakily, wiping away a bead of sweat from his forehead.

“Trunks?” Her voice was soft and a little slurred, but that was expected from just having woke up. He felt her shift to sit up with him, glancing over to see her looking at him with such concern on her face. “Trunks, are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Relief washed over him at the sight of her. She was safe. He didn’t have to worry about her here. He adjusted himself a bit and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face against her shoulder as he took a deep breath of her scent. “Mai…Thank Kami…”

“Trunks, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong?” She spoke in a gentle tone, returning the embrace. She leaned her head against his. “Did you...have a bad dream?”

Trunks didn’t want to talk about it, but he didn’t want to tell her that. He laid back down and pulled her down with him, shifting himself to where his face was pressed against her chest. He listened to the steady beating of her heart and the sound of her breathing to soothe his shot nerves. “Mai…” He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else, feeling his eyes tear up as he gripped at the back of her shirt.

“Hey...It’s okay...I’m here, Trunks.” Mai pressed her chin against the top of his head, rubbing small circles into his back as she slipped a hand up into his hair. “You’re okay...Everything is okay…”

Trunks sniffed as he took a shaky breath, squeezing her so she was pulled closer to him. A few tears escaped his eyes as he loosened his grip on the fabric. “I’m sorry...for waking you up.” It was a struggle to keep his voice level.

“You don’t have to apologize, Trunks.” Mai returned the squeeze with her own, doing her best to try to comfort him in any way she could think of. “Whatever you dreamt about isn’t real. Just try to calm down and go back to sleep. I’m right here...perfectly safe because of you.”

Her words brought some solace to him. Enough for him to fully calm down with the help of her other actions. Slowly, tiredness worked its way back into his system. His eyes fell shut as he loosened his hold on her, but refused to remove his arms from around her. She was safe. She was here. She was in his arms. She wasn’t going anywhere. There was no Black. There was no Zamasu. There wasn’t anything or anyone who could hurt them now. They were safe.

Chapter Text

It was quiet on the hilltop. The only sounds he could hear was the light wind blowing against his ear and tugging gently at his clothes. The sun was just now starting to peak up over the horizon painting the dark sky brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and purple. The sight was something he hadn’t had time for the past year to marvel at. Between trying to make sure everyone was protected from Black and also trying to destroy the imposter, sunrises just weren’t something he or anyone else had time for. They seemed rather trivial at the time, but now that he was staring at one for the first time in Kami knows how long, its beauty rivaled that of a goddess.

He had left Mai before she had even woke up. He felt awful about it. He should have stayed in the house until she woke up. Maybe made her breakfast as a thanks for dealing with him last night. But he couldn’t bring himself to face her. He was actually glad he woke up first. He wouldn’t have to look at her until he was ready. Or, well, until noon like the note he had left said he’d be back.

He was breaking their plan. He didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t want to bother her with his problems even though he knew she would be understanding. It wasn’t the dreams themselves he cared about her knowing about. Sure, he had nightmares. Anyone who went through such a traumatic experience would, too. But these dreams involved her in a way that just give her the wrong idea. He couldn’t talk to her about how he had dreamed that she was tormented and killed in front of his eyes. Truth be told, he didn’t understand what was going on. But he knew one person who might know.

His mother.

He might have felt awful for leaving her alone in the house, but he felt even worse about this. They had both agreed that they’d stay isolated from these versions of themselves. This, however, was important enough to him that he felt like breaking the rules was important. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to see the other Trunks. He was seeing his mother. So was it really breaking the one rule they had?

Trunks took a breath of the cool air and took one last look back at the small house. His mind was racing to a thousand different places. Would she really be okay if he left her alone? Would she be just as anxious about being alone as he was about leaving her alone? He shook those ideas out of his head and exhaled loudly. With that, he looked away from the home and flew in the general direction of West City.

When he finally found West City, he was surprised to find that it was still dark inside Capsule Corp. The only light that seemed to be on was in the lab where he hoped his mother would be. If anyone else saw him, he didn’t know what he’d do. Even worse if it was himself. This was supposed to be a quick break of the rules. See his mother, talk to her about his overwhelming dreams and array of mental health issues. Then he’d go home to Mai all better and never have another damn nightmare again.

He landed in front of the entrance to the lab as quietly as he could. Anxiety rose up his throat as the fear of being caught grew. What if it wasn’t his mother inside the lab, but himself? What if it was some other Capsule staff member? What would he even do if those things were to happen?

Trunks shook his head a bit to clear his mind. Everything was going to be fine. His mother would be inside and no one else. There was no reason to worry. He cleared his throat and punched in an access code in a number pad beside the door. Like he expected, the light on the pad lit up green and the door unlocked, allowing him to slip inside the building effortlessly.

If he knew the layout of the building correctly, the lab wasn’t far from where he had entered. He looked around the corridors to make sure no one was coming. He even listened for footsteps. When he heard nothing, he–being as quiet as he could–quickly made his way down the hall to the lab.

Once at the lab door, he put in another access code. Instead of lighting up green, however, the light lit up red as it denied his code. His heart sank as he stared at the red light for a few seconds before it disappeared. He took a breath and tried the code one more time, furrowing his brows when the light once again showed up red. He made a noise that sounded almost like a growl as he tried one more time, the light blinking red at him this time signaling that it wouldn’t allow access to anyone unless an override code was entered.

Discouraged, Trunks sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, turning his body as his gaze stayed on the blinking red light mocking him. He exhaled and turned his head forward, nearly jumping back when he saw the petite blue-haired woman in front of him. Despite it being early in the morning, she was fully dressed for work–khakis, a baby pink shirt, black shoes, and a lab coat. And unlike her last self, she wore little to no makeup, sporting a more natural, less flashy appearance.

“Trunks? What are you doing up?” Bulma spoke softly, looking at him with a confused expression. “You should be sleeping. It’s only a little past 7.” His heart broke at the sound of concern on her voice.

“I, um…” He didn’t know what to say. He never really thought his far in advance. All he knew was he was going to talk to his mother, but he figured he’d be the one starting conversation rather than her. “I’m not...um.”

“You’re not what?” Bulma spike with a frown and stepped forward, feeling his forehead with the back of her hand. “You feel like you're getting a fever. You should go back to bed. Why are you even dressed anyways? You never dress this early.” She sighed and grabbed ahold of Trunks’ wrist, gently tugging on it as she turned to go down the hall. “Come with me. I’ll get you some more medicine.”

“No! Wait!” Trunks blurted out, gently pulling his wrist away from her. He felt a little bad for doing it after seeing the slight glare she gave him. “I’m not...I’m not your...Trunks.”

“What do you mean? There’s no way you aren’t. The only way for that to happen is if you were-“ She stopped talking immediately. Her eyes widened as she took a step back, her mouth agape as she stared at him. “Are you…from the future? What’s happened this time? Why did you come here instead of going back to Goku and Vegeta’s time?”

“Mom, I’m not from the future.” Trunks spoke in a soft tone in order to calm her down. He felt like he was going to be sick. This wasn’t going as well as he wanted it to. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “I’m from a different timeline.”

“A different timeline?” Bulma blinked and tilted her head. “But why are you here?” She still spoke with confusion in her tone. Her expression matched the way she spoke, brows furrowed and lips slightly parted.

“Long story. Do you mind if we talk in the lab?” Trunks pointed a thumb towards the door. “I kinda can’t let anyone else see me…” He spoke softly and looked away from her, allowing his hand to drop back down to his side.

“Of course, son.”

Bulma had listened patiently to her son’s story as they sat in a break room in the lab. At times, he would tense up and grip tightly onto the cup of coffee she had given him. But he would always go back to a slightly more relaxed position once he realized what he was doing. During those tense moments, there’s was an almost growl in his voice, brows furrowed as if he were glaring at the memory itself.

She stayed mostly silent while he spoke. She felt it would be rude if she interrupted him. She didn’t want to catch him off guard and make him lose his train of thought. Though with her silence came him looking up at her ever so often to make sure she was still paying attention. Whenever he would do this, she’d change the position of her head or nod as a confirmation.

She would be lying if she said it didn’t feel weird to have him here. Well, at least she now knows what it felt like to be her in the past. This Trunks was different from her own. To start, he was much thinner, but that was a given after he described to her how their survival group had little food. He seemed more tense. Every now and then he’d look around as if checking for danger. Which, again, made sense after he told her about Black. But other than that, she could barely tell the difference between the two.

“Then Mai and I were told about a timeline similar to our own. When we heard that, we were overjoyed and both agreed we’d go even though there were already versions of ourselves here. That’s when we agreed we weren’t going to seek ourselves or, well, even you, out.” Trunks rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes from her. “Looks like I broke that rule.”

Bulma chuckled and shook her head. “It’s fine, Trunks. I understand completely. With everything you’ve told me, it looks like you needed to talk to me.” She stood up and reached out to take the empty cup from him. Once he handed it over, she walked over to the sink in the room and rinsed them out. “You keep mentioning this girl named Mai. Why didn’t you bring her with you?” She dried her hands off and turned to face him, leaning against the counter.

“She doesn’t know I’m here.” Trunks spoke softly and looked down at his lap where his hands rested. “She thinks I’m just off exploring the wasteland we set camp up in.”

“Wasteland?” Bulma raised a brow in question. “Why didn’t you go into a town and rent out a hotel room?”

“Everyone knows my face. Or, well, your Trunks’ face.They’ll think I’m him. And we’re trying to keep a low profile.” Trunks looked back up at her for a moment. “And we only have a limited supply of resources. We don’t want to waste all our Zeni on things we don’t really need.”

Bulma frowned a bit and took a breath. “I suppose that is smart of you. I would offer you a place here, but you already said you didn’t want the other Trunks knowing about you…” She drifted off in thought, humming a bit. “I can, however, give you a company credit card if you’d like. That way you don’t have to worry about things like money.”

“No, no. We’re fine, Mom, really.” He held his hands up defensively. “Compared to how we were in our timeline, what we have is more than enough to last us for at least several months.”

“And what are you going to do when those several months worth of supplies are diminished?” Bulma held a strict tone in her voice, crossing her arms as she pursed her lips. She watched as he was taken aback by the change in her attitude. She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. “Just...please take a card. You don’t have to use it, but it’ll make me feel better knowing you have the access to our funds. Based on what you’ve told me, it’s really all I can do to help you.”

She watched as Trunks expression changed to one of thought. To her, it looked like he was arguing with himself on if it was a good idea to accept her offer. Maybe he didn’t want to take it because the Mai girl would find out. Maybe he was worried about her getting upset at him over seeing her. But from what he had told her about Mai, she seemed like she’d understand once everything was explained.

“Okay…” Trunks spoke with reluctancy. She felt a little bad for basically forcing it upon him, but she’d feel even worse from worrying about if he was going to be okay.

“Alright. I’ll give you one before you leave.” She said and allowed the room to go silent for a minute. After a little while, she cleared her throat. “So, you kept talking about this Mai? Why don’t you tell me about her?” Bulma walked back over to the table and sat down in her seat, folding her arms on top of the surface.

“Oh...Well, um-” Trunks had a slight blush on his face and looked up in thought, furrowing his brows. “She’s incredibly smart. She came up with half of the strategies we used against Black. But she tries to act like she’s not all that special or important. There were times where she told me I was stupid for saving her life. Not only that, but she’s very kind. Whenever she’d find food, she’d always give it to me and always refused my offer of sharing with her. It was like I had to force her to eat.” He grinned, looking back at his lap with a soft expression on his face. “She’s understanding. She doesn’t ask questions that make me uncomfortable. She’s charming without trying to be. She’s...amazing. If it weren’t for her, I would never have survived with Black around for as long as I did.”

Bulma chuckled and smiled. “Sounds like she’s a real keeper, Trunks.”

“What-? Oh. No. We’re not...like that.” Trunks said and looked up at her, flustered. “She’s just…a close friend.”

Bulma shook her head and sighed. “Whatever you say, son. From the way you talk about her, it seems like you really like her.” She hummed. “Maybe I’d even go as far as to say you love her?”

Trunks’ cheek lit up bright red from embarrassment and averted her gaze from her once more. “I do care about her. But I wouldn’t say that I…”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Bulma said and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms against her chest. “I’m just messing with you. But if you did feel that way about her, you can tell her, you know? From what you say, it seems like she might feel the same.”

“...I know.” Trunks spoke softly and closed his eyes. “I just...can’t place her into that position.”

Bulma looked confused and tilted her head. “Why not?”

“She’ll get hurt…” Trunks was speaking barely above a whisper, causing Bulma to have to strain to hear him. She felt her heart break when he spoke, seeing his twist almost like he was in pain.

She took a breath and cleared her throat, standing up. “Come here.” She said and watched as he looked up at her confused. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to her, brows furrowed. Bulma reached up and held his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “She’s not going to get hurt if you tell her. You can’t keep your feelings to yourself. Even the bad ones. It’s not healthy…

“I know it’s scary. But you’ll grow to regret it if something bad happens to her and you didn’t tell her. I never got to tell your father how I truly felt about him before he was killed. And there’s never been a moment where I didn’t think things could have ended differently if I had told him.” Bulma frowned and embraced him, holding her son close. “Even if you’re not sure how you feel, talk to her about these things. She sounds like an understanding soul. She’ll be able to help you.”

Trunks slowly accepted the hug and embraced her back, pressing her face against the top of his mother’s head. “...I know…Whenever I go to talk, the words get stuck in my throat. I’m-I’m afraid to say something stupid. I don’t want to lose her.”

Bulma stayed like that for a few moments before pulling back, keeping her hands on his shoulders. “Tell her that then. Women like to hears those kinds of things. Even if you ramble on or say something stupid. As long as you eventually get to your point, then she won’t care how nervous you seem or stupid you sound. Understand?”

Trunks looked down at her and stared for a few seconds. He took an inhale and nodded his head. “I understand…”

She let go of him and grinned with a nod of her head. “That settles that. Now, if you ever need to contact me again, I’m going to give you the number to my personal phone, and we can plan a place to meet so you don’t have to worry about running into Trunks.” Bulma walked over to a counter and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling down her phone number. “Let me go grab you a card, and you can be along your way. Unless you had something else you needed to talk to me about?” She looked over her shoulder at him.

Trunks shook his head. “Not really…”

“Great. I’ll be right back.” She said and disappeared from the room. After about five minutes, she came back with an envelope of money with a company credit card inside as well and a bottle of what looked to be wine. “I know I said I’d only give you the card, but I figured some cash would be nice, too. And see the wine as a little house warming gift. Tell Mai that you bought it while you were out.” She handed the things over to him with a smile.

“I’m really glad you’re here, Trunks. Thank you for coming to see me. And please don’t be a stranger. My doors are always opened to you. And if you ever want to bring Mai with you, that’s fine with me, too.”

Trunks grinned and put the money away in a pocket, holding onto the bottle since there was no place for him to put it. “Thank you, Mom. I’ll make sure to keep those things in mind.” He said and turned towards the door. “I’ll see ya later.”

“Take care, Trunks.”

Chapter Text

She lay on the couch with her hands folded across her stomach, one leg hanging off of the edge while the other was bent towards her body. Her eyes were glued to the ceiling, only glancing towards the clock every now and then to see what time it was. It was getting closer to noon. He should be home by now.

Mai sighed and moved her head to watch the hands of the clock tick by. She could have easily turned on the television to numb her senses for the hours Trunks would be gone, but after going so long without it, it had little to no appeal to her. Even before Black, she had very little interest in anything of the sort. She was constantly doing some form of work for Pilaf whether that be using her knowledge of technology for something or just doing his chores. There was little time for herself when he was around.

And now she didn’t have to worry about him.

The thought saddened her. Pilaf and Shu had been the closest things she had to friends for years. Even though her memories of before they used the Dragon Balls for youth were things scarce, the new memories they had made were at least enjoyable to look back on. Granted, they weren’t as enjoyable when they happen, but they made for a good laugh.

But they were gone.

When the three of them had first heard of Goku Black, they brushed him off and didn’t think much of it. They figured he’d be just like the Androids---only attacking certain cities at a time and just making a mess of the place. Nothing that their dear savior Trunks couldn’t handle.

And then their doubtful opinions on him had been proven wrong.

Mai had been the only one who survived. Nearly dead, but still alive. She had witnessed the deaths of both Pilaf and Shu and hadn’t had time to cry or mourn. She had joined the resistance group almost immediately after. She had quickly become their leader. She was always busying herself with coming up with strategies to fight Black or boosting the morale of her soldiers. When she met Trunks, she focused on the time traveling plan and getting him to the past. When that succeed, she focused on keeping the group alive until his return.

She had always been too busy to think about her loss. And thinking about them now just made her heart shrivel up. She didn’t have time to give them a proper burial. Hell, they didn’t have time to give anyone a proper burial. If their bodies were still intact that is.

Mourning now seemed wrong. It would seem selfish to her. Like she wasn’t mourning for their loss but mourning because she felt bad for busying herself after their deaths. The last thing she was wanted to be was selfish.

Mai sniffed and sighed, turning her gaze back up at the ceiling. Did Trunks feel the same way about the death of his mother? He hadn’t had time to mourn her either. Just the few seconds they had in front of the abandoned apartment they would stay in from time to time. She remembered wanting to wrap her arms around him in that moment. She remembered wanting to pet his hair and comfort him. Maybe that’s what she really needed months ago. Maybe having someone coddle her would have sparked her instincts to cry over losing people important to her.

Mai was taken aback when she heard the front door open, glancing at the clock to see that it was a little passed noon. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, placing both feet onto the floor. She stood up and stretched up, the bottom of the cream sweater riding up with her movements. She pulled the fabric back down into place and turned around, grinning at the blue haired man who was setting down a few bags on the kitchen counter. “Brought home goodies, huh? Is that what took you so long?”

Trunks looked over his shoulder at her and returned her grin. “Yeah...Sorry about that. But I got some fresh food for us to make up for being a few minutes late.”

“Fresh food sounds delicious right about now.” Mai spoke with a hum and walked into the kitchen area to help unpack the bags he had gotten. She was surprised by just how much he had gotten while he was out. Bright red, juicy-looking apples. Bread that still felt warm like it had recently been baked. Delicious smelling cheddar cheese. These were just the things she was most excited for if she were completely honest. Though one item confused her.

“Wine?” Mai raised a brow and reached over the counter to grab it, examining the bottle closely while turning it in her hands. The label was written in a language she didn’t understand, so she had no idea what kind it was. But she could tell it was expensive just from the look of it. “I didn’t know you drank.”

“I don’t. I mean, maybe once or twice between the Androids and Black, but nothing like how some people our age would’ve.” Trunks shrugged a shoulder. “I thought maybe you’d like it. Or we could use it for cooking or something.”

She picked up a little hesitation in his voice like he wasn’t telling the truth entirely. But she didn’t want to push him for answers or call him out for it. She doubted Trunks would keep a secret from her if it was very important.

“Fair enough.” She said finally and set the bottle down, walking over to one of the cabinets where she had discovered the cups were stored. Having to get up on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf, she grabbed two wine glasses and closed the cabinet. Smiling, she turned back around and held them up, tilting her head. “Might as well have some now, no?”

It had been so long since she had enjoyed herself like this. Like Trunks had thought, she enjoyed the wine. It wasn’t too sweet or too bitter and tasted even more expensive than she had originally thought. As much as she didn’t like the idea of wasting money on something nonessential, she felt like it was something that could aid both of them into relaxation--something they desperately needed after being on edge for a year straight.

They currently sat at the table in the kitchen. Mai sat at the end, and Trunks sat to the right of her. They had been talking and drinking for about an hour now, trying to pass the time until it was dark enough for them to go to sleep or until they came up with something else to do. And seeing as it was only a little passed one in the afternoon, it seemed like they had a lot more time to kill than she had initially thought.

She laughed at something Trunks had said, earning a smile of satisfaction from him. She reached over and poured some more wine into her glass, only to find that it had been the last of it. She blinked and tilted her head, feeling her cheeks heat up as realization hit her.

Trunks had only drank about three-fourths of his first glass. She had drank the rest of the bottle.

She felt slight embarrassment, but tried her best not to show it. Clearing her throat, she rolled up the sleeves to her sweater. She felt almost too warm in it now, but didn’t want to get up to change in the middle of a conversation. Well, a one-sided conversation for now, but a conversation.

Trunks kept talking and telling stories of his childhood--something they didn’t have a whole lot of time for while trying to survive. He would pause from time to time to make sure she was still listening, which would result in her nodding or putting her own little input based on what he was saying. Currently, he was finished up his story about going back in time to help prevent the Androids’ wrath to the other timeline. Mai couldn’t help but smile on how fondly he seemed to talk about some of his past memories.

“Enough about me. What was your childhood like, Mai?” Trunks said and placed his elbow on the table, leaning his head into the palm of his hand.

Mai internally started to panic at that statement. She could barely remember anything from her true childhood, but it felt like lying if she were to tell him of her second one. She already felt guilty for never informing him of the wish for they had made for youth. But if she could barely remembered anything from her old life, did it really matter? All she could truly remember was working for Pilaf and the few years that came before their wish. Earlier memories had seemed to fade as she made new ones to replace them.

“Um…” Mai started to fill the silence between them, sitting up straight as she tilted her head in thought. If all she knew was her second childhood, then that’s what she’d have to tell. “Well, I grew up poor to put it simply. We never really had money or anything if I were to be entirely honest. I remembered being homeless for the longest of time as a child because of it…” She turned her gaze down to stare at her hands. “We were luckily to find shelter for the night. Let alone food...I guess that’s why during Black’s reign of terror, I didn’t mind not eating so you could have more. I’d already learned how to ignore hunger pains…”

She fell silent for a few seconds, taking in a deep breath to actually think about what she had said. She hadn’t really been able to tell anyone anything about her. In the Resistance, she was just seen as their leader. Someone who was kind, smart, and responsible. They didn’t care about her past, so she never bothered telling anyone. But now that she spoke aloud...She never realized how sad it sounded.

“Mai…” Hearing his voice broke her from her trance. She blinked a few times and looked back up at him only to find that he was staring at her. His blue eyes held an amount of sympathy she had never seen anyone give her. The look in his eyes made her heart beat so hard that she could hear it in her ears. She doubted he would be looking at her like that if he knew the things she had done before and even after making that damned wish. But naivety was better in this situation than not. She didn’t know how he’d react to finding out, and she wanted to keep him in the dark for as long as possible to avoid knowing just that.

Mai took a deep breath to help clear her mind, reaching over to take a drink from her wine glass. “It wasn’t all bad though. We had some good times together. Most of it wasn’t enjoyable at the time, but there were good memories mixed in with the bad. Can’t have one without the other after all.”

When he didn’t respond immediately, she looked down and pressed the back of her hand against her cheeks. They felt hot to the touch, and she couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or if the alcohol in the wine was finally starting to take its toll on her. She looked back up when she heard the sound of him setting down his own glass, seeing that he had finally finished the rest of his wine. She blinked when he reached over and took ahold of her hands, focusing his gaze on their hands rather than her face.

“I promise to never let that happen to you again. As long as I’m around, I’ll find a way to make sure you stay well feed and have all the things you need. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that at such a young age. I had only done something similar for about a year, and it was a living Hell…” Trunks trailed off and stayed silent for a few more seconds, looking up at her with a determined look on his face. “I swear on my life to protect and provide for you at all costs. No matter what.”

Mai felt her face heat up even more from being flustered. She didn’t know a way to respond to him. Her heart pounded louder in her ears as she stared back into his eyes. Air got caught in her throat as she forced herself to breathe to avoid feeling light headed. Nobody--especially no man--had ever talked to her that way. From what she could remember of her Agent Mai days, men only tried to hit on her or talk to her for one thing. But Trunks seemed so genuine in every word that he said. It was enough to make any woman swoon no matter how conservative they were.

She swallowed and stayed silent, letting her eyes drift down to his mouth. She was overcome with an uncontrollable urge to press her mouth against his. His lips looked so soft, and she bet that they’d taste like the wine they had been drinking. Maybe it was the alcohol making her think like that, but before she knew it, she had already leaned in and sealed her fate.

She had kissed him.

Chapter Text

Trunks was in shock. Never in a million years did he expect something as bold as this to come from someone like Mai. He sat there with wide eyes for a few seconds, trying to wrap his brain around what was going on. It wasn’t the first time he had felt her lips pressed against his, but it sure did feel like it. Plus, he hardly counted the first “kiss”. He was merely giving her a senzu bean to survive in that instance, but this time was genuine.

Before his mind was fully able to process what had happened, his body had taken control. He reached up and cupped her cheek with one of his hands, rubbing his thumb against her soft skin. He feel his fast heartbeat banging against his chest. His breath as caught in his throat. Her lips against his put him in ecstasy. He had no words to describe what was happening to him.

After a few more seconds, he instinctively ran his tongue against her bottom lip. When her mouth loosened a bit, he took his chance and deepened the kiss. Invading her mouth, he took his sweet time exploring every inch she had to offer. His body temperature rose with every seconds they spent like this, and he could feel her face heat up with his hand.

Gasping for breath, they finally pulled away from each other. Their faces were only a few inches apart slightly, a small strand of saliva connecting the two of them for a split second. Trunks opened his eyes to gaze at her. Her face was a pale pink color, lips still parted just a bit. She looked back at him like she was in a daze, panting from trying to catch her breath.

After a few seconds of processing what had happened, she perked up and placed a hand over her mouth. Her pink cheeks lit up bright red. “Ah! I’m sorry! I, um, didn’t mean to-” She was stumbling over her words, dropping her hand as she stood up. “Um, excuse me. I have to, um...yeah.” She rushed out of the room stiffly.

“Wait! Mai, I-” Trunks stood up, but before he could go after her, he heard the bathroom door close shut. He sighed and placed his hands flat on top of the table, looking down as he contemplated what had happened.

She kissed him. That was what he knew for sure. She had allowed him to go further also. She didn’t pull away from him when he was bold. From the look on her face after, it seemed like she enjoyed it as much as he had. So to say her reaction confused him was an understatement.

Why would she rush off like that? Did he go to fast? Did he do something wrong? It didn’t seem like he had. Did she regret kissing him? No, it couldn’t have been that. All the thoughts running around in his head worked their way into his stomach. His stomach twisted into knots as he tried to decipher the why to her actions.

Why did she kiss him? Was it the wine? Was that why she ran off? Or did she want to kiss him without the help of alcohol? He knew she harbored some form of romantic feelings for him, but he was unaware of how strong the attraction was. Hell, he was fighting with himself to figure out his own emotions towards her. She was the type of woman who deserves everything in life. And all he had was a couple of mental illnesses and a target on his back.

He groaned and stood up straight, running a hand through his hair as he walked into the living room. Sitting down, he grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on, mindlessly flipping through the channels until he found something somewhat interesting for him to ‘watch’. He slouched back into the couch and placed the remote on the end table, tilting his head as he stared at the screen in thought.

After a few minutes, he heard the click of the bathroom door opening. Without glancing over to her, he heard her cross the room and sit down on the other side of the couch silently. Silence filled the room, but it wasn’t entirely awkward. Knowing that she was equally lost for words was reassuring to him.

Hearing her clear her throat, he looked over to her and was taken aback by her expression. Her body was angled towards him, but her gaze was casted downwards. Her face was red from embarrassment. Her hands rested in her lap, clenching as she seemed to be looking for the right thing to say. “I...owe you an explanation I suppose.” He’d be lying if he said he didn’t find the look on her face irresistible.

Trunks blinked and raised a brow in question. “You do?” He felt the pit in his stomach expand. Even though he knew better, he had a bad feeling that what she was going to say wasn’t necessarily what he wanted to hear.

“Trunks...for a long time now...I’ve, um, been hiding something from you.” She paused and took a deep breath, lifting her head to look at him with a nervous expression. “I’ve felt...something for you. I wasn’t really sure what it was.” Another pause. “I don’t really know how to put it into words exactly. I don’t want to sound flustered or jumbled. You’d think after some time I would have tried to prepare a bit more for this…

He easily saw her discomfort, her anxiety, and her nervousness. Her voice were shaky as if she had forgotten how to breathe properly. He furrowed his brows and reached over, gently placing his hand on top of hers. He felt her hands relax underneath his. “Take your time, Mai. I’ll stay right here and wait for you to come up with what you want to say. I’m not going anywhere.”

Trunks watched as she adjusted herself slightly, moving just a tad bit closer to him. She slipped one of her hands from underneath his and placed it on top, looking down at their hands together. “I think...I’m...in love with you…”

Her voice was barely audible even to his more sensitive ears. His worry seemed to vanish when she spoke. His anxiety for what she was going to say had been proven wrong. And damn was he glad. Hearing her say such a thing made his heart leap out of his chest.

“Trunks?” She spoke because he hadn’t responded. Or at least that’s what he assumed. He had been looking at their hands in thought. Once he realized what he was doing, he looked up at her and grinned.

“Thank you for telling me, Mai...I know how difficult it must have been to say something like that, but…” He paused and watched her expression change. She looked almost scared or nervous of what he was going to say which made his heart sink. “I haven’t really been completely honest with you either.”

“...How so?” She was reluctant. He could hear it in her voice that she didn’t know what to think or what he was going to say. Hell, he didn’t even really know what he was going to say. After speaking with his mother earlier today, he had gotten a somewhat decent grip on his emotions. But he still was afraid to drag her into them. He was a mess. And he knew he was.

“Like you said, I don’t really know how to put it in words. Ever since we first meet when Black appeared, something inside urged me to protect you. Call it instincts--whether they be human or Saiyan--if you’d like. But they were a strong enough push to get me to become attached to you…” Trunks let his voice trail off, trying to assess what she thought based off of the expressions she gave him. Currently, he was unaware of what she felt, but her expression read of slight confusion and curiosity. “Those same instincts are what drove me to kiss you back. They make my worst fear losing you or you getting hurt without me being able to help you. They’re the reason why my heart beats out of my chest every time I hear you laugh or see you smile. The reason why I want to wrap you up when you’re upset about something. Even if it’s over something trivial.

“So, in other words,” Trunks took a deep breath and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers so he could more easily gaze into her eyes. “I’m in love with you, too, Mai.”

He hadn’t stumbled or rambled as much as he had thought he would. It was like it was all natural. The second the words rolled off his tongue a weight was lifted from his chest. It felt good to admit that aloud or to finally say something about his feelings towards her. He didn’t realize how strongly it affected him until this moment. He no longer had to tiptoe around words to keep her in the dark.

Slowly, he watched as she processed what he had said. But before she could open her mouth to speak, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

This kiss held more passion than the last one. There was no guessing on whether the other party held the same feelings. There was no hesitation when Mai kissed him back just as hard--if not, harder --than he had. The last one took a while for him to lose his breath, but this one knocked the wind straight out of him.

Trunks wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled Mai closer, licking her bottom lip to ask for entrance once more. When her mouth loosened, his tongue took little to no time to resume what it had been doing before. During this, Mai moved to straddle his lap, her arms around his neck. One hand went upwards to tangle with the locks of blue hair. The other gripped on the top of his shirt as if holding on for dear life.

He felt the kiss in every fiber of his being. It filled his veins with fire, making his skin feel hot to the touch. He knew she felt the same way. He could feel the heat radiating off of her skin from beneath her sweater.

This moment didn’t last as long as the other, but felt like it lasted decades. Trunks was the one to break the connection of their lips, gasping and panting for breath. Their faces stayed close together, their lips barely touching. After a few seconds of catching his breath, Trunks chuckled.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for over a year now…” He murmured, a small smile creeping up on his face.

“Then don’t stop.”

Chapter Text

She didn’t consider herself a bold woman by any means. She had never been straight-forward with what she wanted. Nor was she very assertive in this sense. Hell, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been romantic involved with a man. Her life had been filled to the brim with serving Emperor Pilaf since before she could recall. Conservative was what she’d call herself during that time. But with refound youth, she became more lax. More assertive. More bold.

Mai didn’t realize what she had said until it came out of her mouth. She saw something in his eyes. Yet she couldn’t determine exactly what it was. Her first thought was surprise. Her second was excitement. But it didn’t matter what it was. All that mattered was he had listened to her.

He had eagerly pressed his mouth back against hers, a hand cradling the small of her back. Her eyes closed immediately upon being kiss for a third time. The hand that held onto him let go and instead slipped up under the front of his shirt. Her fingers lightly traced along the defining lines of his abs. Or at least what was left of them. She wasn’t that surprised he wasn’t as muscular as the other Saiyans or as he had once been. He had lived in peace for years before Black showed up. And then there was going days without food with Black around.

Mai made a squeaking noise out of surprise when Trunks suddenly stood up, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist to prevent being dropped to the ground. She barely thought they had even moved until she felt her back against the soft mattress in the bedroom. Without breaking the kiss, Trunks had moved them from the living area to the bedroom and had gently laid Mai down, looming over top of her.

She hummed into his mouth and tugged the fabric of his olive shirt up. Trunks got the hint and pulled back only long enough to pull his shirt over his head, discarding it to the floor. When he resumed the kiss, there was more force behind it which surprised Mai. She had always expected him to be a soft and slow man in this regard. But the more she thought about it, the more sense it made. He was half Saiyan, and from what she could tell, Saiyans were just generally rougher than their human counterparts.

What she really didn’t expect was for him to bite gently down on her lower lip. She gasped and was taken aback when she felt his tongue slide into her mouth. Instead of sitting back and allowing him to do what he wanted, however, she decided to spice things up a bit this time around.

She reached up and cupped his face in her hands, prodding his tongue with her own. It became a fight for dominance. Tangling up in each other, trying to pin the other down in over to explore. The sensation made heat raise to her skin. At this point, she fully realized that the sweater had to go or else she’s overheat before they got to anything fun. And it seemed like he had the same idea.

Pulling away from each other, Trunks had grabbed ahold of the bottom of her sweater, pulling it up over her head while Mai raised her arms to help. He tossed the garment to the side with his own shirt and placed a kiss on her mouth. He didn’t linger for long, however. Instead, he trailed kisses from her mouth to her jaw and from her jaw down her neck.
She barely opened her eyes when he moved away from her mouth, shuddering when she felt his tongue glide against the sensitive skin of her neck. She slipped a hand up into his hair, twisting and playing with a singular lock. Her other hand traced lines up and down his chest with touches as light as a feather. She tugged harshly on the strand of hair when she felt him bite into an especially tender part of her neck, inhaling sharply. “Trunks-! Be careful…”

He apologetically lapped and sucked on the bitemark, causing blood to rise to the surface of her skin and creating a dark mark. A small moan escaped through her lips at this, only pushing him to create another mark on her collarbone. She could feel him smirk against her skin when another noise left her, pale pink dusting over her cheeks.

She didn’t know when he had taken her bra off or how he had done it without her knowledge. But when she felt the cool air of the room hit her heated skin, her immediate reaction was to cover herself with an arm. As she moved her arm to do that, however, Trunks grabbed ahold of her wrist, pinning it down beside of her head. “No. Don’t. I wanna look.”

The look in Trunks’ eyes alone was enough to make her heart flutter. There was a darkness she had never seen before in them. She could feel the burning desire behind the blue irises, causing heat to pool between her legs. Never had she experienced such a feeling when gazing into a man’s eyes. Nor did she expect to feel it while looking into his.

Mai hummed when she felt kisses being pressed against her collarbone. The action had been enough to break her away from her thoughts. He released her wrist and moved his hand to cup one of her breasts, squeezing gently as to not hurt her. Slowly, he trailed his sloppy, open-mouthed kisses down her chest. Teasingly, he hovered his lips over the nipple of one of them, licking over his lips before enclosing his mouth around it.
Mai gasped and moaned out, her eyes closing as her head moved to the face the side. Her mind wasn’t able to focus on anything for too long, but managed to gain the thought that this was nowhere near his first time. Her arousal grew as she felt him suck and lap at her, causing her to squirm underneath him. She wanted—no, craved some sort of relief of the tension.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, she felt something press up against her crouch. It only took her a moment to realize it was his knee as he slowly pressed against her, grinding the joint into her. A chorus of noises escaped Mai’s throat. She bit down on her lip to hold some of them back, not wanting to seem like she was too willing. Even though she knew it was pointless. She would be surprised if he didn’t already know.

As Trunks pulled away from her breast and moved over to her other one, her hands roamed down his chest and torso. She fumbled with the belt of his pants for a few seconds before finally unlatching it and undoing them. She tried to tug down his pants and underwear, but found the task rather difficult considering their current positions.

After about a minute of allowing her to struggle, Trunks pulled away from her with a small chuckle. “A little eager I see.” He joked and reached down, grabbing ahold of her hands to move them back up. “You can wait a few more minutes, can’t you, princess~?” He cooed as he released her hands and moved to grab ahold of the waistband of her leggings. He pulled them down along with her panties, making her completely exposed to him.

Mai shuddered and swallowed, assisting him in the removal of her garments by pushing them down with her feet. Once they were tossed to the side, her face lit up red, and she turned her gaze away. She could feel his eyes digging into her, consuming and examining every inch of her skin. It embarrassed her to a degree, but also excited her to another. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had looked at her with such desire. Or when someone wanted her like Trunks did.

She was broken once again from her thoughts when he used a hand to guide her face back to look at him. His expression was soft and gentle. “Are you sure you’re okay with all of this?” He asked, raising a brow. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. You can tell me no.”

Mai blinked and shook her head, reaching up and cupping his face. “No, no, Trunks. I’m fine.” She spoke and pulled him down to her, pressing her forehead against his. Because of their closeness, she could see flecks of beautiful black in his blue eyes. How had she not noticed that before? “I’m not uncomfortable. I promise…” She murmured and pressed her mouth against his, squeezing her eyes shut.
Feeling him return the kiss, she hummed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Their tongues had quickly found their way back into each other’s mouths, twisting and turning around each other. Slowly, she felt one of his hands lightly make its way down her body. His touch was as light as a feather and drove her absolutely crazy. His hand slipped between her legs and began massaging her inner thigh. Her legs instinctively opened just a bit to allow him to do so, giving him more room to work with.
She allowed her hands to roam over his torso and back, once again following what defining lines were left. He was surprisingly soft. A thin layer of only what she could think of as fat separating what muscle he had left and the skin above it. She wasn’t complaining by any means. She liked it.

She gripped at his back when she suddenly felt his fingers against her womanhood, coaxing out a moan from her. Teasingly, he rubbed small circles against her, slowly moving his attention to focus more directly on her clit. A pleasantly hot sensation filled her body, causing her to squirm more and more underneath him. He pulled away from her mouth and lead a trail of kisses from her jaw down to her collarbones were he suckled and kissed over the already made marks. She released her grip on his back and moved a hand up into his hair.

Mai sharply inhaled when she felt him push two fingers into her with little warning. She gripped onto a few locks of his hair with a slight tug, earning a groan from him. Slowly, he started to move his fingers within her, curling and separating them to stretch her.

“Kami, Mai. How excited are you?” He spoke directly into her neck and blew hot air against the skin. She gained goosebumps from it and blushed harshly from embarrassment, pursing her lips together.

She almost made a small whine when she felt his fingers exit her body, but stopped when he sat up on his knees to stare down at her. The expression on his was enough to make her knees weak and–if she wasn’t already turned on–wetter than she had ever been in her life. His eyes were hooded and dark with what she assumed was desire, and his lips were pulled into a smirk.

Tantalizingly, he licked his fingers clean, not once breaking eye contact with her.
The first thought that popped into her mind was she wondered what it would feel like against her...more sensitive areas. The mere thought of his face between her legs making her moan uncontrollably made her wanna scream from frustration. If she was as bold now as she had been in the beginning, she would have pushed his head down in an attempt to make it happen. But she didn’t have the guts to do it. Nor did she really feel like that was the right thing to do. She’d feel more shame than pleasure if she knew she had forced him into it.

Her next thought was how embarrassed or ashamed her ‘younger’ self would have felt if she knew what was happening. She had been a conservative woman in the past. She had only found herself in sexual positions a handful of times in those teenage years. And those had been with men who only looked after their own needs. Men who had thought rubbing on her breasts and kissing her neck was enough to turn her fully on. But Trunks...was most definitely not that type of man.

She was once again pulled from her thoughts when she heard the sound of his belt hit the floor with his pants. She blinked and looked up at him, finding that he was towering over her now with hands on either side of her and his hips already in the perfect position. His eyes held a softer look in them. Like the desire and passion from before had toned down just a bit. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” He asked once more, concern laced into his voice. “Are you sure you want this?”

Mai took a moment to actually think about it. Did she want this? Short answer: yes. Long answer: fuck yes. Would she regret this? Maybe, but probably not. She had already made up her mind that she loved him. If she did end up regretting it, it wouldn’t be directly after, so she didn’t even bother considering it for too long.

The woman took a deep breath after a few seconds and nodded her head. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, burying her face into the side of his neck. “Yes. I’m sure.” She spoke against his skin, slipping a hand up into his hair. With her verbal consent, she felt him push inside.

It wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t immediately comfortable either. This youthful body had never done anything like this, so the stretch was foreign to her. Foreign and unusually, but not painful. Trunks seemed to take notice of her need for adjustment, considering her whole body seemed to tighten up just a bit when it happened. So, he stayed still to allow for this to happen, which Mai was gratefully for. He most currently was not like other men.

After several seconds, Trunks slowly started to move, keeping his movements light, soft, and slow. Mai was still new to the feeling, but slowly her body started to become accustomed to the movements. The slight discomfort morphed into a much more pleasurable sensation, causing shaky exhales.

“Trunks...More.” The words just came out of her. She didn’t even recall wanting to say them, but she had. And, Kami, was she glad she had. He chuckled and hummed, picking up a bit of speed and force. He was still careful, however. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

“Fuck, Mai...You’re tight.” He groaned out, pressing a few more kisses against her neck. His swearing sparked something within her. She had never witnessed him say something like that to that extent. ‘Fuck’ was not a word in his vocabulary. But the way he said it in such a breathy tone made her feel even more tingly than she had before.

As the moment progressed, moans escaped out of other of their mouths occasionally. Every sound that came from either of their mouths feed into the ecstasy that they felt. Mai couldn’t believe what was happening. She was unable to wrap her mind around the idea that she was having sex with the Trunks Brief. The man who had defended their world a handful of times and was undoubtedly hed savior. Yet here she was.

“Harder, Trunks, please~” She moaned, the hand in his hair once again gripping on a tugging on a few strands. He groaned in return and did just what she had asked, putting more force behind even push of his body. Mai’s free hand roamed down his back, feeling the movement of his muscles with each movement of his hips.

She became a chorus of moans and groans, which only caused him to pick up more speed and force. Of course, she could tell he was holding back or hesitate to even put more force behind his thrusts. Like he was afraid of pushing himself to a point where he couldn’t back off from. Which was completely understandable. He was much stronger than her. He could easily hurt her with one slip up.

The hand on his back gripped at his skin as her back involuntary arched. She could feel a knot forming in the pit of her stomach, becoming a bit too unbearable for her liking. She wrapped her legs around his legs and pulled him closer, wanting to feel him deeper than she had already been feeling him. She felt him try to muffle his own noises against the skin of her neck, occasion swears slipping past his lips and only making her even hotter than before. She became a broken record of words such as ‘yes’, ‘more’, and his name.

After what seemed like decades to her, she could feel herself getting close to her limit. “Ah! Trunks, I’m-“ She couldn’t even get the words out until the knot in her stomach snapped and a loud moan escape her throat. Her nails found purchase in the skin of back, causing long scratches which she only felt slightly bad for. What she felt now was pure pleasure. Everything they had been doing was building up to this point. She was glad she had that spark of boldness in her. That one spark had started a fire between the two of them that now consumed each inch of his being.

A few more thrusts into her body, and she felt him release deep inside of her, hearing a louder than before groan against her neck by her ear. He thrusted harshly into her for a few more seconds after both of their orgasms before slowly starting to come back down to a haul.
She was panting when he finally pulled out of her and plopped down beside of her. She rolled over to face him and scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she cuddled up to him. She could tell he was nowhere near as winded as she was, his breathing having stabilized after about a minute and a half after while she was still panting from post-orgasm. And, God, did she feel exhausted. But the fact that he wasn’t nearly as wiped out as her did make her wonder just how long he could go on for...

She felt him press a soft kiss against the top of her head, making her look up at him. “Did you enjoy yourself?” He asked with a soft smile, genuine curiosity on his face.

Mai smiled weakly at him and nodded her head. “Oh God, yes.” She responded and leaned up, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. “You were incredible. Nothing like what I expected.”

“Which was what exactly?”

“Shy, little virgin boy who would freak out at the sight of boobs.” That caused him to laugh.

“Well, Mai, you don’t have reputation like mine without a few dozen girls wanting you. Or a mother like mine who so desperately wanted grandchildren.” Trunks playfully rolled his eyes and shifted to where he was hold her. “Of course, none of those girls were ever able to get me as hard as you did, Mai.”

His statement made her blush bright red. She hid her face against his chest and made a small noise that sounded like a squeal. “Stop talking like that…You’re embarrassing me.” She took a breath and pulled back a bit, looking back up at him. “Though I do feel a bit bad. You did all sorts of stuff for me, and I didn’t even once do anything for you.”

“Hey. It’s fine. I didn’t mind.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I’d rather focus on you and get you off without you worrying about getting me off. It’s easier to get me to cum.”

Mai was flustered once more, going back to burying her face into his chest. She knew he was only talking this way to get some sort of rise from her. Or maybe he was still high on the feelings of orgasm that he just didn’t care about having a filter. Whatever it was, it was working if it meant to embarrass her.

“Next time...I promise to return the favor.” She proclaimed and hummed, her breathing finally slowing down to a normal speed. But with that came the hit of exhaustion she felt, her eyes slowly closing as she snuggled up close to him.

“I’m gonna hold you to that promise then.” He laughed a bit before he noticed her sleepiness, tightening his hold on her just a bit. “But, first, you need a nap, dear.” He said and pressed another kiss to the top of her head. “I’ll stay right here with you. Just get some sleep and when you wake up, it’ll be dinner time.”

Mai thought that sounded like a great idea. “Alrighty. Whatever you say.” She yawned and smacked her lips together, shifting into a more comfortable position. She stayed silent for a few minutes, but just before sleep took his final hold of her, she spoke once more. “I love you, Trunks.”

“I love you, too, Mai.”

Chapter Text

The building was always quiet on days like these. Today had been a scheduled day off for most of the workers in Capsule Corp., so Trunks wasn’t surprised when it was eerily silent throughout the vast halls. He had grown accustomed to the working schedule over the years it had been implemented. Six days of workers walking throughout the building, one day of just him and his mother. It became a weekly ritual that he rather enjoyed. That one day a week was his time to sleep in even though his mother warned against it. But it was also a day where we could spend personal time with her, something he enjoyed greatly.

Today, Trunks had slept in a considerable amount more than usual. He been stayed up late reading up on new inventions and discoveries that may be used to improve their own technology. Needless to say, he had fallen asleep at the desk in his room, waking up with a pool of drool on notes he had been taking and a very sore neck and back.

Days like these were ones he cherished and held close to his heart. He was able to spend alone time with his mother and just talk to her. Some would call him sad for not having any friends who weren’t her, but he didn’t really care all too much. He could talk to Bulma about anything and everything and she wouldn’t grow tired of his ramblings. It kept his mental health in check and his spirits high.

Punching in the code to enter the lab, he could have sworn he heard the sound of women’s heels softly clicking against the white tile floors of the building. He made a confused expression as he looked around, not seeing a trace of anyone around. He shrugged and made note that he was probably just hearing things. He entered the rest of the code and stepped into the lab.

Like always, his mother was working on a fixing one of the machines in the building, the sound of the welding machine loud in his ears. He walked over to a table by the entrance of the lab and grabbed a pair of safety goggles, slipping them over the pair of black rimmed glasses he wore for fashion purposes. After making sure he was probably set for a lab environment, he walked over to join his mother on the machine she was tampering with.

Bulma turned off the welding machine and put back the welding rod, turning her head to look at him with a smile on her face. “Well, look at you. Finally awake I see. What a surprise.” She chuckled. “I thought I’d have to go in there and pour cold water on you just to get you to stir!”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I was up late last night working on some things.” Trunks rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous grin on his face. “Say, no one else is here besides us, right?”

“I mean, it is Sunday, so that’s how it should be.” Bulma said and furrowed her brows, tilting her head to the side a bit. “Why do you ask?”

“Ah. Nothing. I just thought I heard someone walking through the halls, but it could just be my imagination.” He let out a breath of relief.

Bulma looked concerned. “You’re not usually not one to be paranoid...I’ll take a look at the security cameras later just to make sure there wasn’t anyone in the building.”

The fact that she was willing to do such a thing for him put a smile on his face. She had always been the kind of mother who would go above and beyond for him, and she just kept proving that to him with every passing year. Trunks hummed and nodded his head. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Anytime, Trunks.” Bulma smiled and pointed to a toolbox on one of the work stations. “Can you grab me a screwdriver?” She asked and turned back towards the machine she was working on, digging around in order to find the source of the problem.

Trunks did as he asked and brought over several different screwdrivers of different types and sizes. Once she grabbed the one she needed, he turned to put them back. As he was closing the toolbox, she spoke again.

“Do you think you’d be able to protect Earth if another threat were to come here?”

The question seemed random to him, but Bulma hardly ever asked random questions. Especially to him. He looked over at her, his brows furrowed in confusion as his head involuntarily tilted a bit to the side. “Depends on the threat I suppose...and how strong it is. Why do you ask?”

“Oh! Just curious…” She pulled back from the machine and wiped some black oil off on her white lab coat. “It’s just been a while since I’ve seen or heard about you training. I know it’s a time of peace, but don’t you think you should have some sort of training schedule? Even if it’s only once a week?”

Trunks narrowed his eyes a bit, gaining a bad feeling. Did she detect something on their equipment about an oncoming threat? Did she know something that he didn’t? The idea was enough to make his insides churn and twist. Was she hiding something from him?

“You sound like Father.”

“Do I?” Bulma said and turned towards her son, a soft expression on her face. “I’m sorry...I guess I’ve just been rather paranoid as of late.”

“Why?”

“Not sure. Our equipment hasn’t picked up on any sort of threat of that nature...Maybe old age has just given me paranoia.” Bulma shrugged and nodded towards the security control room. “Let’s take a look at the footage now, shall we?”

Trunks hated it when she shrugged things off like that, but there was no amount of prying in the world that would get her to tell him the entire truth. So, he sighed and nodded in agreement.

Once in the room, Bulma sat down in one of the black, cushioned chairs in front of large computer screens. Each screen showed a different section of the building’s business, laboratory, and outside areas. The living area of the building was left unmonitored to ensure the privacy of the family which Trunks was grateful for. His mother pulled up a command prompt for the computers that showed the lab areas, typing in a series of commands to bring up the footage from around ten minutes before Trunks had entered the lab.

Trunks watched the screens the footage played on carefully, looking for any sort of tampering or any form of disturbance in the background. Around five minutes before Trunks entered the lab, one of the cameras seemed to glitch slightly, but still remained recording. However, before the glitch occurred, there was a small frame of something black peering around the corner the camera faced.

“There. Stop that one.” Trunks spoke and pointed to the camera. Bulma did as she was told and rewinded the footage until Trunks told her to stop--right before the glitching of the screen. “Can you focus in on that little black spot?” Once again, she did as she was asked.

The image before him was very blurry, but Trunks could make out what looked like the upper body of the black-haired woman. His eyes narrowed as he leaned forward to get a closer look at the screen. Going frame by frame, he was able to watch the figure move out of the blind spot of the camera just long enough to point a device at the camera right before it glitched, and she disappeared.

“...Was the footage looped?” Trunks asked and looked at his mother who began to type in more commands to bring up the reports on that specific camera.

“Doesn’t look like there’s been any sort of tampering with that one’s system…” She murmured with a confused expression, continuing to type in commands to find a problem. “It’s probably just the system being weird and needing an update. The figure doesn’t appear on any of the other cameras at all.”

“That doesn’t make sense. You saw her in the footage, too. It wasn’t just some glitch based off of the system itself.”

“The system is old, Trunks. It needs updated and redesigned. This…’figure’ is probably just a black blob on the film that your brain is registering to look like a person.” Bulma added and pulled out a sticky note from one of the desk drawers, scribbling ‘system update’ on it before sticking it on one of the monitors. “Tomorrow, when the security team is back, I’ll have them look into updating the system or looking for errors.”

“What about the woman in the building now though?” Trunks asked, taking a step back to allow his mother to stand up out of the chair.

“The alarms would have gone off if there was something unauthorized in the building. It would take a technological genius to overcome the code built into our system.” Bulma placed her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. “I don’t even know how to override it entirely, and I’m one of the ones who helped design the damn thing.”

“Yeah, but what if-”

“Everything here is based off of ‘what if’s. It’s extremely unlikely that someone is in this building. And if they were, everything important is behind sealed doors that require codes to get into. And I’m the only one who knows all of the possible codes to the doors.” Bulma frowned and reached up, cupping one of his cheeks in her hand. “It’s fine, Trunks. The system is just old. There’s no one in the building.”

“What about the footsteps I heard?”

“Maybe I’m not the only one who’s paranoid.”

Her back was pressed flush against the wall. Her heartbeat raced in her chest as she took a deep breath to calm herself. She thought both Bulma and Trunks had been in the lab already. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she could have easily given herself away to the boy.

Prep trips were always her least favorite thing to do, but she was the only one suited for the job. She was aware of technology unlike Emperor Pilaf or Shu. She knew her way around it rather well and was able to design something that could loop camera footage without the system detecting it. But she was always afraid it was bugged even though it proved it’s worth time and time again. Yet with how advanced Capsule Corps’ technology was, she was praying the entire time it would work.

Now, all the cameras in the building were looping the same footage over and over again. When she comes back at night with the family is asleep, she’ll be able to do what she came here to do: steal something valuable from the family--possibly something irreplaceable or a not yet released piece of technology--and threat the family into given them--no, Emperor Pilaf money in return for it.

This was the business Agent Mai played. She was the only one who would do the stealing. Sometimes Shu would come with her to be a lookout, but it was unlikely. He was a lazy dog most of the time and would only get her caught if he came with her. She was better by herself. She would go in, do what she had to in order to get what they wanted, and leave undetected.

She had never gotten caught since they had started doing this a few years ago. Most of the time they’d hit smaller businesses or homes, just trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel in order to survive. But Pilaf had grown greedy since their last heist over six months ago. He wanted more, and which business was the richest but most secure in the world?

Capsule Corporation.

Agent Mai sighed and peered around the corner to make sure the boy had gone into the lab like she expected. Once she saw the coast was clear, she quietly walked down the hall towards the exit she had entered at. Her watch told her she had been in the building for thirty minutes. Trunks had entered the lab roughly ten minutes ago. She had no idea when he’d leave, so she tried her best to be quick. But her luck of not getting caught was running out.

Just as she passed by the lab door to turn down another hallway to leave, the door opened. The agent froze in her tracks, her back facing the door. She swallowed and glanced over her shoulder, her own blue eyes being met with the Brief heir’s own darker blue irises.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” The edge in his voice sparked panic inside of her. Slowly, her hand reached for a pocket on her belt.

“I, um, was looking for…” She was stumbling over her words, refusing to break eye contact with him as she pulled out a small, grey ball from her belt. “An exit.” She spoke and threw the ball to the ground, causing it to break out and release a dark cloud of smoke in the hall.

When the smoke was released, she couldn’t see him anymore, but she could hear him start to cough from the air. She took her chance and dashed down the hallways, making several unpredictable turns and twists in order to confuse or lose him if he were following behind her. But she made sure she stayed in areas where the cameras were already looped, so he wouldn’t be able to find her that way.

Once she believed that she was far enough away from the lab entrance, she slowed down her pace a bit, but eventually stopped to catch her breath. She leaned forward and placed her hands on her knees, breathing heavily as she tried to calm her heartbeat down once more. She knew she couldn’t stay still for long, so she stood straight after a few seconds. Pressing a button on her watch, she brought up a holographic map of the building and planned her route to an exit. More specifically the door she had entered from. All the other doors were locked with different key codes to unlock them. It could take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours for her decoding machine to run through the possible codes to unlock any of the other doors, and that one was already unlocked.

While she was planning, she heard heavy and quick footsteps approach her from the hall she had just ran down. She groaned and closed the hologram, looking over her shoulder before quietly, but quickly making her way down the hallway towards the door.

“Hey! Get back here!” The voice sent a cold chill down her spine. She looked over her shoulder once more and saw her quickly making his way towards her. She groaned and once again dashed down the hallway, pulling up her map in order to follow her route to her exit. Even though that meant compromising their way into the building later.

Because she was looking at the map instead of what was in front of her, however, she ran straight into a closed door separating the hallway into two sections that wasn’t shown on the map, landing flat on her back and hitting the back of her head against the floor.

Mai winced as she sat up, rubbing the back of her head as she glared at the locked door. Using the wall as support she stood up, but felt dizzy and disoriented from hitting her head. She glanced at the map once more in order to quickly reroute herself.

“It’s no use. Just stop…”

There was his voice again. This time almost directly behind her. Mai turned her head to look at him and narrowed her eyes. There was no use in trying to get out of this, and she knew it. She couldn’t overpower him in a fight even if the room wasn’t spinning in seven different directions. She couldn’t open this door to get out while he was right there. There was no way she could escape this building as of right now, so the smart option would be to let him catch her and she’d find her escape route later.

“...Fine.” She murmured and showed him her hands in surrender, shrugging a shoulder. “I surrender, Your Highness.” Her voice was laced with sarcasm on the last part, pursing her lips together as she gave him an icy glare.

Trunks handcuffed her to one of the large pipes in the laboratory far from the door so she wouldn’t get any smart ideas.  He snapped the handcuffs as tightly as he could around her thin wrists, wanting to make sure she wasn’t able to slip out of them easily or at all. He felt a little guilty, however, when she winced at how tight it was.

“Didn’t your mommy ever tell you not to use handcuffs without a safe word first, doll?” She remarked with a smirk. Yeah, he felt less guilty about it now.

“Didn’t your daddy ever teach you not to break into buildings, sweetheart?” He snapped back, tightening the cuff on her other hand tighter than the previous one. That just caused her to suck in air through her teeth, a small growl like noise leaving her throat.

“Sorry, sweetie. Never had a daddy.” The woman retorted and licked over her lips to wet them. “But you could be mine if you let me go~”

Trunks looked at her with a face of disgust moving away from her as he glared. “If you don’t quit talking like that, I’ll report you for sexual harassment as well.” He threatened and looked at his watch. “The authorities should be here in less than fifteen minutes to get you out of my hair, so please don’t make these next few minutes difficult for the both of us.”

She fell quiet. Her light blue eyes glaring into his soul as her face contorted into a nasty expression.

Trunks rolled his eyes at her and moved to work on a machine rather close to her just so he could keep an eye on her. “So, what’s your name, stranger?”

“Wouldn’t you like to kno-” Just before she could finish her sentence, the buildings alarm went off. Redlights shone bright into the room and flashed with the sound of the alarm. Trunks’ blood went cold in his body as he dropped the tools he had picked up to work, dashing across the lab to check on his mother.

“Hey! Are you just going to leave me here?!” He heard the prisoner shouting at him with slight panic in her voice, but he shrugged her off, determining that she was going to be fine since she was far away from any entrances into the building.

He threw open the door to the security room and saw his mother sitting in the chair, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at the screen. Trunks looked confused and then looked at the screen, a loop of footage from one of their satellites playing over and over.

Footage of a planet being destroyed and seemingly disappearing in the blink of an eye while two unknown figure watch the destruction.

“They’re heading towards Earth as we speak…” Bulma murmured with a defeated tone in her voice, taking a deep breath. She stood up and shrugged off her lab coat, grabbing a set of keys to one of the airships and shoving them into her pocket. “Stay here. I have to go do something.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Trunks reached forward and grabbed ahold of her wrist, a slightly panicked expression on his face. “What’s going on? Where are you going?” He had to shout over the alarm.

“I’m going to get someone who can help! Just stay here and disable the alarm!” Bulma shouted back, yanking her wrist out of his grasp. “It’s going to take them a few hours to get here. If I’m not back in two, then track the location of ship one and come get me, okay?” She reached up and pulled his face down to her, planting a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll be right back, Trunks.”

Chapter Text

The window in the living area gave the best view of the horizon no matter what position you were in. Currently, that position for Trunks was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his bare chest. Trunks had gotten up as soon as he believed her to be asleep enough to not notice his absence. He only really bothered to put back on his underwear and pants, deciding that Mai might want to wear his shirt when she woke up. But for the time being, he stood in the living room and watched the sun move across the horizon slowly, allowing his mind to wander.

He still couldn’t believe he had confessed to her. He still couldn’t believe the kisses. He still couldn’t believe what they had done. Sex was not something that commonly happened after confessions, but the kiss was. And that damned kiss had pulled him in harder than what he was expected. She had pushed more than he had expected. The entire situation was not what he was expecting.

But just because it wasn’t what he had expected didn’t mean he was disappointed. On the contrary, it was quite the opposite. He had only ever found himself in that position a couple of times. Mostly because during the peacetime, his mother constantly went on about wanting grandchildren.

So, he tried his hardest to comply with her. He would go out every once in a while and try to make some sort of romantic connection with a woman. He had only ever found two that he convinced himself he would happy with. One lasted for almost a year before she broke up with him to pine after a younger, more attractive man with more of an appetite for adventure and travel than Trunks. The other...lasted six months before Trunks found her cheating on him with her best friend.

To say he had bad luck with women was quite an understatement.

But Mai was and had never been like those women. Trunks didn’t need to convince himself that she’d make him happy. She’d already proven countless times that she does. Every time she smiles or laughs, the amount of dopamine and oxytocin that Trunks’ brain released was unreal.

Ever since he had found the group of ‘rebels’ that Mai lead, he had quickly fallen for her charm. Saiyan men loved strong-willed women, and Mai was just that. She wasn’t afraid to snap at him if he had done or said something stupid. She seemed hardly afraid of anything really. She went out of her way to protect others and to ensure their safety rather than her own. Hell, she’d go out of her way for his safety.

But even as much as his brain enjoyed this, there was still the spark of fear in his mind. Being raised in an already corrupted world caused him to harbor distrust towards the happy times. Peace comes to an end eventually. It’s just a matter of when it’s going to happen, not if it will happen.

That’s one thing he hoped his past self would never have to face. The boy was born and raised in a peaceful world. No Androids to kill humanity. No having to rebuild most areas from the ground up. No having to live with the crippling fear that everything he worked for would vanish in the blink of an eye.

He was broken away from his thoughts when he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around him, a cool, soft face being pressed against his shoulder. He smiled immediately and moved his hands to rest on top of her arm, glancing down to see her arms being drowned in the olive fabric of his shirt’s sleeves.

“How are you feeling?” He asked and turned to face her, placing his hands on her hips as he glanced down at her. The late afternoon light that came in from the window illuminated her pale skin, making her look as radiant as he had ever seen her.

Mai seemed to be thinking of an answer, leaning forward to press her face against his chest. “Well-rested and amazing…” She murmured and nuzzled into him, taking a deep breath through her nose. “And yourself, dear?”

Her voice sparked joy in his heart. He rested his chin on the top of her head and moved his arms to embrace her, holding her tightly against him. “Never been better…”

They stayed like this for a few minutes. Trunks gently rubbed Mai’s back through the fabric of his shirt and moved to press his face into her hair, taking in slow, steady inhales as he closed his eyes. If there was one thing he wanted in this world, it was to stay like this with her for all of eternity.

Mai pulled away first--much to Trunks disliking. He frowned as she reached up and cupped his face in her hands, a soft grin on her face. “I’m gonna go start on some dinner. Can you change the bedsheets for me, darling?” She asked, but Trunks knew it was more of a sweetly said demand than anything.

“Of course.” He responded as if he had a choice, earning a small peck on the lips before she pulled away completely and walked towards the kitchen. “Whatcha thinkin’ about makin’ though?” He watched her as she walked across the room, letting his eyes to gaze over her from behind.

Mai stopped in front of the cupboard and hummed, leaning down to pick up a jar of pasta sauce. She turned it over her hands and hummed, grinning as she looked up at him. “Hm...How does spaghetti sound?”

Agent Mai watched as the blue-haired man swore under his breath as he tried his hardest to deactivate the alarm that was being blasted in their ears. She had to admit that watching him try over and over with the six-digit deactivation code and failing countless times made her smile. It was almost cute to see the look of frustration on his face.

The agent had been fortunate enough for Trunks to move her closer to the security office, but only because he wanted to keep a close eye on her why he was struggling with the alarm system. Mai wasn’t complaining, however. As stated, she enjoyed watching him, finding it amusing that he didn’t know the deactivation code to his family’s own system.

“Damnit!” The loud swear that came from him made her chuckle. She almost didn’t want to leave if it meant not being able to watch this shitshow anymore.

But damn if she didn’t want that annoying alarm to stop. The loud blaring mixed with a headache she already had from hitting her head gave her a less than desirable experience.

“It’s truly sad that your mother isn’t around to turn the damn thing off since you’re too incompetent to figure out how to do it yourself.” Mai chimed in after another few seconds of watching him struggle.

“I’d like to see you try to do it yourself. Since you apparently know everything about this place.” Trunks snapped back and peered over his shoulder, his eyes set into a harsh glare. Mai was taken aback by such an expression, her eyes widening as she fell silent. “That’s what a thought. You’re all bark and no bite.”

“Not really, hun, but if that’ll help you sleep at night.” She hummed. “I mean, I was the one who entered your high-security facility and didn’t set off any of the alarms.”

“And now look at you. You’re handcuffed and on the floor.” Trunks rolled his eyes and faced the computer once more, continuing to maneuver the countless menus. “Some badass criminal you are.”

Agent Mai pursed her lips into a tight light, huffing as she glared at the back of his head. “Fine. Be like that. I was going to offer my help, but looks like you’d rather go deaf than have it.” She made sure to be especially loud so he could hear every single word she had to say. She could have sworn she heard him stifle a laugh.

“Yeah. Like you’d be able to figure it out faster than I can.”

“I didn’t say I would be the one doing the hacking directly, but be a dick about it.” She sighed and turned her body so her back was facing him, digging the toe of her shoe into the hard ground. “Ya know, I honestly felt like we had a connection there for a moment, and you just had to go and ruin it.”

Mai closed her eyes and leaned back to be laying down on the floor. One of her legs was bent towards her body while the other one was stretched out. If it weren’t for the hard metal of the handcuffs pressing against her back and the loud ringing in her ears, she actually would have found this position to be rather comfortable.

“What are you talking about?” His voice was right above her. She opened an eye and glanced up at him looming over her, his arms crossed against his broad chest. She smirked and closed her eye, humming with a shrug.

“I mean, you literally chased after me, de-”

“Not about that. About the hacking. What do you mean you wouldn’t do it directly?” She reopened her eyes to take a look at the annoyed expression on his face. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of glee.

“How do you think I got in here? Do you really think I sat there and tried every combination by hand?” Mai sat up and turned so she was facing him. “There’s a device on my belt that I used to try every possible combination to get inside the doors. It only took a matter of seconds to unlock the door.

“But if you want it, you’re gonna have to uncuff me first so I can get it.” She paused before tilting her head to the side with a smirk on her face. “Unless you wanna take it from me?”

Trunks wrinkled his nose in disgust at her but looked to be weighing his options. He even looked at his watch to see how much time had passed since he had first informed the authorities of her presence on the property. After a few moments, he sighed and kneeled down in front of her. “Where is it?” If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that was a dusting of red on his face.

Agent Mai looked down and thought for a second. She could have a little fun with this. “I’m not entirely sure where I put it, but it’s a little black box with a button on it. When you push the button, it wirelessly connects to the digital system and begins to run the passcode possibilities.”

“How do you just not know where it is? It’s literally on your person.”

“How do you just not know the passcode to something as important as the alarm system? You live in this building.”

With her comment, he fell silent and glared at her. Without a word, he reached forward and gently started to feel around her belt for wherever she had stored the box, being extra careful not to apply any sort of pressure or accidentally touch her through her clothing.

“You know, if anyone else was in the building, this could easily be one of those cliché moments where someone walked in on us, and we’d have to go ‘it’s not what it looks like!’ What a shame…” Mai sighed and poured a bit, watching as he shot a glare at her.

“Be quiet. I doubt any of our employees are as vulgar as you.” Trunks sneered, causing Mai to chuckle. “What are you laughing at?”

“Oh? Me? I just found out unpleasant Earth Savior is in real life.” She hummed.

“Wouldn’t be so unpleasant if you knew how to respect others.” She could hear a cutting edge in his tone as he leaned a bit closer, working his hands to the back of her belt with a displeased expression.

“You’ve done nothing worthy of my respect, Mr. Briefs.”

“Don’t call me that.” He almost growled at her. At that moment, he found the device in a small pouch, removing it and pulling away from her.

“Oh! So you want me to respect you more, but as soon as I use a term out of respect, you snap at me!” Mai raised her voice at him, beginning to be more annoyed than amused. “God, you’re more difficult than the emperor!”

It seemed that Trunks chose to ignore her as he stood up and walked back into the security office. Pressing the button like she had instructed, a window opened up on the computer screen, numbers quickly filling it up as it ran through the possible codes. Luckily, it took only around thirty seconds before the words “ACCESS GRANTED” popped up in green text and the alarm ceased.

“You know, the least you could do is let me go. I helped you.” Mai spoke up once the alarm was silent, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

“Ha! That’s a good one.” Trunks glanced at her from over his shoulder before turning to face her, crossing his arms. “I’m not letting you go. You’re still a criminal.”

“If it wasn’t for me, that alarm would still be going off until either you figured it out or until your mother got back.” Mai sat up straighter, clenching her teeth. “At least give me some sort of reward! Loosen up these fucking handcuffs then! I’m going to circulation from how tight they are!”

Trunks seemed to be contemplating what she was saying to him, tilting his head to the side as he examined her with cold eyes. She never thought someone who the public was so fond of could have such a cruel look on his face. It sent a shiver down her spine. Whether that being a good or bad thing, she was unsure.

“Mr. Briefs, we’re almost to your location. Do you still have the criminal in custody?” A voice rang in from his watch. Trunks didn’t break eye contact with Mai as he raised his arm to speak.

“No, sir. She escaped.”

Mai’s mouth went agape as he spoke, her heart racing. This was the last thing she expected from him. She shook her head slightly as Trunks lowered his arm, giving her a nod.

“Now we’re even.”

Trunks pushed the dresser drawer closed after retrieving a grey shirt for himself. He had done what Mai had asked and changed the bed sheets. He was even thoughtful enough to throw them into the washer. He pulled the shirt over his head and slipped his arms through the sleeves, pulling it down to cover his torso.

As he was smoothing out the fabric, he heard Mai clear her throat from the bedroom door. Trunks turned his head to glance at her from over his shoulder. He examined her with a soft gleam in his eyes, starting at her feet and working his eyes up her pale legs until he reached that gorgeous face of hers. “Dinner done?”

“As a matter of fact,” Mai hummed, “it is.”

“Alright. I’ll be there in just a second.” Trunks grinned and watched as Mai nodded at him and turned to walk back into the kitchen.

The first thought that popped into Trunks’ mind was how incredibly lucky he was. If it hadn’t been for Mai, he would have given up a long time ago. He would have thrown in the towel as soon as his mother was killed. Yet she encouraged him to continue. She always talked sense into him whenever he would say something somewhat self-deprecating.

She had seen something inside of Trunks that he hadn’t seen before and pushed him to be the best version of himself.

His second was how incredibly good she looked in his clothes.

Trunks chuckled to himself and exhaled, walking into the kitchen. He saw that Mai had already sat down at the table, having a plate of food set in front of the seat across of her for him. He walked over and sat down, picking up his fork to begin eating.

They ate in silence for a little while before Mai spoke.

“How long have you been holding in your feelings towards me?”

Trunks stopped mid-chew and looked at her, raising a brow in question before he finished chewing and swallowing. “Well...I’m not sure exactly. I’ve always thought you were attractive even when covered in dirt. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment that I started to feel something for you.” Trunks paused and looked down. “But I think I realized it when we spent our first full night together in that rundown, abandoned apartment.”

“I remember that…” Mai murmured. “We had gotten separated from the rest of the group, so we took up shelter there for the night. We were both stubborn, so we both kept insisting that the other take the couch instead.” Mai hummed and grinned at the memory. “So we both just ended up squeezing on it.”

“You were on the very edge, and I was afraid you’d fall off in your sleep, so I held you close to me to avoid you getting hurt. I barely slept that night because I didn’t want my grip on you to loosen and you fall. Well, that and  I was nervous as all hell because you were so close to me. I didn’t wanna breathe too much because I felt like it would wake you up...” Trunks looked back up at her. “I think...that was the moment I realized I loved you more than I had ever loved someone before.”

“That was such a long time ago. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“It felt like a selfish thing to do in the middle of a genocide.” Trunks took a breath. “I suppose I was also protecting you. Being the one who went head-to-head with Black, I was afraid there was going to be a time where I didn’t make it. And I didn’t want it to hurt more.”

“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.” Mai smiled. “How the hell did someone like-”

The moment was cut short by the sound of frantic pounding on the door of the little home. Both Trunks and Mai looked up and towards the door with confused expressions on their faces. Trunks, however, was the one to stand up first, motioning for Mai to stay put when she, too, began to stand up. “Stay here…”

Trunks walked over to the door and peered through the peephole, his eyes widening when he saw this timeline’s version of his mother standing at the door still dressed in her lab attire from earlier. He took a deep breath as his stomach twisted and turned into knots, thoughts of what could be wrong flooding his mind as he opened the door. “...Hello?”

“Trunks!” Bulma exclaimed as she basically attacked her son in a hug, pulling away just as quickly as she had embraced him. “Trunks, there’s no time to explain. I need you to come with me back to Capsule Corp. It’s important.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down. You’re talking too fast.” Trunks furrowed his brows. “Why do you need me?”

“I can’t explain here. They’ll be here at any time. I’m not sure how fast they’re traveling or if they’re coming here first or what’s going on.” Bulma looked over her shoulder and up at the sky, swallowing before looking back at him. “We have to hurry. I’ll explain on the way to Capsule Corp.”

“Trunks, who is it?” Mai’s voice sent a shudder down his spine. He glanced over his shoulder to see her behind him, arms crossed loosely over her chest as she tried to look over him by getting on her tiptoes. “What do they want?”

“Mai, go get dressed. We have to go somewhere.”

“Who’s here though?” She asked and walked closer hesitantly. “Is that...Bulma? What is she doing here? How does she know about us?” Her voice as soft as she looked like she was in a daze. “Did you...Did you go see her earlier? After we agreed not to do just that?” Now she sounded kind of angry with him.

“Mai, please don’t be difficult right now.” Trunks turned towards her and grabbed ahold of her hands, looking into her eyes with a pleading look. “Yes, I went and saw her, but I needed to talk to her about some things that I wasn’t exactly comfortable with talking to you about. I apologize. I should have told you what I had actually done instead of lying to you.

“You can be mad at me all you want, but right now she’s frantic and we need to go with her. Can you please go get dressed?”

Mai stared back at him for a few seconds and exhaled out a sigh. “Fine, but we’ll talk about this later.” She said and slipped her hands away from his, walking off to get dressed.

“I didn’t mean to cause problems. You know I wouldn’t have bothered you if it wasn’t important.” Bulma spoke up after Mai left, looking down.

“I know, Mom. I’m sure Mai knows that, too. She’s just a little...upset at me right now. This has nothing to do with you.”

“...” She fell silent for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head and looked back up with a grin. “Okay…”

A few minutes later, Mai came out of the bedroom fully dressed in her cream sweater and leggings, having also slipped on a pair of simple flats. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat.

“Let’s go then.”

Chapter Text

Uncomfortable seemed to be her middle name. The cuffs dug into her wrists in almost any position she laid in. Her ass hurt from sitting on the hard floor of the lab for what she could only assume was close to an hour or two. Her stomach, on occasion, would growl and rumble from hunger, causing her to curl in on herself to silence the noise. She thanked God that Trunks had left the room a while ago, leaving her alone in the large laboratory.

Agent Mai’s mind wandered as she stared at one of the computer screens, shifting herself to be sitting cross-legged. She first thought of what Trunks had done. Why would he call off the police? She had broken into the building and messed with his surveillance. She had planned to come back at night and steal priceless equipment to hold for ransom. She deserved to be thrown behind bars. But he had taken mercy on her. He showed her a slice of kindness. Why? Why would he? If she was in his position, helping stop an alarm would not amount to freedom.

Trunks and his decision were a puzzle to her. She couldn’t see the logic in his deeds. Why be so selfless? Why so amiable? She was selfish and rude. She had been nothing but snooty towards him. Yet he still showed that sliver of good faith.

And God did she hate him for it.

Her second thought was about the handcuffs. As pleasant as he had been with pardoning her, he sure didn’t feel the need to uncuff her. Maybe that was his way of punishing her. Or maybe he was a sadistic fuck who enjoyed watching her suffer. As much as he didn’t seem to be that way, it’s always the quiet ones who surprise you.

The agent was broken from her thoughts when the door to the lab opened up. She perked up and shifted her eyes towards the door, watching as the blue-haired man walked into the room with a box of pizza in his hands. Mai felt a small pain in her stomach at the sight of possible food, praying that it wouldn’t betray her with a growl.

Her blue eyes watched him like he was prey as he walked into the control room and set the box down. He ran a hand through his hair and turned towards her, crossing his arms as he cleared his throat. “Are you hungry?”

Mai’s stomach dropped at the question. Of course, she was hungry. Her last meal was from the afternoon before, over twenty-four hours ago. She, however, didn’t want him to know that. She had learned not to show any form of weakness over her lifetime--not to let anyone know something that could be exploited later on.

Unfortunately, when she opened her mouth to deny her hunger, her stomach rumbled, giving away the one thing she wanted to hide. She cursed herself and took a deep breath. “I’m fine.” She still answered, praying he wouldn’t pry.

“Really? Your stomach seems to disagree with that statement.” He fired back, making Mai grind her teeth. “You like pepperoni?” He asked and walked towards her, reaching his hand into the pocket of his pants. He pulled out a set of keys as he walked behind her, kneeling down. She heard him fumbling with the keys for a minute before she felt the handcuffs on her wrists loosen and fall to the ground.

Confused, she brought her hands to the front of her body, rubbing at the red marks made on her wrists. Her brows furrowed as she looked at her hands, once again questioning why he would show any form of charity towards her. A few seconds after being freed, she saw his boots in front of her. She looked up to see him offering a hand out to her. She stayed where she was for a few seconds, her eyes shifting from his hand to his eyes. She searched for a sign of possible betrayal. A sign that would tell her he had hidden motives. But she couldn’t find anything. Not even a sign of the distaste he had for her just earlier today.

“Do you not want my help?”

His voice snapped her out of her daze, causing her to blink and nod her head. She reached up gingerly and took ahold of his hand. She made note of how rough his skin seemed to be before pulling herself to her feet. She let go of his hand almost immediately.

“Thanks…” She murmured and walked towards the control room to sit down. She undid the buttons of her trenchcoat and shrugged it off her shoulders, revealing a dark purple sweater. She draped the coat over her chair and sat down, crossing her arms on top of the table.

Trunks joined her, pulling the chair out from across from her and turning it around to straddle it. He sat down and rested his arms on the back of the chair, tilting his head to the side. “So, what’s your name?”

Mai stared at him for a moment and then glanced at the pizza. She wouldn’t like it if this continued on like an interrogation, but at least she’s getting fed. “Mai.” She answered drily and reached over to lift the top of the box, her stomach once again growling at the sight and smell.

“Mai…” He repeated her name under his breath as she grabbed a slice of pizza, a chill going down her spine. Whether that be from the way he said her name or from food, she wasn’t sure. “I’m-”

“Trunks Briefs.” She answered before he could and took a small bite, chewing for a moment before swallowing. “Heir to Capsule Corp, defeater of Androids, and defender of Earth.” She hummed and pointed a finger at him. “Only someone who lives under a rock wouldn’t know who you are, kid.”

“‘Kid’? You can’t be much older than me.” Trunks answered and took his own slice, setting down on the open lid of the box.

“You’d be surprised.”

“Then how old are you?”

Mai hadn’t expected him to ask. Nor had she really prepared an answer for when people did ask. What should she say? Actual age? How long had she been like this? The inner panic tried to set in, but on the outside, she remained calm and collected. “It’s rude to ask a woman her age.”

“My bad. Would you tell me if I told you mine?” He raised a brow, answering before she had a chance to share her thoughts. “Twenty-nine. I’ll be thirty in a few months.”

“You don’t look that old.” Mai said with a mouthful, setting her half-eaten piece back down on the box. “Though I don’t have room to talk. I’m older than you are.”

“Really? By how much?”

“That would give it away now, wouldn’t it?” She still hadn’t come up with a good answer. Her body was roughly the same age as he was, but she had been alive probably longer than his mother. “Change the subject.” She said and leaned back, crossing her arms.

“Alrighty then...Who do you work for?” Trunks began eating his own piece, a curious look in his eyes.

“...” Mai fell silent for a moment, contemplating whether she should tell him or not. She sighed and sat up. “His name is Pilaf, Emperor Pilaf. Though he’s a lousy excuse for one if you asked me.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard of him.”

“Exactly. He acts all big and bad, but he has other people do his bidding for him. He’s not exactly what I’d call...a mastermind either. He doesn’t come up with any of our plans. He just tells us what to do, and we have to figure it out ourselves.”

“Damn, he sounds awful...Why do you work for him if you don’t like him?” Trunks was leaning forward now, seeming to drink in every word she said. It caught her off guard. She couldn’t remember the last time someone listened to her like this--let alone a man.

Mai thought about the question and picked up her piece again, resuming her feasting. “...I don’t really know to be honest. Probably the money. Even though us ‘servants’ only get about a small fraction of what we get for him, and he blows everything on useless things that don’t matter.” There was an edge to her voice. She had never talked about her frustrations with anyone else, but she never expected this much to be built up. “We grew up together, too. I suppose that could also be another reason for not wanting to just abandon him…”

“...Why did you choose to do this though? Weren’t there other options for you?”

“Not really.” She answered plainly, but with the look on his face, she knew her answer wasn’t satisfactory enough. “We grew up poor. Life had always been hard for us. Not to mention we were orphans. We grew up on the street. We always stole things like food and clothes, so when we got older, it just seemed like the right option. We were already good at it, and no one was willing to hire dirty kids.”

A silence erupted between the two of them. Neither one saying a word. Mai hadn’t even realized what she had said before it came out. She hadn’t told anyone about what her ‘childhood’--the one that had replaced her real one--was like. She cleared her throat and set down her pizza crust, chewing the inside of her bottom lip.

“When I say it like that, it just seems...so sad.”

“I’m-...I’m sorry to hear that, Mai.” His voice was laced with sympathy, making her almost jump back. Was this the same boy that had called the police on her?

“Why...are you apologizing?” She sounded confused, her facial expression matching the tone of her voice.

“Capsule Corp. should be doing more for society. Sure, we rebuilt and continue to rebuild buildings, but if we can’t protect and provide for the people, what’s the use?” He looked down and took a deep breath. “I know it’s not our responsibility to do things like that, but we have all this extra money and nothing to spend it on.”

“Stop it.” She said suddenly and leaned over the table, placing a hand on top of his. “You’ve already done so much for the world that it’s insane. And you continue to do so much. You can’t expect to do everything for everyone. Trying to make everyone happy isn’t going to work. There’s still going to be the few that suffer.”

“If those few are still going to suffer, then we can make them suffer less, no? We can build more soup kitchens or donate more money to shelters or do...something more to make things better for others.” Trunks didn’t move his hand away from hers to her surprise, instead, he seemed to relax a bit. “I’m supposed to be the defender of Earth, but I can’t even make sure everyone is-”

Mai reached up and cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. Blue eyes stared into blue eyes, a look of determination on her face. “Stop degrading yourself. It does nothing to help anyone. You wanna do something? You can start by stop bitching and moaning over something that’s unrealistic.” She sounded harsher than she wanted to. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled out a sigh. “Just the fact that you show that you care is enough...But everything isn’t going to change right away. The world is still fragile and frail. You have to gentle with it. Ease your way into making things better. A city isn’t built in a day.”

Trunks seemed to lean into one of her hands, moving his eyes away after she stopped talking. He stayed still for a few moments before breathing in and pulling away from her. “You’re right. I’m...sorry.”

Mai could hear the slight hurt in his voice, pulling a bit at her heart. She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms, sniffing a bit before looking to the side. “You’re a good kid, Trunks. And truth be told, I had told my boss that breaking into a place like this was a bad idea. But he’s too stubborn to realize when I know more than he does.”

“...Leave him then. Quit your job and move away.”

“Excuse me? What are you saying? I can’t do that. I don’t have anywhere to-”

“Work here.” He said suddenly. He seemed to notice her surprise from the way her mouth dropped open. “If housing is an issue, there’s plenty of rooms inside of this building. You can pick whichever one you want.”

Mai was shocked by his offer. He barely knew her yet he still offered her a place to work and live. She didn’t know if she wanted to scream at him for being so naive or hug him for being so damn kind. “You don’t know me. How do you know I won’t do something to betray you?”

“You don’t seem like that kind of woman. Hell, you’ve stuck with the same employer even though he seems to treat you like absolute garbage.” Trunks exhaled and swallowed. “If you don’t want to do it, I understand. You barely know me or my mother. And I’m sitting here sounding like a fool offering you a job and place to live after you broke into the place.”

“Yeah. That really doesn’t sound like a smart thing to do honestly.”

“But you can help improve our systems. You designed the tech to break in, no? Then you can make our tech resistant to it.” A pause. “We won’t treat you like a servant here. You’ll be part of the team alongside me, Mom, and our other workers.”

She fell silent, looking at him as if he was crazy. He drove a hard bargain. She had been looking for a way out of working for Pilaf for years, but she had never found the right way to do it. Maybe this was God finally shining a light on her, encouraging her to yearn for more in life. “I...don’t know. I’d need time to think about it.”

“You can have all the time in the world. You don’t have to come to a decision now. Even if it’s a few years down the line, the offer will still stand.” Trunks grinned. “Just think about it.”

As if on cue, the door to the lab opened and the group of three stepped inside.

Mai had been silent the entire flight here. She only gave dry answers to Bulma and hums to him. The fact that she was upset with him made his stomach churn. It cut deep especially after the events from just a few hours ago. Would she think he used her? What was running through her head? The mystery of it all was what hurt him the most, causing his anxiety to spike.

His mother had filled the both of them in on what was going on in the ship, which didn’t seem to help his growing dread. He knew he’d be ready for hopefully whatever kind of battle this would be, but he didn’t anticipate it like his father or Goku would have. He wanted time to relax. Time to spend with Mai and just enjoy each other’s company without the worry of the world falling apart. He didn’t want this timeline to end up like his, even though he knew these threats weren’t going to be Zamasu or Black.

Trunks glanced over his shoulder to Mai as they walked into the Capsule Corp. building, being greeted with her dark brown eyes looking at him with a sheet of ice over them. He swallowed and looked forward, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his pants. He watched as Bulma punched in the security code to the lab, the doors opening as soon as the light turned green.

The three walked into the room, Mai still trailing behind them with her arms crossed. This time, her face was a look of wonder as she looked around the lab, eyes wide as her posture relaxed. Trunks couldn’t help but smile at seeing her so amazed, his heart pounding against his chest. Even if she was mad at him, she still amazed him without trying.

Bulma went straight into the control room and began typing away at the keyboard to bring up the footage the satellite had found. Trunks stopped just before entering, his eyes widening when he saw this timeline’s versions of themselves sitting at the table with a pizza box between them.

His first thought was about how different yet similar they looked. This Trunks wore a pair of khaki pants and a buttoned blue shirt with a pair of glasses in the breast pocket. He looked smaller than Trunks did. And his only guess was because he had gone longer without any form of training. Well-rested was another word that came to his mind, only making him self-conscious of the dark bags under his eyes that signaled his lack of sleep from the past year.

As the two of them stared at each other, the other Mai turned to face them, seemingly being taken aback by the couple in the doorway. This Mai wore darker clothes than his Mai. Black heeled boots, leggings, a dark brown belt, and a dark purple sleeveless sweater. Appearance wise, they seemed to be the same. The most striking difference he found was their eye color. His Mai’s eyes were a dark brown, almost black. This one’s? A bright blue that stood out the most against her dark appearance.

“Excuse me? What’s going on here?” She spoke. His heart sank. Her voice was the same--of course, it’d be the same. But hers held an edge. A slight raspiness that cut through the air. “Who are these people? And why does she look like me?”

“Because she is you.” Bulma spoke, but provided no explanation, simply pulling up the live footage and rewinding it to show Trunks.

“Mom...Why is he here? Did something happen?” This Trunk spoke and turned to face their mother.

“It’s a long story.” Trunks answered. “And we apparently don’t have time for it right now.” He finally entered the room, Mai following behind him. He went and stood beside his mother, watching the feed as she stopped it. When she began playing the stream, he witnessed just as she had described. A planet blowing up with a pair watching as it vanished into thin air. Except to him, the pair was not unknown.

“That’s…” Trunks murmured and swallowed. “The God of Destruction for this Universe and his angel.”

“The what now of this excuse me?” The other Mai spoke and stood up, placing her hands on the top of the table. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it seems like something that’s a little out of my league. And whoever that is-” She pointed to the screen. “-doesn’t seem like the kind of person I want to meet. I mean, he’s literally called the God of Destruction for Heaven’s sake.”

“He’s harmless.” Trunks said and looked over at her. “Or at least the version I met didn’t seem too violent.”

“Oh! Right! Lemme just believe that real quick! Another pretty boy walks in, and I’m just supposed to listen to whatever he has to say, right?” She took a breath and shook her head. “I can’t put my trust into that.”

“Just wait a minute, Mai.” His other self spoke and stood up, crossing his arms as he looked towards Trunks. “Um, Trunks, do you have any idea on how to stop him? Or at least get rid of him? I...I can’t fight someone who can easily blow up a planet like that anymore.”

“...” He could hear the awkwardness in his voice. And he could relate. The last time he saw himself, he was a kid. It was easy to interact with him because he seemed so different. But this Trunks had a similar upbringing. He was the same age. The only difference was he didn’t have to deal with Zamasu and Black. “He seemed to enjoy food...Maybe if we can give him some he’ll just leave.”

“That sounds stupid.” Agent Mai spoke and crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one hip. “Food is going to stop someone like him?”

“I didn’t say it was a definite answer, but it’s an answer.” He shot back and took a breath.

She opened her mouth to talk, but quickly closed it when she couldn’t think of anything. He was right after all. It was at least a possible answer for the problem at hand.

The other Trunks sighed and sat back down, running a hand through his hair. “Well, we can only pray that it’ll be that easy...How long do you think it will take until they get here, Ma?”

“Maybe...another hour or two.” Bulma turned off the computer screen and looked back at the two. “I can order some of the best food I can find to be delivered here as soon as possible.”

“Perfect.” Alternate Trunks spoke as his mother pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and left the room to do just that. “Now all we have to do is wait I suppose…”

“An hour or two is plenty of time for a story.” The agent spoke and sat back down, her legs and arms crossed as she tilted her head. “So start telling us that long story of yours, boy.”

Chapter Text

She couldn’t stop staring at the other version of herself. The last time she had seen a version of herself she was a child. Small and innocent. But this time. She was a fully grown woman the same age as herself. She looked the same except for those artificial blue eyes that had a cold glaze over them.

Another key difference was their behavior. She was much more refined and polite, having learned to put aside her ego and pride during the year with Black and to help others because she never knew when she might need them to help her. Agent Mai held herself the way she used to. She was self-important. Her expressions were ones of confusion or disgust as Trunks told their story. There was no hint of compassion or sympathy in her eyes that she could find. And that’s what scared her most.

Was this the person she would have ended up like if Black hadn’t shown up? If so, she was grateful in that regard.

When Mai saw the alternate Trunks tensed up, she was broken from her trance on herself and turned her gaze towards her own Trunks. Her heart nearly shattered when she saw his gaze at the floor, seemingly trying his hardest to keep himself together as he struggled to speak out the part about his own mother. She must have been visibly distraught for when she went to hug his arm, she could see the other hers face contort into a look of something disgust and confusion.

The others’ actions nor their expressions bothered her in any way, however. She pressed her head against Trunks’ shoulder in a way to comfort him, but being as stubborn as she was, she refused to do anything else. If she were in a better mood, she might have held onto his hand or given reassuring words. Or maybe even tell the rest of the story for him. But he had lied and broken a promise they had made to each other. Teary eyes and a shaky voice wasn’t enough to wipe that away from her mind.

But even the smallest gesture out of her seemed to give him enough strength to continue. She could feel him leaning against her touch as she leaned against him. In that moment, their bodies relied on other another for support. If one of them were to move before the other was ready, they would certainly lose their balance.

As Trunks was wrapping up, Mai closed her eyes and absentmindedly ran the pad of her finger against the sleeve of his blue Capsule Corp jacket. Whether or not he could feel it through the rather thick fabric was another thing. It didn’t take much concentration to remember a time where the feeling of this jacket would give her a sense of safety and relief. Especially now, she knew her Trunks would keep her safe. The past year had given her proof to that fact.

Just as he finished up telling their tragedy, Bulma hollered for the two boys from the other room. Mai didn’t quite hear what she had said, but could only assume it had to do with setting up for the arrival of the god. Before Trunks exited the room, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, slipping out of her arms to join the other Trunks.

Leaving her alone in the same room as the other Mai.

Mai stared at the door to this section of the lab as they left, completely out of it until she heard the other clear her throat. She turned and raised a brow in question, the agent nodding to the empty seat in front of her.

“Sit. I don’t bite.” There was an unreadable expression on the other woman’s face as she crossed her arms and legs, tilting her head to the side. “I just wanna get to know ‘me’ better.”

Mai complied and sat down across from her, placing her hands in her lap as she crossed her own legs at the ankles. She kept her gaze downwards for a moment before taking in a breath and looking up. “What do you want to know?”

The agent gained a slightly wicked smirk, leaning forward and resting her face in her hands at her elbows rested on the table. With a hum, she spoke. “What’s up with you and the boy?”

For some reason, Mai was not surprised by this question. She sighed and relaxed her posture. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be more specific than that unless you want to hear a long story. And it seems we no longer have the time for more stories.” She earned a slight glare.

“Why were you hanging on him?”

“To provide comfort? To make sure he was okay?” Mai was confused by the question. Maybe she gave her other self too much credit to notice compassion when she saw it.

“I’m not an idiot.” It was a sharp remark meant to cut deep. To anyone else, the edge of her tone would have sliced through them like butter. But she knew this act and knew it well. It was similar to how she acted before Black. “It was an awful friendly gesture.”

“Friends comfort friends. Or at least friends that have gone to Hell and back together do.” She hummed and tilted her head to the side, enjoying this little game of back and forth she had created.

“Stop beating around the damn bush.” The agent seemed to be trying her hardest to keep her composure, her eyes narrowing from her frustration. “You both leaned into each other. A rather familiar and intimate thing to do. His struggle seemingly disappeared when you touched him. This indicates a deeper connection than just merely friends.”

Mai fell silent and hide her gaze. She couldn’t come up with a comeback to that one. The other Mai had roped her into a trap. But even Mai wasn’t sure what she’d call the two of them. “What about it..?”

A groan escaped the agent’s throat as she leaned back in her seat, arms returning to being crossed to her chest. “Are y’all fuckin’?”

The bluntness of the question made her jump back. She could feel the heat rise up in her cheeks at the question, having to adjust herself. “I, um-” She didn’t know how to respond, simply looking down and burying her face in her hands.

The agent snickered at the others reaction and leaned forward again, uncrossing her legs as she got as close as she could to Mai with the table in the way. “You’ve got to tell me the details. How is he? Does he even know what he’s doing? Does he have a big di-”

“That’s none of your concern!” Mai stood up suddenly, placing her hands flat against the table. Her cheeks were scarlet red with both embarrassment and anger, huffing out a breath. “And even if I did tell you those...things, it wouldn’t matter. It doesn’t mean the answers hold true for yours!”

The agent blinked as she stared at the face of the other. Mai was unsure of the things that ran through the others head, but she was sure they weren’t as pure as they ought to be.

Before she knew it, her other self pushed her chair back and stood up, her own hands on the tabletop as she leaned forward to be close to the other’s face. She stayed silent for a moment, locking eye contact with Mai. Those icy, cold eyes sent a chill down her spine. At that moment, she remembered the exact reason she had even gotten the original surgery in the first place--intimidation.

“What happened to you that made you so uptight?”

“What happened that made you so careless and lewd?” Mai relaxed and stood up straight, crossing her arms loosely against her stomach. “We would have never acted the way you do before that wish was made.”

“Ah, to Hell with that damn wish.” The other stood up as well, her arms being crossed in a less relaxed position than Mai’s. “That wish was a chance to rebuild yourself. To have another chance at life. And here you are. Still a prude, little thing.”

“I am a prude! I only believe that there are some things that are meant to be kept private. And what Trunks and I do together is one of those things.”

The other opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when they heard the heavy footsteps of one of the boys. Both of them turned towards the door to see which one it would be. Within a matter of seconds, the other Trunks was in the doorway; the glasses that were in his breast pocket now perched on his nose, giving him a much more professional and clean look.

“It’s almost time.”

With the familiar weight of the sword on his back, Trunks felt a little more at ease. This version of himself had given it to him for this situation, finding no use for the weapon. But Trunks prayed that he, too, would find no use for the weapon. He prayed that the diverse spread of food would be enough to appease whatever attitude the god would have. The closest thing to a God of Destruction he had fought was Zamasu--a mere Kai in training. He had no doubts the Beerus’ power was exponentially superior.

He inhaled deeply, trying to calm the churning feeling in his stomach that was pushing up his throat. Uncertainty always made him uneasy, and this was no exception.

When he felt Bulma pat a hand on his shoulder, it broke him out of the hole he had started to think himself into. He looked over at her, surprised to see a hopeful grin on her face. “I’m sure everything will be fine.” She reassured, but it only made Trunks feel a little bit better about the situation.

He nodded and grinned back at her, his eyes darting to the door to the building when it opened. Stepping out was the other version of himself as well as the two Mais. The three of them moved across the lawn to join Trunks and Bulma. He found himself unable to tear his eyes away from his Mai. He could see a link dusting of pink on his Mai’s cheeks, making him question what they had discussed while alone. But it wasn’t the pressing issue in his mind at the moment, so it was drowned out quickly when he remembered the situation at hand.

She moved to stand at his side while the other two kept their distance from one another, one going on one side of Bulma while the other went to the other. They all stood in a makeshift circle, their attention turning to Bulma as she began to speak.

“Alright, so they should be here any minute now. That means we need to be prepared for anything. Do you understand?” She got head nods, meaning she could continue. “The plan is simple. Get, um, Beerus is it? Get Beerus to like the food we’ve offered and pray he doesn’t destroy the planet. Simple, right?”

Even though it was something that should have been simple, it was so much more complicated than that. Trunks knew that. Bulma knew that only because he had told her. Mai knew it as well, and she had only spoken to the god a few times.

“Sounds like a plan…” Mai murmured from his side, crossing her arms as she looked down. The concerned look on her face let him know she was just as worried as he was. If not, she was even more so.

Trunks couldn’t bear to see her with such an expression, reaching out and cupping one of her cheeks. He tilted her head to look at him and angled himself to face her, her own body moving so she was facing him as well. “Why such the long face? Everything’s going to be okay.” Even if his mind didn’t want him to think that he had to make sure she believed that. “I won’t let anything happen to you, alright?”

“I know, I know...But what about you? What if something happens to you?” They were both speaking at a low volume, wanting to keep this conversation private. “I’ll feel useless if something happens to you.”

Trunks exhaled through his nose and rubbed his thumb against her skin, tilting his head as he gazed into her eyes with a small smile. “Nothing will happen to me.” He spoke before moving his hands to her shoulders and pulling her in for an embrace. “Everything will be okay.”

Just as he felt Mai hugging them back, their little party was crashed. There was a bright flash of light before the mysterious pair showed up, almost as if they had the ability to use instant transmission. A marvelous breeze blew through the grounds of Capsule Corp. that kicked up dust, blocking Trunks’ view of the god and his angel for a few seconds.

When all was clear, the two stood proudly in front of them. Beerus was cleaning his teeth with a toothpick, presumably having eaten something from another planet. Whis stood right at his side, surveying the area with a small smile on his face. “Oh my, Lord Beerus. It appears like someone was expecting us.”

Beerus hummed as he looked around, scanning over the group before looking at the many booths of food set up. “It appears so…” He flicked the toothpick to the side and looked at the group, narrowing his eyes as he examined them closely. “Say, Whis...Is that the boy you were telling me about?”

“The one from the destroyed timeline?” A nod from Beerus, and a sigh from Whis. “It appears so. His name is Trunks, sir.”

Trunks felt weird just standing there and marveling at the sight, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat before speaking. “Lord Beerus, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He spoke with a small smile, bowing his head in respect. “I’ve heard you have quite the appetite, so we’ve prepared this lovely...arrangement of some of the finest foods this area has to offer.”

Beerus and Whis looked at each other, almost as if they were trying to decide on what to do. Whis spoke up first. “Say, you’re the Trunks boy, correct? The one who the other timeline’s Whis had told us about?”

Trunks blinked and stood up straighter. “Um, yes, sir...I do believe so.”

“So you were the one who was at least able to defeat half of Zamasu?”

“Yes, sir...The mortal half.”

“Hm…” Whis hummed. “Interesting…”

“Stop all this talking, Whis! I want to get to the food!”

Whis sighed and tilted his head to the side. “Lord Beerus is getting antsy. Shall we proceed with the dining this evening?”

“Of course, sir!” Bulma chirped up. “Follow me this way.”

By the time the two beings had tasted most of the food, the sun was beginning to set, casting an orange glow upon the landscape. Trunks’ heart was slowly starting to relax as he realized the time they would have to deal with Beerus was almost over. He was certain the god had liked the food. The other Beerus found it most divine, and he doubted this one would be any different. Just a few more bites and the problem would be gone.

Bulma sat with the two being, chatting it up with mostly Whis and trying her hardest to make a good impression. Trunks figured his mother would want to keep in contact with the angel just in case they would need him. Or at least that’s what he secretly hoped. Mai was by Trunks’ side almost all the time, sometimes leaning against him and sometimes not. This time it seemed she chose not to, merely standing next to him as they both stood on his mother’s side of the small counter. The other versions of themselves were farther off at one of the other booths, presumably getting a small bite to eat from what was left.

“What a lovely meal.” Beerus spoke up and leaned back in his chair, placing his paws on his stomach. “I don’t think I’ve had food that good since that mole planet we blew up. And even that food doesn’t compare. Right, Whis?”

“Certainly, sir.” Whis spoke and looked over to the god, noticing a yawn come from him. “It’s about time to take you back home, sir. You seem to be getting tired.” He stood up after speaking, grabbing a hold of the staff that was leaning against the booth. “Come alon-”

“Now wait just a minute, Whis.”

Trunks stiffened and held his breath, his eyes glued on Beerus as he turned towards him. The god pointed one of his fingers at Trunks, making him jump back a bit. His arm went out to protectively guard Mai, his hand going to her stomach to push her a little ways behind him.

“You, boy.” A pause. “I want you to fight me.”

Chapter Text

A chill was sent down Mai’s spine when she heard Beerus speak. She couldn’t help but place her hands on  Trunks’ arm for support. She was taken aback by how tense he was. His arm felt solid as if he were flexing every muscle he had. Looking at his face, she could see him glaring at the god with such a fire that it almost...scared her.

“Why?” Trunks spoke up and used the hand on Trunks’ stomach to guide her to be behind him. “We gave you what you wanted.”

“Ah! And how do you know that’s what I came for, boy?” Beerus spoke and stood from his seat, placing a hand on his hip. “The meal was nice and all, but I didn’t come here for that.”

Mai blinked from surprise, her hands moving to be placed flat against his back. She felt her blood turn to pure ice in her veins as Beerus spoke. That’s not what he had come for? What had he come for then? Did he come here to destroy the planet?

Her fingers instinctively curled and gripped onto the fabric of his shirt. Trunks glanced over his shoulder for a moment to make sure she seemed okay, a hint of sympathy in his eyes before he looked back to the feline.

“Then why did you come?”

“Well, to fight you.” Whis spoke for the god, not moving from his own seat. He took a bite from the meal still in front of him, humming before swallowing. “When we were told of your timeline’s demise and of your feats, Lord Beerus just had to know what kind of power you had.”

“...What?” Trunks voice was smaller than it was before. Mai could imagine the look on his face. Confusion. It usually went with that tone of voice at least. And Mai didn’t know why the man would be confused. The things that he could do were fascinating to her.

“Do you ever stop askin’ questions?” Beerus asked, using a finger to clean out one of his ears. “I’m not very patient, and you’re really starting to irritate me.”

Mai felt Trunks tense more--if that was even possible. She wished she could do something to help. She wished she could say something in order to provide comfort or to encourage him. She wished she knew the right words to say to lift some of his worry. But she didn’t know what was going on in his mind.

Trunks nodded and exhaled as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. He turned towards him and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down so his forehead as pressed against hers. She’d call it a sweet and romantic gesture if it weren’t for the concentrated and concerned expression he wore.

“I want you to go somewhere else. I-”

“Excuse me? What do you mean?” She was taken aback by his request, her eyes wide as if it were a bizarre request to ask from her.

“Mai, please let me finish.”

“Trunks, I don’t want to leave you…” Mai spoke softly and placed her hands on his chest, looking down at their feet. “What if something happens? What if you get hurt? What if something bad happens, and I...won’t be able to see or talk to you again?”

“Mai…” Trunks spoke in a similar soft tone, raising a hand to cup her cheek. “That’s why I want you to get out of here. I don’t know what this is going to be like. And from what I know, it’s going to take a lot of focus just to survive. I can’t do that if I have to worry about your safety…”

She understood where he was coming from. She truly did. But she still didn’t want to leave. She wanted to be here next to him the entire time. She didn’t want to leave his side if destruction was a possible outcome.

She felt herself tear up at the thoughts and leaned forward, slipping her arms around him in an embrace. She pressed her cheek against his chest as she held back her tears as best as she could. “I’m so sorry, Trunks. I’m sorry for getting mad at you. I didn’t-”

“Mai, don’t cry…” Trunks spoke as he wrapped an arm around her waist, using his free hand to tilt her chin upwards to look at him. “You don’t have to apologize. I should be the one-”

“Hurry up! I don’t have all day!”

The god’s words cut him off short. Mai heard Trunks sigh as he glanced over to Beerus and nodded in understanding. He then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against Mai’s lips. Mai felt her heart leap at the connection, only barely being able to kiss him back before he had to pull away. “We’ll talk about this later. Just get inside.”

Trunks pulled away from him, but Mai didn’t want him to go. Her hand stayed outstretched for a few moments when he had left her. A concerned expression was painted on her face as he turned towards her one last time, mouthing the word “go”.

His heart raced as he glanced over his shoulder one last time to watch her body disappear behind the thick doors of Capsule Corp. His mother had decisively chosen to go inside with Mai, promising Trunks that she’d do what she could to keep them both safe. His alternate self stayed outside, however, claiming that he’d be fine and would be on call if help was needed. The alternate Mai had been stubborn, fighting the other Trunks when he tried to get her to go inside. She said she could take care of herself, and he had caved, allowing her to remain to watch the festivities.

He breathed out a sigh and faced the god, standing up straight with a look of pseudo confidence on his face.

“Are you finally ready, boy? Or are you going to keep me waiting for longer?” Beerus was standing up now, the two of them having moved to a more spacious area of the lawn. The feline seemed calm and rather relaxed, not a look of panic or concern on his face. It reminded Trunks of himself when he had traveled back the first time. The time where he was able to take out Freeza’s army with ease.

Trunks wouldn’t doubt it if Beerus was able to take out this galaxy with ease.

With another deep breath, Trunks nodded his head. “...Yes, Lord Beerus” He prayed that the honorific would give him a better chance. He prayed that showing respect would cause the god to take pity on him.

It was almost out of nowhere. Beerus lunged at Trunks, seemingly trying to catch the hybrid off guard. It nearly worked. Trunks had been startled, but his Saiyan instincts had kicked in and caused the man to quickly take hold of the sword on his back. Using the weapon to block the kick aimed at his head, he easily slipped into Super Saiyan, the golden aura surrounding him.

And there they stood for a few seconds. Trunks pushed against Beerus’ leg, as the god pushed back. Trunks wasn’t expecting someone as thin or frail looking as Beerus to be as strong as he was, but he wasn’t exactly surprised either.

The god grinned at Trunks before jumping back. Trunks stumbled a moment, but quickly regained his balance, the aura surrounding him dying down as the initial surge of Ki passed.

Trunks watched the god like a hawk, not taking his eyes off of the feline as he stood up straight with his hands folded behind his back. For some reason, the look on his face began to irritate Trunks, his hands gripping tighter onto the handle of the sword.

“There’s no doubt about it, boy.” Beerus began, a tilt in his head as his eyes scanned over the boy before finally landing on the blonde spikes on his head. “You do have Saiyan blood in your veins.”

“You thought that would be a lie?” Trunks shot back suddenly, not being aware of how cold or cutting his tone might have been. “Is that what this is about?”

“For your information, no.” Beerus glared at Trunks, a look of annoyance on his face. “When we were told of your existence here, we were informed that you had seemingly defeated a rogue Kai. At first, it didn’t sound impressive. Kais are weaklings and the fact that you could defeat one wasn’t surprising.” The god took a step towards Trunks, and he tensed, his hands gripping onto the handle of the sword so hard his knuckles turned white. “Then we heard about the Kai in question. He was an exceptional fighter. Someone who wanted to rid the world of mortals. We heard about this…’Goku Black’.” A pause, and a smile. “And to say after I heard all of it, I was impressed by you, boy.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Trunks asked, his grip relaxing just a bit.

“I wanted to confirm the story.”

The words were chilling to Trunks. “And that’s why you want to fight me?”

“Do you ever stop asking questions?” Beerus almost growled, his patience clearly running extremely thin at this point.

Trunks wasn’t given to time to respond before there came another blow. Luckily, he was able to dodge back out of the way before he was struck. He was given little to no time between that attack and the next one, and then the next one.

It was a physical assault on Trunks. That’s all he knew. He questioned why the god wasn’t using any form of ki. Wouldn’t it have been easier that way?

It took a few more strikes and dodges from the two before they broke off again, Trunks’ sword drawn at his side. He was breathing heavily; not quite panting, but definitely winded. He gritted his teeth when he saw Beerus standing a few feet in front of him, completely unphased.

“Getting tired from all that dodging, boy?” The god smirked to himself, his hands clasped behind his back. “Let’s see how you handle this.” Beerus lifted a finger from behind his back, a small ball of purple energy forming at the tip. Trunks felt his stomach drop when he saw it, swallowing as he tightened his grip.

However, the god did not aim his attack towards Trunks. In the matter of a split second, the god turned his body towards the alternates that stood watching the event. Trunks quickly snapped his head in the same direction, eyes widening as it clicked in his head as to what was going on.

“No! Stop!” Trunks shouted and turned his gaze back towards Beerus. “This doesn’t involve them. Leave them out of this!”

When the god seemed to ignore Trunks, he held his breath as he lunged at Beerus, pushing the god’s arm upwards right as he released the ki from his fingertips. Trunks was uncertain as to where the destructive energy would go, but as long as it didn’t cause damage here, he didn’t really seem to care.

Trunks didn’t allow Beerus to speak again, launching himself into attacking him as furiously as the god had him. Beerus seemed to dodge every attack with ease, only making Trunks focus even more on his attacks. He hadn’t even noticed when the two had taken the fight up in the air, but he thanked Kami when he noticed, not wanting anyone or anything to get damaged.

Unfortunately, due to Trunks’ focus solely being on his attacks, he was taken off guard when Beerus countered one of his attacks. The strong kick to his chest sent Trunks tumbling down to the ground. He landed flat on his back, a small cry leaving his mouth on impact. He had been thrown so harshly that a small crater was created underneath him, his sword being knocked out of his hand.

As Trunks forced himself back on until his feet, Beerus came back down to the ground, landing a foot in front of the crater gracefully. “I’ll strike a deal with you since you seem to be struggling quite a bit.”

Trunks gritted teeth as he made it to his feet, glaring at the feline. He didn’t like the taunting sound in his voice. “I don’t want your pity nor do I want your deal.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss Lord Beerus.” Whis spoke from Beerus’ side, having moved there during the time it took Trunks to stand up. “It might just be the difference between life and death for you and your planet.”

When Trunks fell silent, Beerus took it as his opportunity to speak. “If you’re able to land a single hit on me, I’ll spare you and Earth.”

“But if I can’t?” Trunks asked, his eyes glancing to the sword a few feet away.

“I think you can figure that out for yourself.”

Trunks thought for a moment. The chances he had landing a hit on Beerus were higher than his chance of defeating him. He knew that, and it would take an idiot to say no to such a deal.

“Alright. You have yourself a deal,” Trunks spoke and dived for his sword, quickly grabbing a hold of it and going back to work at slashing at Beerus. Once again, the two managed to be in the air, but this time Trunks divided his focus between his attacks as well as paying attention to Beerus’.

Within a few moments of fighting, Beerus was able to disarm Trunks, his sword falling to the ground beneath them. Beerus seemed pleased with himself, making Trunks exhaling sharply. He concentrated on Ki attacks instead, powering himself up to Super Saiyan 2.

And they continued like that for quite some time. Trunks firing off attacks--whether they be ranged or melee--but Beerus was able to dodge them almost every single time. When Trunks’ guard was down, Beerus suddenly appeared behind him, once again kicking the man down to the ground with extreme force.

Trunks was exhausted, dust blocking his vision as he came to realize he had made a bigger crater this time. His muscles urged him to stop, screaming that it had been way too soon since his last battle to even consider doing another one. And, for once, he wanted to listen to him. Beerus proved himself to be someone who Trunks just couldn’t hit no matter what he tried. He stayed laying there, panting with the taste of blood in his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek on the fall down.

When the dust cleared, a shadow loomed over Trunks. He opened one of his eyes as much as he could to see Beerus standing at the edge of the hole, a hand held down towards Trunks. It would have been a nice gesture if Trunks didn’t see that his palm was facing him as another ball of purple Ki formed.

He had been a failure once more, unable to save even his second chance timeline.

“Trunks!”

As Trunks came to terms with what was going to happen, he heard Mai’s voice call for him. Both of his eyes opened when he heard it, a new rush of energy flooding him. He sat up and noticed that Beerus had looked away from him towards the woman who had rushed out of Capsule Corp. Trunks saw his opportunity and took it.

He lifted up his hand and quickly before Beerus noticed that he had even moved, shot a small ball of Ki at the god which managed to hit him directly in his shoulder.

Out of shock, the god turned to look at the hybrid, not even being phased by the weak attack, but the fact that he had managed to hit him in the first place. Trunks smirked faintly at Beerus, murmuring an “I win” as he fell back from exhaustion.

She had been worried the second the fight had started. And seeing Trunks in the crater torn and beaten hadn’t helped her. Though she had come to realize how lucky her timing had been when she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. Watching from the window was horrible. Everytime Trunks got hit, she felt a tug at her heart. So, when she saw he had been sent to the ground a second time, taking a lot longer to get up, she just had to make sure he was okay.

But that had been yesterday. And Trunks was still passed out and recovering in a small medical room within Capsule Corp. Mai hadn’t left his side since the evening prior, helping in any way she could with dressing what wounds he had.

Bulma had recently brought Mai a plate of dinner, but she let it sit on the counter where she had left breakfast and lunch sit untouched. She was too anxious to eat. It would only cause her to throw up if she even had the smallest of bites.

Her thumb getting stroked his hand as she held it, her eyes glued onto the heart monitor to make sure it didn’t miss a beat. It was the only sound in the room, the steady beat that mirrored the sound of his heart. It was the only thing keeping her sane as she worried herself to death.

Breaking the monotony of sound, the door clicked open. Mai shot her gaze to the door to see the other Trunks stepping inside, shutting it behind him as he placed his hands into his pockets. He was out of his work clothes for the evening, wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a matching Capsule Corp. sweatshirt. “How is he?”

His voice sent a chill down her spine. It was, of course, Trunks’ voice, but not her Trunks’ voice. The voice she wanted to hear yet not the voice she wanted to hear. She breathed out slowly and turned her gaze back to Trunks, a sad expression on her face. “He’s fine for now...The doctor Bulma had gotten said he hadn’t suffered any major head trauma, so he should be waking up soon.”

“That’s good.” Trunks spoke and took a deep breath. “That’s really good…” She could practically hear how awkward he felt.

“Is Mai still around?” Asking about herself seemed like an odd question, but she wanted to change the subject from what was troubling her. Besides, she had been the only one who hadn’t come to check on Trunks today, so she was curious.

“She took off with some valuables before breakfast this morning.” Trunks groaned and rubbed his temple. “I don’t know what else I expected. She is a thief after all.”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay. She’s stubborn, but she can take care of herself.” Mai glanced at him, feeling her heart break as she desperately wanted her Trunks to be standing instead. “Are you going to turn her in?”

“There’s no point in it now. I’d look like an idiot. I told them she had escaped when I had her the first time when she was with me the whole time.” He sighed. “Do you even understand her? I mean, she is...you.”

Mai simply nodded and looked back to the man in the bed, interlocking their fingers together absentmindedly. “Not really. She’s different from me. She’s bolder than I’ve ever been.”

“...Can you answer a question of mine?”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Why are your eyes dark brown, but hers are blue?”

Mai stopped her hands and perked up a bit, turning her head towards Trunks. “Surgery.” She answered plainly and took a deep breath, relaxing her tense posture. “There’s a surgery you can get that takes the dark pigment out of your eyes. I’ve got-...thought about getting it before, but then I realized how stupid it was.”

“I see…” Trunks murmured and turned his gaze from her back to the Trunks in bed. “Do you think she’ll ever be back?”

Mai found his question to be odd, giving him a weird look before sighing. “I don’t know. As I said, she’s different from me. I don’t know what she’s all about.” She answered and looked at the unconscious man, reaching her free hand out to feel brush a strand of his hair out of his face. “But if she’s working for who I think she is, it’s a possibility.”

It went quiet between the two of them suddenly, but Mai didn’t mind. Her world was returned back to the only sound being the steady beeping of the monitor telling her he was alive. Eventually, she heard the alternate Trunks shuffle from his spot, her gaze turning back towards him as he began to speak.

“Keep me updated on his condition, alright? I have a little bit of work left to do.” Trunks spoke before turning towards the door and opening it.

But right before he was able to leave, the man on the bed began to stir. Mai perked up immediately and quickly snapped her attention back to Trunks, giving his hand a squeeze. “Go get Bulma.”

Chapter Text

He didn’t wake up right away. But he showed signs of life which was better than what she had received the past twenty-four hours. Her eyes were glued onto his face, waiting for him to open those blue eyes of his to show her he was okay. Her hand clenched his tightly, almost to the point where she worried she would break it.

He woke with a start, his eyes barely opened. A groan had escaped him as well. She assumed it was probably from either the pain he felt or the bright lights in the room. Nonetheless, she perked up when he started to wake, placing a hand on his chest as she practically loomed over him.

“Mai…” He murmured out her name as he fully started to become aware of his surroundings. He sat up a bit, but Mai noticed he flinched. She placed her hands on his shoulders and eased him back onto the bed.

“Easy there, Trunks.” She spoke in a soft, calm tone, cupping his cheek in her hand. “Try not to move too much. A few of your ribs are broken, and we’re pretty sure you’ve pulled a back muscle.”

Trunks seemed to lean his face into her hand, his eyes looking as if he were about to fall back asleep. “Are you okay?” His voice was quiet and husky due to having just woke up.

Mai couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I’m fine, Trunks. Don’t worry about me. Worry about yourself.”

As Trunks opened his mouth to speak again, the door to the room opened, and Bulma walked in. She looked as if she were getting ready for bed. She was wearing her pajamas--a pair of white and black checker patterned pajama pants and a plain black shirt. Wrapped around her shoulders was an opened baby pink robe.

“Hey, there, Trunks.” She spoke with a soft, maternal tone, walking towards him with her arms crossing loosely against her chest. “How are you feeling? You gave us quite the scare.”

Mai looked back at Trunks when she felt him move to sit up again. She could tell by the look on his face that he was clenching his jaw. Knowing how stubborn he was, she stood up and helped him, pressing a button on the side of the bed that helped prop him up. She even adjusted the pillows he had for more comfort.

“I’m fine. Never felt better.” Trunks spoke with a soft smile on his face, but his voice sounded strained. It broke Mai’s heart hearing him say that. She knew it wasn’t okay. Bulma knew that, too. But he still kept on the brave face and acted like nothing was wrong.

“Do you want something for the pain?” Mai asked with a worried tone in her voice, brushing a strand of his hair from his face. “I can go get you some painkillers if you need them.”

Trunks turned his gaze towards Mai and shook his head. “No, I don’t-”

Before Trunks could finish, the door to the medical room opened once more. Everyone in the room turned to see the angel step into the room, letting the door close on him as he held his staff close to his side. “Why, don’t you look rough?”

Trunks’ heart rate picked up when Whis entered the room, his jaw tightening as he watched the angel closely. “What do you want?”

Mai could practically hear his anxiety dripping from his voice. She felt her heart sink as she herself felt tense. Even though it wasn’t Whis who had done the damage to her precious Trunks, he was involved with the man who had.

“Whoa, there! I’m not here to cause any more damage. I believe Lord Beerus as caused enough of that anyways…” Whis sighed and tilted his head to the side. “I’ve actually come to give you an offer.”

“I don’t want it. Thanks.” Trunks spat out as fast as he could, forcing himself to sit up fully without the support of the pillows. His arms were placed behind him for support.

“You haven’t even listened to it. How do you know you’re not going to like it?” Whis seemed to be slightly annoyed with the man, but he continued on before Trunks could stop him once again. “Beerus has decided that there’s potential in you. Granted, you may not be as strong as these Saiyans from the other timeline, but you could easily be if you were to train harder.”

“What are you saying?” Mai asked, her hand instinctively going to lay on top of Trunks’.

“The offer is simple. Beerus must find someone to replace him whenever the time is right. The closest thing he has to that as of now is, well, you.” The angel shifted his gaze from Mai to Trunks. “If you accept to become an apprentice of mine, I’ll fully heal you.”

“What’s the catch?” Trunks piped up before anyone could speak for him, his eyes not once leaving the angel. “There’s always a catch in these things.”

“Clever boy, aren’t we?” Whis hummed. “Well, you see, I’m not able to leave Beerus’ side for too long or he’ll go on a rampage when he wakes up. I’m more like a glorified babysitter if you ask me.” He chuckled. “So, you’d have to come with me to Beerus’ planet in order to receive your training.”

“For how long?” Mai blurted out, her hand squeezing Trunks’. She didn’t want him to leave, but if he felt like this was something he had to do, she wasn’t going to argue. “Like...just a few hours at a time or are we talking longer?”

“Oh, honey, he’ll practically live on the planet. I’m not taking two trips here a day just so he can sleep somewhere else.” Whis seemed annoyed by the question, but took a deep breath before continuing. “He’ll be staying on the planet for a few months at a time at the least.”

“What if I don’t like it? Or don’t want to do it after I sign my soul away?” Trunks seemed skeptical as he asked, lying back down. As he did so, some of the tension in his jaw seemed to release.

“Hm, well, I don’t really know the answer to that I suppose.” Whis brought a hand to his chin, looking slightly down in thought. “I guess we’ll cross that road when we get to it.”

Mai fell silent as she looked from Whis to Trunks. She couldn’t tell what the half Saiyan was thinking from the look on his face, but she could infer that the idea was swimming around in that head of his. She couldn’t lie and say she, herself, wasn’t having doubts about what was going on.

“I…” Trunks spoke up after a moment, finally glancing at Mai. She could see a spark of heartache in his eyes, causing her stomach to twist in on itself. “Can I have a moment to talk to Mai about it?”

Whis grinned and shifted his gaze from Trunks to Mai and then back to Trunks. “Of course, I’ll be right outside when you’ve made your decision.”

After both Whis and Bulma stepped out of the room, the man turned himself as best as he could to face Mai. “What do you think?”

“I don’t want to stop you from doing something.” Mai replied quickly, sitting back down in the seat next to his bed. “If it’s something you want to do, I don’t want to be the thing that keeps you from doing it.”

“A few months is a long time, Mai.” Trunks spoke softly and stared at her, seemingly trying to get a better gauge of her emotions. She, however, was stoic as she could possibly be. Her life of being an agent had trained her to hide her emotion well, so she’d be surprised if Trunks was able to see anything on her face. “Just...tell me what you think. How do you feel about it?”

Mai stayed silent, staring back into his deep blue eyes filled with sympathy. “You didn’t bother asking me how I felt before going to see Bulma.”

“...Are you still mad about that?” His voice was soft and hesitant as he spoke. Mai could see the words pulled at his heart when she spoke, her own breaking slightly at causing such a pain to him. “I’m-...I apologize, Mai. Truly. I know what I did wasn’t right. You trusted me to keep a promise, and I broke it.” He paused and looked down at his hands, fiddling with the IV tube. “I can promise not to lie to you anymore. I can promise lots of things, but I don’t want to end up disappointing you again…”

Mai stared at him, exhaling deeply as she relaxed her posture. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms against her chest. “Trunks, I’m not mad or disappointed. Hell, I don’t even know how I feel about it anymore truly…” She paused to let him speak, but when he didn’t, she continued on. “Just...I wish you had told me is all. I’m not mad in any way, shape, or form. I forgive you, okay?

“Now, about the subject at hand.” She immediately changed the subject, giving him little to no time to react to what she had said. “Personally...I’m conflicted. I don’t want you to go away for that long, but keeping you here would mean you’d have to take longer to heal. If Whis is able to heal you right away, then maybe it’s something to consider.”

Trunks looked back up at her, his hands still absentmindedly fiddling with the IV. “But it’s a few months at a time.”

“Don’t let me stand in your way of making a decision, Trunks.” Mai spoke and sat back up, leaning forward and taking his hands into hers. “I never want to stop you from doing something. If you want to go, then go. I’m sure we can find a workaround to whatever you choose. I’ll be here waiting for you to make a visit back.”

“Mai, everything I do is for you.” He said and squeezed onto her hands. “I...I want to do this because of you. I want to be stronger in order to protect you. If I’m able to be as half as strong as Beerus, then there’s no way another Goku Black situation can happen.”

She fell quiet and stared at him, taking a moment to process what he was saying. She felt...honored, to say the least. Did the past Bulma ever experience a point like this? Did Chichi? She wasn’t around long enough to figure that out nor did she know enough about the other Saiyans to understand their minds.

“Then do it.” Mai spoke up finally, gazing down as she subconsciously stroked his hand with her thumb. “If you want to, then by Kami, do it. Don’t worry about the few months. I’ll find some way to talk to you at least once every week.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?”

“Super sure.”

She didn’t know why she left exactly. She hadn't slept at all that night. She had stayed awake in the room Trunks had shown her, tossing and turning while her thoughts ran wild. Nobody paid attention to her when she finally got up at three in the morning to leave. With everyone either asleep or at the other Trunks' side, it made her escape rather easy. Maybe she didn’t want to her suckered into doing something she didn’t want to. Maybe she didn’t want to see that poor boy laying in a bed unconscious. Maybe she didn’t want the other Trunks to get her to stay again.

But that’s all this was to her. A big maybe of reasons as to why she did it. Hell, her entire second life leading up to this had been like that. She didn’t have exact reasons for doing anything. All decisions were made on the spot or made by Pilaf for her. She barely did anything because she chose to do it or that she had thought all the way through with.

Yet here she was seated in a seedy, little bar twirling the straw of her drink as she absentmindedly stared at one of the TVs playing the news on a low volume. She had decided on the spot that she wasn’t going to go back to Pilaf right away. Trunks’ words had struck a chord with her. Struck her hard enough to make her realize that she needed to reevaluate herself.

In the midst of her daydreaming, someone sat next to her despite there being countless empty chairs in the vacant space. She stopped playing with the straw of her draw and glanced to her side out of the corner of her eyes. A redhead man had plopped his happy ass right now to her, a glass of what looked like whiskey in his hands as he turned towards her. But, as he opened his mouth to speak, Agent Mai rolled her eyes and groaned.

“I’m not interested.”

Her words were plain and simple. They carried the tone of annoyance as she lifted her glass and took a drink. She expected the man to be gone by the time she set it down, but when she glanced over to him, he was still there, eyeing her as if he was a hungry hound and she was delicious bone.

“Can I help you with something?” She snapped as she turned her head to finally look at him, crossing her arms.

“What brings a pretty, little thing like you to a place like this?” The man finally spoke, nonchalantly leaning against the bar top with his elbow.

“Flattery doesn’t work on me, bud, but nice try.” She remarked at him before taking the straw out of her drink. She chugged down the rest of the alcohol before slamming the glass down and reaching into her small bag for her wallet.

Before she was able to pull out the amount owed, the man placed down five hundred Zeni to pay for it. “Does money work on you?”

Mai stared at money with a blank look, tapping her fingers against the surface with a hum in her throat. She grinned and stood up straight, dropping her hands to lay in her lap. “Perhaps.”

The agent had no idea how the next events even started. The next thing she knew she was being pushed into a small back closet of the bar. Her brain didn’t process why they were allowed back there, but something told her the man—What was his name? Did she even catch a name?—had connections to the bar owner.

Her back was pushed against the wall, the men’s body nearly crushing her from the force he used to keep her there. Their lips made quick work of each other, soon their tongues mingling in the mess.

This was a time where she didn’t think. Why would she? She just wanted to forget about the past forty-eight hours and get back to her life. What better way to forget than to get back to old habits?

Yet she wasn’t enjoying herself as much as she would be. Typically, she’d be ecstatic that a man even dared to come close to her. Let alone attempt to get into her pants. But when his hands slipped underneath the fabric of her sweater, she was having doubts and second thoughts.

For some damn reason, she just couldn’t get that Briefs’ boy and his words out of her head. Why would he offer a petty thief like her a job? Or a place to live for that matter? She just couldn’t wrap her head around his intentions or his reasonings.

Her thoughts of Trunks were broken when the other man lifted her by her thighs, pressing himself between them as his hands grasped tightly at the flesh. She didn’t realize where her shirt had gone until she felt the cold air hit her bare skin. For the first time in her life, this felt...wrong to her.

She pulled her mouth away from the redhead, placing a hand in his shoulder as she panted heavily. “I...can’t. This isn’t right.”

The man gave her a confused look, a small smirk on his lips. “Why? You got a boyfriend or something?”

Mai opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself. Why didn’t this feel right to her? “No. I just want to stop.”

“Aw, come on, darlin’~” He purred, using a finger to trace from her jawline down to the middle of her collarbone. “It was just getting fun.”

“Put me down.” She demanded, her hands squeezing into his bare shoulder. Her long, red painted nails dig into his skin—deep enough to where she could see him flinch. “Or else.”

“Or else what?” He nearly growled through his teeth, his hand gripping hard enough to where Mai could feel bruised and welts form.

The agent stared at him, hiding the pain she felt in her thigh. “Fine.” She answered plainly and pushed with both of her hands as hard as she could against his shoulder, causing him to tumble backward.

When he tumbled, he instinctively let go of her. Mai stumbled when her feet hit the floor, but she paid no mind to it. She quickly leaned down and picked up the discarded sweater, pulling it over her head as she rushed out of the closet. She not but ran for the door when she saw it, but a strong, harsh grip on her arm stopped yanked her back. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Mai yipped when he tugged aggressively on her arm. She took a breath as she regained her composure, quickly turning around to face him. She pulled back towards her own body with as much force as she could, using the elbow of her free arm to strike right between his wrist and his elbow.

When the man let go of her for the second time, she didn’t take her time to assess herself or the bruise that would surely form over her wrist from his grip. As fast as she could, she darted out of the bar and down the street. She turned down several side streets in the rare chance that the man followed her. After what seemed like a solid two minutes of a dead sprint, she slowed down, panting as she looked around to figure out where she was. She crossed her arms as she walked, leaning into herself to make herself to appear as small as possible.

For the first time in her life, she felt helpless and hopeless. She didn’t know what to do or what her next move should be. She was lost. Her past tells her to go back to Pilaf. That he’d accept her back even if it meant cutting down her percentage of the cut. It was a valid choice

But was it the right one?

Despite the fact that he was fully healed, he still felt aches and pains in his muscles. He knew it was probably just his mind playing tricks on him, but they were pains nonetheless. He even rubbed at the tender spot in his wrist where the IV has been whilst sitting at the table in the kitchen.

Bulma walked over to him and set down a small plate of food in front of him, messing up his hair as she walked over to the sink to clean the dishes she had dirtied. Mai sat in the seat to his side with her head on her arms crossed on top of the table.

“When will you be leaving?” Mai asked in a soft tone as Trunks began to eat. He swallowed the bite in his mouth before speaking.

“In two days. Whis said tomorrow was a day to rest and pack.” Trunks reiterated what the angel had told him, taking another quick bite. “Then I’ll be gone for at least three or four months.”

“...” Mai fell silent and frowned a bit, taking a breath. “That’s a lot longer than I was expecting.”

“I can stay if you want.”

“No!” Mai spoke up and shot up, placing her hands in her lap. “You want this. You should do it.”

Trunks felt uneasy with her words. If she wanted him to stay, then he’d stay. But it was her acting like she didn’t care what he chose that confused him. Yes, she was okay with him leaving, but was she truly fine with it? How long will take either of them before they crack under the pressure of being apart?

“You two can stay here for the night if you’d like. It’s a little late to be heading back.” Bulma spoke up when she finished washing the pan she used to heat up the food for Trunks. She wiped her hands dry on a towel before turning to face them. “Hell, if you want, Mai, you can stay here while he’s gone. That little house of yours can be like a lover’s getaway.”

Trunks blushed when his mother spoke, turning away from her as he prodded his food with his fork. “I think that’s for the best, Mai. I don’t want you to go crazy with loneliness out in the middle of nowhere.”

He glanced over to Mai to see she was staring at her hands, a faint blush on her face as well. He made his heart skip a beat to see her face flushed like that, a lump in his throat as he waited for her to speak.

“That sounds fine to me.” She spoke up and looked back up at Trunks, grinning. Her grin had a slight edge of nervousness. Or maybe that was just his imagination. “We’ll have to go back there tomorrow so you can pack though.”

“Of course. We can stay there all day if you want. Just the two of us.” Trunks grinned back and reached out, placing a hand on top of the hand that she had resting on her knee. “We can do whatever you want.”

Mai nodded and looked down at their hands, twisting hers so that she was able to hold his hand. “I’d love that…”

Bulma cleared her throat as she took a breath, clasping her hands in front of her. “Well, I’ll go get a room rewards for you two. I’m assuming you’d like a room together?”

“Yes, please.” They both chimed in unison, looking up at each other when it happened. Mai couldn’t help but laugh a little. Her laugh causing Trunks to crack a smile.

As Bulma left the room, Trunks finished his meal as quickly as he could. Once he was finished, he stood up and walked over to the sink, rinsing his plate before setting it down in the sink. “It’s getting late. We should head to bed soon.”

“Trunks?”

Her voice sounded small. It reminded him of a small mouse trying to speak. Trunks turned his head to look at her, tilting his head to the side. “Yeah?”

“Are you going to miss me?”

Trunks tensed at the question, his mind suddenly spinning a thousand times a minute. Why would she ask such a question? He took a breath and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace. He rested his chin on top of her head. “Of course, I will, Mai. I’ll always miss you when we’re apart. Why do you ask?”

“...” She didn’t answer him. Maybe she didn’t have an answer. Or maybe she didn’t want to say her answer. Whatever it was, her voice remained silent as she returned the embrace, squeezing him as tightly as she could while pressing her face into his chest. “I love you, Trunks.”

Her voice was muffled and quiet, but he still heard her. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “I love you, too, Mai.”

Chapter Text

She didn’t want to get up. She didn’t even want to wake up, but the golden light that radiated in from the small gap between the blinds and the window was too bright for her to fall back asleep. From what she could tell, it was early in the morning. If she were responsible, she would wake Trunks up so they could get ready to head back to their little Capsule home in order to pack.

But, if she were completely honest, she didn’t want to get up. She didn’t want this day to start or end. She wanted time to freeze at this moment. The comfort she felt with Trunks’ arms wrapped around her as she listened to his soft snorting was incredible. She felt safe and secure, but when he left, that safety and security would be gone.

She knew it was completely selfish. She knew her thoughts were irrational. She would be safe no matter where he was. She would be even safer when he returned stronger than he had been previously. Yet she couldn’t get over the fact that he would be gone for months at a time. Is this how Bulma and ChiChi felt when their husbands left for months or even years at a time?

She was broken from her thoughts when he began to wake up, his arms shifting to a more comfortable position as he pulled her closer to his body. As she was pulled closer, she smiled to herself, giving him a faint squeeze as she nuzzled into him.

“Good morning…” She murmured softly, her voice muffled by his chest. He gave a hum in response, a noise that vibrating through his chest and tickled her face.

“Mornin’...” His syllables were slurred together. His voice deep and gruff from having just woke up. She couldn’t help but feel overjoyed in his presence, a warmth spreading from her heart to the rest of her body that filled her with new energy.

“How did you sleep?” She asked and looked up at him. His eyes were still closed, but she could see movement from behind them. Though it was barely noticeable. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed in and out through his mouth, something that would normally drive her crazy but she somehow found it cute when he did it. Tufts of his hair seemed to stick straight up or bend in weird angles, especially around the part. It was an image she wanted to be burned into her brain for the next few months.

“Good...You?” He seemed to be more awake now, actually opening his eyes a bit to look down at her. Though he closed them right back after a few seconds as if he was having a fight with himself to stay awake.

“Fantastic.” She answered and leaned up, pressing a quick peck to his mouth. She glanced over to the alarm clock on the nightstand behind him and realized how late in the morning it was, sighing as she pulled away from the warm comfort of his embrace to sit up. “Come on, sleepy boy. Time to get up.”

“...Five more minutes?” He asked and rolled over onto his back, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. “Pretty please?”

Just as Mai was about to answer him, there was a soft knock on the door. “Trunks! Mai, honey! It’s time to get up!” Bulma’s voice seemed to answer him for her. In response, Trunks groaned and sat up, rubbing at his eyes.

“We’ll be out in a minute!” Mai answered and slid her legs out of bed. Before she was able to stand up, Trunks wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down to the bed so he was spooning her. Mai squealed a little at the sudden movement, placing her hands over the top of his arms on her stomach. “What are you doing?”

“We can stay in for a little longer…” Trunks murmured and pressed his face into the crook of her neck, taking a deep inhale before exhaling hot air onto her skin.

A shiver ran down her spine, her hand gripping at his arm. “Trunks…” She murmured softly. She let out a shaky breath when she felt his mouth against her skin, one of his hands sliding up her shirt to simply caress the skin of her stomach.

Even though her mind screamed at her that this wasn’t the best scenario or the best place for this, she didn’t want him to stop. She reached her hand up to tangle in his hair, tilting her head to the side to give him more space of her neck to work with. The soft pecks on her skin soon became open-mouthed kisses, his tongue lapping at her flesh before he suckled to create red marks.

Mai turned herself over to face him, cupping his cheeks in her hands and kissing him hard. He had immediately returned the kiss, the arms around her waist pulling her flush against his body. Both of his hands went underneath her shirt, one sliding up the back to hold her in place while the under cupped one of her breasts.

She was completely lost in the moment, taking in only the feeling of him and the feelings he caused. She didn’t quite know when her shirt as removed until the cold air of the room hit her, causing her to instinctively pressed against him for warmth. His tongue licked over her bottom lip for entry, which she gladly gave as soon as it registered that was what he wanted.

Mai grabbed ahold of the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, breaking their kiss long enough to pull it over his head and throw it to the side. Her hands roamed over his chest, her nails lighting scratching her way down before hooking her arms around to do the same to his back. She heard a groan escape his throat as he pulled away from her mouth, kissing his way down her jaw to her collarbones where he suckled on the fading marks he had made only a couple days prior.

Maybe it was the thrill of others being in the home that made this more exciting than the last. The slim chance that Bulma would walk in without knocking only to see them in a position like this one. It should have discouraged her altogether. It would have in her other lifetime, but with her youth came more boldness and a sense of rebellion. And maybe this was just a way to fuel that fire.

Trunks wasted little to no time with tugging down her pajama pants, Mai assisting by kicking them off of her to be discarded elsewhere for her to find later. Though she found it strange that he didn’t kill two birds with one stone and remove her panties as well. Her mind was quickly taken away from that when he shifted them so he was hovering over top of her, her legs wrapping around his waist.

He moved from her collarbones down the valley between her chest, stopping for a mere moment to create another one of his marks on each one of her breasts. He continued his trail downwards, causing Mai to anticipate and hypothesize what was coming next. The man stopped right before the dips of her hips, her legs having slid off of him as he made his way down. He placed his hands on her hips, gripping only tight enough to hold her still. He stayed still for a few moments, making Mai antsy.

She stared down at him as his eyes flickered up at her with the same darkened look that had been in them the last time. It sparked something within her like throwing a match on a pile of gasoline. Before she knew it, Trunks’ teeth had ahold of the top of her underwear, pulling them down enough to expose her to him.

Mai couldn’t believe what was happening as he used a hand to pull them the rest of the way off. He sat up and discarded them to the side, placing one of her legs on his shoulder. He pressed his face against her calf, looking at her with hooded eyes. He must have seen the desperation in her face or maybe her mouth agape in surprise amused him because he smirked before he lead another trail of kisses from her calf up her leg before stopping at the top of her thigh at a painfully slow pace.

“Trunks, please…” Mai ended up breaking the small silence between them, her brows furrowed as she watched him perk up from his position between her legs with a tilt in his head.

As much as she loved the cocky look on his face, it annoyed her how he raised a brow at her in question, acting as if he had no idea what she was talking about. “Please what?”

“Trunks.” She breathed out in a whiny tone, pouting as she did her best to squirm even with his hands holding her in place. “Come on. Please stop teasing me.”

“Teasing? Why would I ever do that?” He sounded a tad bit offended, but his tone was still playful as he removed one of his hands from her hips to rub against her gently, not giving enough pressure to give her exactly what she wanted.

“For the love of God, Trunks.” Her words were a bit louder than she wanted them, holding a more irritated tone in them as she narrowed her eyes at him. With one of his hands gone, she had the freedom to squirm more, groaning as she laid her head back against the pillow. “Please.”

He must have had his fun or maybe he didn’t want to upset her too much because the next thing she felt was his warm tongue lapping at her, a hum rattling in his throat. She couldn’t help herself but gasp, clasping a hand over her mouth in order to silence the moans that would come. He was still painfully slow, using strong but lazy strokes to lap at her entrance. Whether he was mindfully doing it or not, he seemed to be avoiding her clit. If she had to wager a guess, she’d say it was purposeful.

“Trunks.” She hissed out in annoyance between moans, tilting her down to glance at him. He wasn’t paying any mind to her. His arms were hooked around her legs with his hands on her thighs to stop her from closing them on him. His eyes were closed, and what she could see of his expression showed her that he was rather enjoying himself.

She groaned and laid her head back down, squirming her hips from need. Trunks must have gotten the hint because his approach seemed to change quickly. He switched his attention to the bundle of nerve endings, lapping and sucking at her mercilessly. Mai’s back arched from the sudden shift, biting down on the inside of her cheek to keep herself as quiet as possible. Though even this mixed with the hand over her mouth only merely muffled the moans that he got out of her.

Her vision went white as she came, her head thrown back as she nearly screamed out into her hand. The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the thought of someone walking by. If someone heard or found out about this, she didn’t know if she’d be able to be seen by them.

As she came down from her climax, Trunks pulled away from her and licked over his lip, moving to where he was lingering on top of her once more. She was panting heavily as she opened her eyes to look up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to kiss him.

It was a strange thing to taste herself on him, but she wasn’t going to push him away to stop. It was a flavor she couldn’t quite describe, but her mind’s focus was switched when she felt his hips grinding against her own. She could feel his hardened erection through the sweatpants he still wore grinding against her. Due to the sensitivity caused by her orgasm, she ground back against him harshly, craving more friction between the two of them.

But just as her hands went down to help tug off his pants, there was another knock on the door. This one was louder than the last, but it didn’t sound like an angry or upset knocking. More as if the person on the other side was simply stronger than Bulma.

Trunks cursed under his breath as pulled his mouth away from Mai’s, looking over his shoulder to the door and making sure he was blocking Mai just in case the person was to walk in. “Yeah?”

“Mom just wanted me to make sure you were awake. Breakfast is getting cold, and she’d hate for it to go to waste.” The voice was the alternate Trunks’.

Mai felt her face heat up as she was wondering how long he had been standing there, using her hands to cover her face as she shook her head.

“Alright! We’ll be down soon!” Trunks answered and sighed, sitting up as he looked down at Mai. He waited a few seconds to make sure the other Trunks was gone, giving Mai a small smile as he tilted his head to the side. “Do you want to keep going?”

Mai peeked through the cracks of her hands to see him, her face as red as a tomato as she shook her head. “We can, um, wait until later…”

She sat up as he moved off of her, running a hand through his hair as his brows were furrowed. “I’m sorry about that…”

“It’s not your fault, Trunks.” Mai said and slid her legs off of the bed, standing up and walking over to grab a new pair of clothes. “It’s not like that’s the last opportunity we’ll have...” She spoke softly, rummaging around in the spare clothes for something that would cover her marks.

She went into the bathroom to get changed, but when she returned, Trunks was no longer in the room. She sighed and tugged at the sweater to make sure her new marks were covered before leaving the room to head to breakfast.

Mai had been considerable quiet during breakfast and most of the ride back to their little home in the middle of nowhere. If she were to be honest, she was rather embarrassed by being interrupted this morning. But her nerves were still shot and wiled up from this morning still. Every time his hand would brush against her, it was like a jolt of electricity in her veins. She had been eager to continue. Had been eager to drag him away to pure privacy and give him the same amount of pleasure he had given her.

But Trunks had busied himself with gathering essentials and packing as soon as they got home, leaving Mai to flip through the TV channels to find something to watch. She decided to watch the rest of a romance movie, shifting herself so her legs were up on the couch.

After about twenty minutes, Trunks reentered the living room and leaned against the back of the couch, tilting his head as he watched the screen for a few moments. “What’re you watching?”

Mai was startled by his voice at first, blinking and looking up at him before shifting and bringing her legs closer to her chest to make room for him. “Some romance movie. I’m not really paying attention so we can change it if you want.”

“Nah, we can keep watching this.” Trunks moved around the couch and sat down next to her. Mai shifted herself to lean against him, using the blanket on the back of the couch to cover both of them.

They both watched the movie, Mai’s eyes fluttering every now and again from sleepiness. “So,” Trunks’ voice broke her from her drowsiness, making her shift her head upwards to look at him. “What’s this movie about anyway?”

Mai took a breath and sat up a bit, thinking for a moment before. “From what I can tell, the main character Johnathan is going off somewhere for some reason, but his love interest Isabella doesn’t want him to go without her.” It didn’t hit her until now the parallels between the two of them, shifting her attention from him back to the movie.

“...Ah. Okay…” Trunks said and fell silent once more, pulling Mai closer just a bit.

“Oh, Jonathan! Kiss me now!”

Mai blushed when the love interest of the movie begged to be kissed by her what Mai could only assume to be her boyfriend. As the two protagonists began to make out, Mai shifted and was brought back to their events just this morning, her face heating up. She cleared her throat and sat up, standing up as she turned towards Trunks with a thumb pointing towards the bathroom.

“I’ve got to, um, use the bathroom. I’ll be back…” Mai spoke in a rushed tone before heading off to the bathroom, quickly shutting and locking the door behind her.

Once inside, she pressed her back against the door, lifting a hand to cup one of her heated cheeks. Remembering his touch from his morning simply was enough to bring a pit to her stomach, her eyes squeezing shut as she contemplated what she should do. She wanted more. She wanted to continue their little game from earlier, but she simply was unsure on how she should initiate.

She sunk down to the floor with her face in her hands, groaning as her mind ran a mile a minute. She looked up after a moment and saw Trunks’ blue jacket still on the bathroom floor, curious as to how he missed it when packing. She reached out for it and brought it to her face, taking a deep breath as an idea popped into her head.

After a few minutes of preparing herself, she unlocked the door with a click and took a deep breath, stepping outside of the bathroom gingerly.

“You okay? It took you quite a-” Trunks looked over at Mai and his eyes widened, making him stop speaking altogether.

Mai closed the bathroom door when she exited, folding her hands behind her as she tilted her head to the side. She had discarded her clothes inside except for her panties. Instead, she had on the jacket he had left in the room with all the buttons undone so part of her stomach, as well as her breasts, were exposed to him.

She was surprised by his reaction in any way, but she wasn’t truly prepared for what she should do after she showed him. She flushed a little pink as she looked down, moving her hands to her front so she could fiddle with the sleeves.

“You, um, forgot this in the bathroom.” She spoke in a quiet tone, damning herself for being so bashful about this. She cleared her throat before walking over to stop in front of him, reaching out to press her hand against his chest as she leaned down to be closer to his face. So close, in fact, that their lips were just barely touching as she spoke. “I just thought I’d come to bring it to you. Wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

Thankfully, she didn’t have to say anything else. Trunks reached up and closed the small gap between them, wrapping his arms around her as he tugged her down into his lap. It didn’t take long until Trunks had taken the jacket off of her, discarding it somewhere in the living room. Surprisingly Mai was the first to break the kiss, placing a few kisses along his jawline and down his neck before biting down and sucking to claim him.

She made quick work of taking his shirt off, throwing in the same general direction as the jacket. She continued to suck on his skin, feeling a new sense of confidence from his breathy exhales. When she decided she had had her fun marking him, she trailed a few kisses back up to his ear as one of her hands ventured downwards to cup at his bulge through his jeans.

“I thought it’s about time I returned the favor…” She breathed out hot air into his ear, the groan that escaping his mouth turning her on. Is this how he felt when giving her pleasure? Did he enjoy this sense of control?

She moved her kisses to his mouth as she fumbled with the buckle of his belt and his zipper, slipping her hand into the waistband of his underwear as soon as she was able. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, licking and exploring every crevice as she palmed at him.

He groaned in her mouth, pulling her closer as his hips bucked to try to get more. Mai chuckled as she pulled away from him, a strand of saliva connecting them for a moment before she worked her way down his neck to his chest. As she kissed down his stomach, she made sure to run her tongue through some of the indents in his skin, removing her hand from his neediness so she could pull down his jeans.

Once his jeans and underwear were off, she kneeled down in front of him, shifting her eyes from his face to his erection. She must have seemed hesitant because Trunks spoke up after a few seconds. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Mai.”

Mai was taken aback by his statement looking up at him with a tilt in her head. It just seemed odd to her that a man would say something like that when it came to getting sucked off. She huffed but didn’t respond, simply leaning forward to take him into her mouth.

She knew for a fact that this was something she had never done in her previous life, so she was afraid she was coming to do something wrong. But as she sucked and bobbed her head, the groans and moans that escaped his lips urged her to go on. What she couldn’t fit into her mouth was instantly taking into her hands, moving her palm against his length as her tongue swirled around.

After several seconds of sucking and licking, she felt him place a hand on top of her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, seeing that his head was tilted back with his eyes squeezed shut and a slight blush on his cheeks. She found his expression to be quite...erotic. Erotic enough that she could feel the moisture soaking through her underwear.

His expression combined with the noises he made allowed her to push forward, taking in as much of him as she could until she could feel him at the back of her throat. It was a bizarre feeling, something that she never thought she’d be brave or maybe careless enough to do. But it was the least she could do for someone who had done the equivalent to her.

Right before he released, however, she pulled off of him with a satisfying and soft ‘pop’ as the suction is broken. She grinned up at him and hummed, a tilt in her head. Trunks looked down at her with a furrow in his brows. “Why’d you stop?”

Mai stood up and sat back down on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I’m not done having fun.” She said simply, grinding down in his lap to emphasize her point.

He hissed in response and cupped her face, bringing her closer so he could kiss her harshly. His hands went down to her underwear, feeling up under them to the wet fabric. She could feel him smirk against her mouth, but she bit down onto his lip and tugged before sliding her tongue into his mouth.

Trunks pulled down her panties as far as he could, but enough to where the tip of his member could rub against her opening. Mai couldn’t help her moan when he pressed inside of her, the feeling of being full exciting her.

Unlike their first time, Trunks was physically more eager. He was primed from her actions beforehand, only want to chase after the feeling that she had left him with. Mai was still wired up from this morning events, having only been a few hours before. Therefore, when he still bucking his hips upwards into her in a harsh manner, she wasn’t surprised nor was she unprepared.

She had to admit that it wasn’t the greatest position to have chosen, but at the time the soreness of her legs was unweighted by the pleasure he gave her. Her hands gripped onto the back of the couch as she leaned forward to rest her head against his shoulder, burying her face into the crook of his neck in a poor attempt to muffle herself. Her hips instinctively moved with his as if trying to get more of the friction, but she lacked direction or endurance to keep going.

Trunks placed his hands onto her hips to guide her on him, leaning his head into hers as he focused solely on giving pleasure to the both of them. When he hit something tender inside of her, Mai almost shrieked out of pleasure. In response, Trunks shifted and focused on hitting only that spot, cursing under his breath as he panted heavily.

It didn’t take very long for either of them to cum, but Trunks was the first to cave, his grip on her hips tightening to the point where she felt like there’d be bruises. His thrusts were sloppy after he climaxed, but he didn’t stop, refusing until she also reached her breaking point. Luckily for him, it only took a few more seconds after his own for her to come undone, the woman biting down onto a part of his neck in order to keep her scream contained.

After a few more lazy strokes to ride out her orgasm, Trunks managed to pull out of her, tilting her head so he could place a gentle, soft kiss upon her lips. Mai kissed back immediately her eyes closed as she hummed against his mouth. When they pulled away, Mai rested her forehead against his, smiling as she breathed out a laugh. “...Wow…” She managed to pant out.

Trunks chuckled and smirked at her, wrapping his arms around her waist rather than having them on her hips. “Did you enjoy yourself, princess?”

Mai blushed faintly at the nickname and nodded her head, closing her eyes. “Of course, I did.” She squeaked as she felt herself being pulled down. Trunks had moved so they were both laying down on the couch facing each other. He pulled the blanket they had been using during the movie to cover both of them, pulling her close so she could snuggle up against his chest.

“God, I love you.” Trunks spoke and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

Mai pressed her face against him, despite the fact that his skin was sticky from sweat. She couldn’t help but smile as she wrapped her arms around him, throwing one leg over his own to cling to him. “I love you, too, Trunks.”

Chapter Text

The night had been calm for the agent, which came as a surprise to her. She was able to use what money she had in order to book a motel room. The motel, however, was not the nice estate she had been housed in with the Briefs. The neon sign outside flickered as if it didn’t have enough electricity to run. She could hear the distant sounds of a siren and thumps from the room upstairs. The carpets were a dirty shade of off-white. There were stains on the walls, floors, and even the sheets of the bed that Mai was fine with not knowing the origins.

She stepped out of the small bathroom with a ragged, old towel wrapped around her body. She ran her hands through the wet strands of black hair as she walked to the bed. When she sat down on the front edge of the bed, the mattress sank down and the springs squeaked loudly, causing her to grit her teeth in frustration. She grabbed the remote laying on the bed and turned the small TV on, flicking through the channels to find something to watch.

As she was flipping through, she caught a glimpse of the blue-haired CEO of Capsule Corp. At first, she tried to pay no mind, trying to find something else to watch. When that became a bust, she turned it to the channel with the program. It didn’t take her very long to realize it was a previously recorded interview of the young man.

Trunks and the interviewer were sitting in one of the observation rooms in the laboratory. The glass that allowed those in the room to peer into the lab was behind Trunks, probably strategically placed there in order to remind people what Capsule Corp truly was. As Mai turned up the volume, she found that the interview was about a new product the company had hopes of releasing within the next year or two.

Mai groaned and tossed the remote onto the bed, falling backward as she laid her forearm across her eyes. She felt herself slowly zone out from listening to the interview until the interviewer asked a question that piqued her interest.

“And what are your personal goals for the next few years, Mr. Briefs? If you don’t mind me asking?”

She sat up on her elbows with a brow raised and a tilt in her head. She saw the camera flip back to Trunks. His demeanor showed that he was unphased by the question, a smile slipping onto his face.

“Ah, well, I hope to improve the company and-”

“Oh, no, no, no. That’s not what I meant. Let me rephrase.” The interviewer paused for a few seconds, scribbled onto his notepad, and grinned. “Do you see yourself getting into a relationship in the near future?”

This, Mai could see, offset Trunks. He was taken aback as his cheeks turned a light shade of pink. His calm, cool demeanor completely changed into someone who seemed nervous. “Ah, I beg your pardon?”

“Do you have a girl you’re interested in? Or do you plan on joining the dating scene? The public is dying to know. Hell, you’re nearly thirty, and we’ve only seen you romantically involved with one woman.”

Trunks looked down at his hands to think. Mai furrowed her brows and sat up all the way, leaning forward as if it would help her listen to his answer. “Well, I’m not entirely sure.” He started and leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms while placing one of his legs over the other. “I guess it depends on if I meet the right girl.”

“Have you perhaps met a girl that could be a possible candidate?” The interviewed raised a brow, tapping their pen against the notepad they had.

Trunks thought for a second and used a hand to adjust the glasses sitting on his nose. He took a deep breath and shifted. “I suppose I did. A few days ago. But she was gone before I had a chance.” He sighed before clearing his throat. “Let’s talk more about the company. This isn’t a personal interview.”

The interviewer agreed and asked another question, but Mai grew bored rather quickly. She reached for the remote and turned the TV off, sighing as she stared at the floor.

Her mind was racing. She didn’t care about him yet when he said he thought he found a girl, her heart sank. Why did she feel so sick at the thought? Did she hate him that much that she didn’t want him to be happy?

Mai groaned and fell back onto the bed, her hair fanning out a bit. She placed the palms of her hands against her eyes, pressing almost as hard as she could in order to burn the idea out of her head.

As she was digging out the remnants of her thoughts, there was a knock on the door. She perked up and moved her hands from her eyes, looking at the door as she furrowed her brows. She hadn’t told anyone she was here.

Mai stood up and adjusted the towel around her, holding onto the top of it as she walked over to the door.

“What do you-” Mai stopped talking when she swung the door open all the way, her mouth becoming agape. To her surprise, the man in question was standing in front of her. Instead of wearing his lab gear that she had seen previously, he was dressed in a suit of some sorts, the glasses that were previously in the pocket of his shirt placed upon his nose. His hair was tidy and styled to keep out of his face.

“That’s not a real way to greet someone at your door.” Trunks smiled and tilted his head. “Can I come in?”

Mai blinked and stepped out of his way, opening the door wider for him. As he stepped inside, she closed the door and watched as he walked around the room and ran a finger over the layer of dust on the TV stand. “So this is where you’ve been hiding?”

“I’m not hiding.” She snapped and crossed her arms. “Frankly, I don’t even know how you found me. Or why you’d even find me.”

Trunks glanced at her from the corner of his eye, rubbing his fingers together to get rid of the dust. “Security footage.” He said simply and turned away from her, folding his hands behind his back as he slowly walked to a window on the opposite side of the door. “Even though I didn’t file an official report on you, I asked a few officer friends of mine to keep an eye out for you. They report to me about an hour ago that they caught you on camera in this motel. So, I drove here after finishing up some work of mine and asked the front counter.” He paused and turned towards her, a small grin on his lips. “So, they told me your room number. And here we are.”

“Okay. That’s the how. Now, what’s the why?” Mai gritted her teeth, shifting her body weight. “Besides being incredibly rude and not knowing when a girl wants nothing to do with you.”

“You’re a smart girl, Mai.” Trunks walked and sat on the edge of the bed, his hands placed in his lap. She hated how he looked. He looked so proper in contrast to his surroundings. So neat and tidy while the room was a dirty mess. “You were able to hack into the best security system on Earth. It would be stupid not to chase you down.”

Mai blinked and tilted her head. She had never been praised for her work. Pilaf would simply criticize one part of it before demanding she did something else. She had come to think her technology was impractical. That it only did the bare minimum and nothing more. “And?”

“What’s it going to take to get you to come to Capsule Corp? I thought my first offer was rather generous.”

“...” Mai could hear the slight annoyance in his tone. “Trunks, you don’t understand.”

He sat up straight and took a breath, smacking his hands down onto his knees. “Enlighten me. Why don’t I understand?”

“I’m not the kind of person you want.” She blurted out without thinking, cringing as she had to quickly come up with a reason. “I’m a horrible person. I’m selfish and sinful and dishonest and cruel. I don’t have a good track record. I don’t have a good or even decent past. I steal for a living. I’ve killed people.” She stopped and looked down. “I’m flattered that you think I’m smart. I’m flattered that you want me to work for you, but I can’t. My destiny is to be a criminal and live on the run. I can’t change who I am.”

Trunks stayed silent while she was talking. When she looked up, she saw a shred of sympathy in his face, his arms crossed as his posture wasn’t as stiff. “And that, Mai, is exactly why I want you.”

“Excuse me? Wh-”

“You might be headstrong and arrogant, and you may think that you don’t deserve better. But I know you do. The guy you’re working for sounds awful. You’re a product of your circumstance. And if we catch your circumstance, I think you can be a good person.”

Mai furrowed her brows and sighed, walking over to stand in front of him. “Is this about the other Mai showing up? Did you look at her and think I could be like her?”

Trunks was taken aback by her sharp tone, holding his hands up as a way to surrender. “Mai, no. You’ve got it all-”

“What? I’m wrong? Sure, you offered me a job before you met her, but I doubt you would have tracked me down if she didn’t show up and demonstrate what I could be if I wasn’t such a fuck up.” Mai rubbed her temple and shifted her weight. “You would have let me go if I just walked away before her. What you think you can replace that girl you met a few days ago with that Dystopian whore?”

“Mai.” Trunks’ voice was firm as he stood up, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. “This literally has nothing to do with either of them. I want to help you get out of being treated like a slave. Saying that Capsule Corp. could change you was wrong of me. I apologize for that. But it’s a hell of a lot better than what you’re doing now.”

Mai stared at him as he spoke, her eyes staring into his as she searched for a shred of deceit to prove his words wrong. But as he stared back at her, she couldn’t see anything that would or could deceive her. She looked away after a few seconds and brushed his hands off of her shoulders, taking a step back. “Fine.”

Having spent the night as close as they could get to each other, it felt weird to know that in just a few, short minutes, he would be away from Mai for a few months. He couldn’t remember a time in the past year where they had been separated for such a long time. They had always stayed close together, hardly ever being apart. But now was the first time they’d be gone for such a long time.

He felt his stomach acids churn as Bulma was fussing over him, fixing the collar of his jacket as she spoke to him. But he was barely listening, his eyes looking out the window of the building as he waited to see signs of the god and his angel’s arrival. He was grateful for Mai at that moment who took it upon herself to answer some of the obvious questions his mother bombarded him with like “Did you pack a toothbrush?”, “Did you remember to grab this?”, “Did you collapse the house before coming here?”.

Trunks was broken from his trance when his mother ran her thumb over his cheek, tilting his head to make him look at her. “Are you okay?” His mother’s voice was soft, sweet, and gentle, her brows furrowed from worry.

Trunks nodded in response and took a hold of her hand, carefully moving it away from his face. “Yes, Mom. I’m fine.” The lie felt like a hot coal coming from his stomach, his heart twisting as it screamed at him to tell them the truth. To tell them he wasn’t okay. Tell them that he was terrified of what was going to happen.

But Bulma didn’t pick up on his anxiety, merely nodding her head and grinning at him. “Alrightly then…” She said and stepped away, folding her hands in front of her. She looked out the window just as the figures of the two deities appeared. “I’ll go tell them you’ll be a few minutes.” She spoke and left the living room.

Trunks watched his mother walk to the two beings, waving at them as she was most likely exclaiming about how great it was to see them. When he heard Mai clear her throat, he broke his attention from the outside, turning his head towards her.

She crossed her arms across her chest, tilting her head as she raised a brow in question. “Are you...sure about this, Trunks? You seem nervous…”

Trunks felt his heart ache the most when thinking of leaving her. The mere idea of being away was like a stab to his chest, but he took a deep breath and nodded. “It’s too late now anyway.” He said and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her as he placed his chin on her head.

Mai returned the embrace, pressing her face against his chest. “Did you grab the communication device Bulma and the other Trunks made for you?”

“Yes, dear.” Trunks said and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I wouldn’t forget it if I tried.”

Mai hummed as she squeezed him as tight as she could, her hands gripping at the fabric of his jacket. “I’m gonna miss you, Trunks…”

“I’m gonna miss you, too, Mai…” Trunks pulled away and placed his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes as a small, hesitant smile crept onto his face. “I wanna give you something.”

He took a small step back and started to undo the buttons of his jacket, taking it off. Mai gave a little grin when she saw what he was doing, holding out an arm so he could put the jacket on her. After he helped her into the jacket, she fixed her hair.

“It’s so you can always feel me around you even when I’m not here.” Trunks spoke and felt his heart melt at how happy she looked.

Mai couldn’t help her beaming smile as she threw her arms around Trunks, hugging him much tighter than she had before. “Thank you, Trunks...I’m never gonna take it off.”

“Well, I hope you take it off to at least wash it.” Trunks joked and hugged her back, taking in the moment for as long as he could. He pressed his nose into Mai’s hair, drinking in her scent so he wouldn’t forget it. He wanted to stay like this forever, but when his mother walked back into the home, he knew this moment was going to end sooner than he’d like.

“They’re ready to go, and Beerus seems to be getting impatient.” Bulma spoke, frowning as she saw them pull away from each other. “Sorry to kill the lovey-dovey mood...”

“Oh, no, you’re fine, Bulma.” Mai chimed in and nodded to her. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to Trunks’ lips, cupping his face in her hands. “You call me as soon as you get a chance, okay? I don’t care if it’s three in the morning. I’ll answer.”

Trunks chuckled and leaned into her hand. “I promise I’ll call before it gets that late.”

“You better…” Mai said as she released his face. Trunks nodded and grabbed his duffle bag of stuff, throwing it over his shoulder as he started for the door. He gave Bulma a quick hug before heading for the door. Before stepping out, he turned back and waved goodbye to the two of them.

“Please be safe, Trunks…” Mai murmured as he stepped out of the door.

Trunks felt sick to his stomach as he crossed the lawn to the two of them, adjusting the straps on his bag as he looked at the ground. Was he doing the right thing? What would they do if he backed out after Whis has fulfilled his side of the deal? The idea had his blood run cold and stopped every thought he had of falling short of this deal.

He stopped in front of them and straightened his posture. “I’m ready.”

Whis blinked and looked between the man and the building behind them. “Are you sure?”

Trunks furrowed his brows and looked over his shoulder, seeing that Mai was watching them from the window. She had pulled the jacket closed around her, using the sleeve to cover the bottom part of her face. He swallowed and turned towards Whis, nodding his head. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Chapter Text

It had been four weeks since Trunks left to train. The loneliness had set in almost immediately when he took the small trek to the planet. But he couldn’t think about it much. He was thrown into the deep end with the training. Or, well, they were more like chores if he were to be completely honest. His first task was to clean up the room that he’d be staying in. It didn’t sound so bad at first, but then he realized the room had previously been used for storage, and every inch was covered in a thick layer of dust.

It quickly fell into the routine of life here. Get up, shower, eat breakfast, chores, eat lunch, train with Whis, eat dinner, call Mai to talk about everything that had that day, go to sleep, and repeat. It was a simple routine, but it somehow still kept him on his toes. The chores were different every day as well the way Whis decided to train him.

But what he loved most about his day was the nightly video calls with Mai. It seemed that she was always fresh out of the shower, her still damp skin shining in whatever light she was in. She was almost always dressed in warm, soft-looking pajamas. He had told her on multiple occasions that he wished he could feel the fabric to confirm his hypothesis. She would laugh and just smile, telling him that in a few months he could.

That was what always pained him. He had to endure living without her for a few months, and the only contact he had was in the form of the tablet-like device he could see her on. But those calls whether they be a few hours or just a few minutes were what got him through to the end of the day. They reminded him of the reason he was here: to protect her.

Today’s training had been especially rough on the hybrid’s body. His muscles ached from the hard work, and he could feel the fatigue set in. However, he pushed it away when his screen lit up to notify him that Mai was calling. Trunks quickly looked into a small mirror in the room and fixed his hair before grabbing the tablet and sitting on the bed with it. He pressed the green answer button and waited for the connection.

When Mai’s face appeared on the screen, he was taken aback by her appearance.

She looked exhausted, faint dark circles under her eyes. Speaking of eyes, her eyelids drooped from fatigue, and she had a hard time keeping them open. Her hair was unbrushed, and it looked like she hadn’t quite taken her shower yet. Instead of her soft pajamas, she wore a cream colored tank top, and he could only assume she had paired in with shorts. Even the background was slightly difference. She was still in the same room as she had been, sitting at a desk while her device was propped up against the wall. But the bed was a mess when it was usually made and tidy, and there was a basket of clothes at the foot of the bed when they would have normally been folded and put away.

“Are you okay?” Trunks blurted out immediately, sitting on the edge of his bed with a concerned look on his face. “You look completely exhausted.”

Mai smiled faintly and shifted in the chair she sat in, folding her hands in her lap. “I guess I am, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. ” She answered and looked down at her fiddling hands. She looked back up after a few seconds of silence between them. “How was your day?”

“Well, it’d be better if you told me what’s wrong.” Trunks cringed at his own tone. He didn’t mean to sound as harsh as he did. “Bad day?”

“...” Mai seemed hesitant to answer him, sinking her chair as she stayed silent for a few minutes. She took a breath and cleared her throat. “I just haven’t been sleeping so good lately. I’m not entirely sure, but I’ve been having some...pretty awful dreams. I’ve never really had nightmares before, but-” She sounded choked up, having to take a pause and rub at her eyes. “They’re awful.”

Trunks felt a pull at his heart as she talked standing up and walking over to the desk in his room. He propped the tablet up against the wall and sat down in the chair, leaning in towards the screen as if it would help him get a better look at her. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“...Not really…” Mai murmured and looked down, rubbing the back of her neck. “I don’t really wanna think about it too much.”

He took a breath and sighed out, leaning back in his chair as he decided to change the subject. “Today was rather...interesting to say the least. It was one of those days where I had to change Lord Beerus’ sheets while he was sleeping. And lemme tell you, it’s way more stressful than it seems.”

“I think you’ve told me before.” Mai said and scooted her chair closer, resting her elbows onto the table as she leaned in. “Can I ask you something?”

Trunks blinked when Mai spoke and nodded his head. “What’s up?”

“...Do you ever get lonely?”

Trunks furrowed his brows when she asked such a silly question, clearing his throat as he shifted in his chair. “Well, I mean, yeah. All the time. Something will happen and my first instinct is to tell you, but the only free time I have is right now. I’m doing most of my chores alone, so it’s like not I can fill that social need with someone else…”

“I get that…” Mai mumbled and took a breath, rubbing at her temple. “I’m sorry I’m not more lively, Trunks. My head’s been killing me all day, and I’ve been terribly nauseous…”

“Is there a bug going around? I thought flu season wasn’t for a few more months?”

“I’m not sure, but it probably is.” She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest as best she could, hugging her legs close to her. “God, I just wish you were here…”

Trunks felt helpless as he watched her. Her mannerisms and speech showed that she was ill in some form or fashion. Like her, he wished he was there to comfort her. Countless times she had nursed him from being injured, and it pained him not to be able to return the favor when she needed him.

“Yeah, I wish I was there, too.” He spoke and tilted his head, raising a brow. “Maybe it’s best you head off to bed. I know it’s a bit early, but you need rest in order to feel better.”

Mai perked up and stared at the screen for a moment before nodding her head, placing her feet back onto the floor. “Yeah, you’re right. I should head to bed…” She gave a small, faint smile. “Goodnight, Trunks. I love you.”

“Goodnight, Mai. I love you, too.”

The screen went black as Trunks pushed the hangup button. He placed the tablet face down onto the desk as he stood up and walked over to his bed, pulling back the covers before stepping inside. As he laid there for a few minutes, he contemplated what Mai had told him. While his mind slowly allowed him to fall asleep, one question burned inside him.

Was Mai okay?

Even after four weeks of laying alone, the loneliness crept inside of her every night. She longed for his touch, for the warmth she had the privilege to feel for the past few months. She missed hearing his soft snores as they fell asleep or as she was waking up. She missed the way his being filled a room with his presence, bringing light and warmth where he went.

The weeks he had been gone were terrible in her opinion. The first few days had been rather smooth, but within a week of him leaving, she had trouble sleeping. Sleep seemed to escape her as she tried to find a comfortable position in bed. She was almost always tired even if she had gotten a good night’s sleep, which had become a rarity for her. She was almost certain that the nausea she felt was from missing him and not some bug like he had predicted. But letting him know that would mean he would come back. And as much as she loved the idea of being in his arms, she didn’t want him to leave because of her.

Mai stared at the ceiling as the thought danced in her head. She would love to have him home. To have their little home in the middle of nowhere where no one would bother them. But their new life with each other had changed the moment Trunks spoke to Bulma.

To say she was still bitter about it wouldn’t be true. She was upset, but she held nothing against Trunks. She was sure that if she still remembered anything about her mother and if her mother was in this timeline, she’d go see her as well. There was just something about a mother’s presence that brought comfort.

She sat up when she realized that tonight was another sleepless night, sliding her legs off of the bed. She grabbed Trunks’ jacket that was sitting on the dresser by the door and button it up, walking out of the room.

As she made her way to the kitchen to find something to curb her nausea, she heard laughter. She furrowed her brows as she walked through the living room and into the room, tilting her head. Both Bulma and the alternate Trunks were still awake, still dressed in their lab attire. They seemed to have been chatting about something an employee had done that had. Bulma was leaning against the kitchen counter, a mug of something warm in her hands. Trunks, on the other hand, was standing by the table with his arms crossed.

Bulma perked up when she saw Mai enter the room, grinning at her warmly. “Ah! Hello, Mai. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay…” She murmured and cupped her elbows as she walked to one of the cupboards. “Do we have any crackers?”

Bulma looked at Trunks and nodded her head towards the door, clearing her throat as she sat her drink down. “Of course, sweetie. Lemme get you some. Take a seat.” As Bulma talked, Trunks had left the room upon his mother’s request, leaving the two women in the room alone.

“Oh. Thanks.” Mai said and walked to the table, sitting down at one of the ends. She hunkered forward a bit, taking a deep breath to keep herself from getting sick.

After a few seconds, Bulma sat down the sleeve of crackers in front of Mai, placing a hand on the back of her chair. “Do you want some water? Or I can make you some tea if you’d prefer?”

“Water’s fine. Thank you.” Mai said and opened the package, taking one cracker out to nibble on it. Once Bulma had filled a glass and sat it in front of Mai, she sat in the chair to her left.

“So, how have you been feeling recently? You’ve haven’t been looking well for a few days…”

“...” Mai took a small sip of the water, clearing her throat before speaking. “I’ve been...okay, I guess. I’m just tired all the time, and I get random bursts of feeling like I’m going to throw up throughout the day…”

Bulma hummed and took a sip of the mug she had brought with her. “When...Well, if you don’t mind me asking, when was your last...you know?”

Mai was taken off guard by the question, setting down the cracker she had been nibbling on. “I’m...I’m not entirely sure. It stopped somewhere during Black because of my sparse diet, and it just hasn’t really...started again? If that makes sense…”

Bulma nodded and sniffed, setting back down her mug. “There’s a few things this ‘illness’ of yours could be. For one, it could be just that. Some sort of bug you’ve caught. And a pretty nasty one, too, if it’s been going on for a few days. Second, it could just be premenstrual symptoms. Your body could be kicking it’s cycle back into gear, and you’re just not used to how it feels anymore. Or…”

When Bulma’s voice trailed off, Mai felt a spark of panic in her system. Her cheeks heated up as she shook her head. “No, no, no! There’s no way.”

“I’m not implying that you are, Mai. It would be an explanation for these side effects.”

“I don’t even feel like I am though. I don’t even look like I am!”

“If that’s what this is, and it’s a huge if, then you really won’t look like you are until about twelve weeks in. And it’s not always as funny and happy as people make it out to be. I felt absolutely miserable with Trunks.”

Mai fell silent and looked down, fidgeting with her hands as she tried to process what Bulma was saying. “What do I...do?”

“Well, first off, you need to confirm it. I can get you a few test tomorrow if you-”

“Tonight.”

“...What?”

Mai sniffled and wiped away a tear that had come from her watering eyes. She looked back up at Bulma and put on as much of a brave face as she could. To say the least, she was terrified. There were thousands of questions running in her head. What is she was? Would Trunks be okay with it? How would he react? What if she wasn’t ready?

“I wanna know tonight.”

Chapter Text

The agent felt restless. Laying in bed, her eyes stared at the ceiling, her hands folded on her abdomen as she tried her damnedest to fall asleep. It had been the first night in a long time where she couldn’t sleep. Like something in the universe was screaming at her soul, making it impossible for her eyes to fall shut.

She wasn’t anxious about anything. She wasn’t worried or concerned about anything in life. She was relatively stress-free, so why couldn’t she fall asleep?

Mai sighed and sat up, glancing at the clock to see it was a little past eleven. She got out of bed and walked out the door, closing it behind her as she walked towards the kitchen. Maybe they had some chamomile tea she could drink. Or, if not, she could at least warm up some milk.

As she walked down the corridor, however, she saw Trunks approaching up the stairs. She furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side as she slowed down, stopping to wait on him to get to her. He seemed to understand what was going on, stopping when he was about five feet away from her.

“What’d you doing up so late?” Mai asked and crossed her arms. He was still dressed in his lab attire, his glasses in the pocket of his lab coat. Meanwhile, Mai hadn’t bothered to cover herself before leaving her room. She wore a white, sheer t-shirt that was a bit too big for her, the bottom of it stopping at her mid-thigh. Underneath she wore only a pair of black, cotton panties. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“I’m usually awake at this hour. Well, I’m typically in my room, but I’m awake.” Trunks spoke and shifted his eyes away from her. In the dim lighting of the hallway, she could make out a faint rose dusting on his cheeks. “Where were you heading?”

Mai didn’t like the shifting of his eyes, slouching in on herself as she, too, looked away. She took a breath. “Kitchen. I wanted something to help me sleep.”

Trunks blinked and looked back at her. She glanced at him and noticed a slight look of panic on his face, causing her to give him a look of confusion. “...I think I have some melatonin in my room.” He hesitantly spoke and glanced over his shoulder. “Mom just told me to get out of there, so I think she wants to be alone for now.”

Mai slowly nodded and cleared her throat, shrugging her shoulders. “Alright then. I could use some melatonin.”

They walked down the hall a few feet before entering into Trunks’ room. Mai had never been inside the room before, but she was taken back but how messy it seemed to be. There were clothes on the floor and hanging out of a basket. The bed was a mess of sheets and blankets. Every inch of the desk was covered in papers, notebooks, and pens. She expected him to be more of a philanthropist and for him to be more meticulous when it came to being tidy.

“Sorry for the mess…” He murmured and walked towards the bathroom, flicking on the light. “Do you think one should be fine?”

Mai took a few more steps inside the room, looking around as she cupped her elbows in her hands. “Probably.” She said and glanced towards the bathroom, seeing Trunks standing in front of the sink with the medicine cabinet opened. She heard the sounds of a pill bottle rattling and then a glass being filled with water.

Trunks turned the light off as he walked out, handing her the glass before placing the red pill in the palm of her outstretched hand. “You can sit in here if you want to. I’m just gonna be working on some paperwork.” He gestured towards the mess of a desk he had.

Mai nodded and sat down on the edge of the foot of his bed, popping the pill into her mouth and swallowing it down with some of the water. As she did this, Trunks moved to sit in the chair at the desk, shuffling through his papers to find what he needed. “Why do you just have a bottle of melatonin in your room?”

“Same reason I gave some to you.” He said and clicked a pen, starting to fill out some of his papers. “I have insomnia. And sometimes it’s extremely hard to fall asleep.”

Mai nodded and wrapped both of her hands around the glass of water, looking down and watching the small ripples on the surface whenever she moved. “Insomnia? You don’t seem like the kind of person to have any kind of trouble like that.”

“Well, it’s a side effect of something else.” He spoke softly, scribbling out a mistake that was made on the paper.

“Like what?” She knew it wasn’t her place to ask, but she was truly a curious person. She had grown up with this idea that he was a perfect being. Someone who had single-handedly destroyed countless threats. The idea that he had troubles had never crossed her mind until now.

“...” Trunks stopped writing and took a breath, setting down his pen as he turned his chair around. He leaned back and crossed his legs, clearing his throat. “Why do you want to know?”

“Curious.” Mai responded quickly and stood up, moving to stand in front of him. She leaned over him and placed her glass on the desk behind him, setting her hand onto the desk as she leaned in close. “What could be going on in such a great mind that could cause insomnia?”

He seemed unphased by her position, his arms crossed against his chest as he looked her dead in the eyes for a few seconds. He uncrossed his legs and sniffed, shifting in his seat. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

Mai’s heart was pounding as she realized for the first time that she had been involuntarily leaning closer and closer to him. Her hands were sweating as she let her eyelids slowly start to close, tilting her head to the side as she whispered, “But satisfaction brought it back…”

When her eyes closed fully, she found herself moving her hands to rest on his shoulders and her body straddling his lap. She felt a spark of electricity as their skin touched, her stomach twisting into knots as she could practically feel his lips against hers.

Before they could get any closer, however, Trunks cleared his throat, catching Mai off guard. She opened her eyes and leaned back, but stayed in his lap. “It’s late. You should be heading to bed.” She could hear a slight shake in his voice. A slight tone of desperation that made her not want to leave at all.

“Aw, but why?” She spoke and slid her hands from his shoulders to his chest. “I can stay up a little longer.”

“ Mai. ” His tone was stern and stiff, his brows furrowed as he refused to move from his position. “I think it’s time you should go to bed.”

Mai felt a shiver run down her spine at his tone, swallowing a lump in her throat as she stood up. She straightened out the fabric of her shirt and cleared her throat, glaring at the man. “Fine. Goodnight.” She put as much irritation in her tone as possible, pulling his bedroom door closed as hard as she could.

As she walked down the hall to her room, she placed the back of one of her hands against her face. Her skin was hot to the touch, and she wouldn’t doubt it if she was red as well. Trunks’ reaction to her startled her. Typically men had fawned over her in the past. The man in the bar even went as far as to attempt to drag her back into the closet with him when she denied him.

When she got to her room, she practically slammed the door shut, pressing her back against the wood as she crossed her arms. She felt stupid if she were to be completely honest. She had no idea why she thought she would get anywhere with him. It was obvious to her that he didn’t view her in that light. Though as refreshing as it was to not be looked at like a slab of meat, it was off-putting.

The agent’s mind was racing a mile a minute as she slid down the door until her bottom hit the carpet, hugging her knees to her chest as she set her chin onto the top of them. What was it that he wouldn’t tell her? What caused him to be up at late hours? What deprived him of the privilege of sleep?

It was clear to her that if she wanted that sensitive information from him she’d have to use other methods.

 It was rather hazy as to what the test was saying to her. There was, of course, the first bold pink line that showed up regardless of pregnancy. But right next to it was a faint line. And even then she was unsure of whether or not her eyes were playing tricks on her or not. But as she did another test, the faint line once again appeared. And then again. And then again.

There was no doubt in her mind when she saw the pastel pink four times in a row. Her heart racing as she sat on the edge of the bathroom counter. Her eyes blankly stared at the four tests in the row, scanning over the lines as if they would magically disappear the more she stared. Even though her face was cool and composed, her mind was screaming at her with questions. How should she tell him? When should she? Should she even tell him? Would he even want this? What would he think?

Should they even keep the child?

The last one caused a twist in her heart. She placed a hand over her stomach and moved her thumb across the fabric of her tank top. Even though they were completely unprepared, she didn’t want to terminate their mistake before she heard his input. It didn’t feel fair to her. Though ultimately the decision came down to her.

Another thing that worried her was the sheer strength of the child. Would her human body be able to handle a quarter Saiyan? She was in no way a strong woman physically. And from what she was able to pry from their version of Bulma was that carrying a Saiyan child had not been easy. They required more nutrients than the average child. They were unruly and a physical strain on the body. The side effects of pregnancy had been multiplied to a point where most days she hadn’t even gotten out of bed. And it seemed that it had lasted longer than the typical 40 weeks.

Mai shivered at the thought and shook her head. No, there was no way hers would be like that. This child’s Saiyan genetics would be diluted compared to Trunks’ hybridization. This child would be mostly human. Wouldn’t that mean the pregnancy would be more human?

She was broken from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the bathroom door, nearly falling off of the counter she was perched on.

“Mai? Are you okay in there?” Bulma’s muffled voice from the other side of the door calmed her just a bit. She cleared her throat and slid off of the counter, picking up one of the tests to get the older woman’s opinion.

“Yeah. I’m fine.” Mai said as she unlocked and opened the door. “I’m just...not sure what this means exactly.” She spoke in a soft voice, holding out the test for Bulma to see.

She took it and examined it closely, squinting her eyes as she moved it closer to her face to see it. “I think...there’s a line there? It’s just so faint that I’m not sure if I’m making it up.”

“They’re all like that.” Mai replied and crossed her arms, nodding her with head towards the counter as she moved aside so Bulma could see. “I took four, and every single one of them have a faint line…”

“...If they’re all like that, then it’s probably a positive.” Bulma said and handed the rest back to Mai, placing her hands into the pockets of her grey sweatpants. “You can take another one in a few days to be sure. I wouldn’t tell Trunks until we have a definite answer.”

“...Should I even tell him over the phone?” Mai said and looked down. “I don’t want him to be worried about me while he’s away. And I’m not entirely sure Whis will let him come home. He was very firm on the staying for a few months, and it’s only been a few weeks.”

“You can always talk to Whis.” Bulma said and furrowed her brows. “He gave me a device I could use to contact him since he rather enjoyed the food we had to offer. You could ask Whis to send him home and then tell Trunks while he’s here.”

“Yeah. I think I’ll do that.” Mai nodded and looked up at Bulma, grinning. “Thank you for all of your help, Bulma.”

“Not a problem, dear.”

The angel seemed to listen to Mai with a meticulous amount of detail, his eyes never once leaving the sphere in the center of his staff. Mai had tried her hardest to get Whis to allow Trunks to return without going into detail as to why. She had no idea if her lover was around, and if he heard through Whis’ staff rather from her own mouth, then her little plan was useless.

Mai took a deep breath when she finished her mini speech, having not realized how much she was rambling until she had run out of breath. She blushed at her realization, looking down as she placed her hands between her thighs. “Please, Whis...I know I can’t really offer you much, but...send him home…”

The angel stayed silent for a moment. When Mai glanced up to read the expression on his face, she had seen no change from when he was listening as to now. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she contemplated whether Whis had been truly listening until a sigh left the divine being’s mouth.

“Mai,” he started, “As much as I’d just love to send him home to you early, I simply cannot. What kind of person would I be if I went back on my word of him staying for a few months? It’s only been a few weeks.” Whis seemed to frown, but from his tone, Mai was unsure if he meant the gesture. “Unless you have an emergency or at least more of a valid reason besides the fact that you miss him, I’m afraid I can’t allow Trunks to go back.”

Mai felt her heart drop when Whis spoke, taking in a sharp inhale and holding it for a few seconds. She exhaled slowly and looked down, feeling the strongest urge to both scream and cry. She knew she could simply tell the angel her situation. She knew that it may be the valid reasoning he was looking for. But, due to her anxiety about Trunks overhearing and the fact it wasn’t a hundred percent confirmed, she swallowed down the words and nodded her head. “Alright...I understand.”

“Good.” Whis gave a small grin. “He’s perfectly fine here, Mai. Don’t go worrying your little head over him. He’ll be back soon.”

And before she could make any more comments on the matter, the image simply went black

Chapter Text

He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Even though it had been almost a week since he had helped her gain the solace of sleep, his mind raced over the events. His everso analytical brain went from studying her speech to her movements to her possible motives. He hadn’t had the strength to be alone in a room with her, always walking out when she walked in if Bulma or the other Mai weren’t in the room. Though it seemed nowadays that Bulma always had the other woman by her side for reasons that Trunks hadn’t been explained. When he questioned his mother, she would wave him off and avoid the question, giving a backhanded answer before forcing a task upon him.

But that situation didn’t puzzle him as much as the agent. She had a bipolar attitude towards him. One moment it seemed she hated him and everything he was about, glaring at him and making snarky remarks in his direction. Yet there were times where she seemed completely enamored by him, or at least had a faint curiosity into his life. Every time he believed he had her feelings figured out, she would do something to make him question once more. What made her tick?

There were times, however, where he just couldn’t avoid her. For instance, if he, his mother, and Mai were in a conversation and Bulma had “urgent” business to take care of. He prided himself on his respectability and leaving her alone in a room after being lively towards her would make him seem, well, like an ass.

And then there was now. The day being Sunday, naturally, Trunks was in the lab for once. Before it had been a day where he could relax and forget about whatever paperwork needed to be filled out. He could work on personal projects or do experiments or simply mess around if he truly wanted. But today was different. His mother said she was going on a shopping trip with the other Mai, stating she wouldn’t be back until before dinner. That left him and the agent alone together, and since she hardly vacated the lab area when it was Sunday, it was hard to get away.

Her presence, even though not around him, was suffocating. She thankfully was spending her time in the small office area that had been constructed for her, typing away at the command prompt on her computer. He had no idea what she was working on--whether it be her own project or the one they had assigned her--and he had no intentions on finding out.

But she must have gotten bored with what she was doing. The next time he peered through the glass walls of the room, he saw that her screen was lit up with some sort of card game, her cold eyes scanning the screen with a concentration he hadn’t seen on her face before. It sent a shiver down his spine.

He threw back down the welding mask and went back to work, the loud sounds of the welder filling his ears. So much to the point where he didn’t hear the door of her office open nor the clicks of her heels against the ground. It wasn’t until she was standing a borderline safe distance away from him that he even noticed her. And when he did, he was startled at first, turning off the welder and putting the mask back up.

“Can I help you?” His tone was slightly annoyed, slightly on edge as he watched her. But she didn’t respond right away, tilting her head side to side as her eyes scanned the piece of machinery he was working on. She had her arms folded behind her, slowly but surely walking her way around the machine. Her mannerisms reminded him of the way a lioness would size up his prey, the same glimpse of predation in her eyes. He took the mask off and set it aside. “Hello?”

“What is this?” She said suddenly, her tone more on the side of curiosity than of disgust at him. But she didn’t stop pacing. Nor did her gaze jump to him in any way. “You and Bulma have been working on it for a while.”

Ah, so she did pay attention while in her office. “...It’s secret.” He responded, his eyes gliding with her figure. She wasn’t wearing any sort of lab attire which was expected of her. Her black usual leggings were replaced by a skirt and a pair of black thigh highs, a sliver of her pale skin standing out starkly against the black. She also had switched out the sleeveless sweater for a long-sleeved version, completing the look with a pair of heeled boots.

“Secret?” Mai spoke as she stopped in her tracks in front of him, turning her head to look at him from over her shoulder. “I love secrets.”

The smile that played on her lips when she spoke made him take a step back, eyes glancing over him for a mere second before going back to examining the machine. She leaned down to presumably look at something more closely, the back of her skirt riding up to the point where he could see the bottom of her underwear.

“I’m not going to tell you what it is.” He stated firmly, crossing his arms as he shifted his eyes away from her frame. “Just because you want to know doesn’t mean you can just get to know.”

“Why?” She stated almost immediately after he spoke, turning her head to look at him once more. When he glanced back at her, he saw her eyes were set in a glare, her brows furrowed. If looks could kill, he’d be lying in his grave.

“...” He didn’t have an answer. Truly, he didn’t even really know what the machine was. It was a project his mother had been working on, and he just happened to be helping her with it. She only had shown him the blueprints for the work and had never gotten around to telling him what it did.

“What? Cat got your tongue?” She stood up straight and turned to face him, taking a step forward. As much as he wanted to step away, he found himself glued to the floor, his eyes locked onto hers. “Or perhaps you don’t even know what it does? And that’s why you won’t tell me?”

“Mai.” Trunks once again spoke in the firm tone, crossing his arms as if to put up a barrier between the two of them. “Stop this.”

“Stop what?” Mai had an inquisitive tone and a slight tilt in her head as she once again stepped towards him, slowly but surely closing the gap between them. When she was close enough to him, she reached and placed a hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his skin. “I simply don’t understand what you’re referring to.”

“Mai!” Trunks’ voice was suddenly sharp, almost snapping at her as his hand quickly grabbed ahold of her wrist. “Go back to work or get out.”

The playful glint in her eyes was suddenly gone. Instead, some new emotion had replaced it. She scowled at him and forcefully took her hand from him, not once breaking eye contact. “Have it your way.” She growled and turned quickly on her heel, storming out of the lab.

When she was finally gone, Trunks took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure, running a hand through his hair.

She was an enigma to him. When he thought he had her figured out, she threw another curveball at him and most of the time it seemed to hit him in the face. Her flirtatious appetite set him on edge. He had never come across a woman who was so, for the lack of a better term, fierce in her pursuits.

He had little idea as to why the female wanted to sleep with him. Or at least toy him with the idea. He didn’t find himself attractive enough to be in her league. Nor was he charming in any way. Maybe it was the fact that her other self was with his doppelganger.

Maybe that’s what set her off.

She felt absolutely...weird being here. They had been prodding at her for almost an hour, wanting to run test after test to make sure she and the babe were okay. Despite Bulma warning her about the first appointment, Mai had not expected this. She was absolutely tired after all they had done, having nearly fallen asleep while they waited for the doctor. But her nerves were shot as soon as the OB walked in.

There wasn’t anything for her to be nervous of. He had reassured her of that multiple times when he had first seen her. He reminded her of how healthy she seemed to be and how the tests were merely to confirm that she was. It comforted her a little, but her stomach still had done flips.

But now he seemed to be chatting more with Bulma as he had prepared the ultrasound for use. She hadn’t been really paying attention until she heard her name, breaking her little zone. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“I asked for you to roll up your shirt. Not too much just so I can see the bottom of your stomach.” The doctor spoke and pulled on a pair of gloves as she rolled up her sweater. The gel he put onto her stomach made goosebumps rise on her warm skin, causing her to squirm just a bit. “Try to stay still, Mai…”

It took the doctor only a few seconds to find the child, a small grin on his face as he used his free hand to pick up a pen so he could start pointing out parts of the blob. He went on the list and rattle off what he could, informing her that the child was probably only just a bit bigger than a blueberry at this point. He estimated that she was roughly seven weeks pregnant, possibly even eight. But without knowing her last period, it was hard to give her a proper estimate.

As the doctor was rattling off information to her, Mai’s eyes were focused on the black and white image. She couldn’t see much, but he had told her where the baby’s head and limbs were. The image nearly brought her to tears, but she held back as best as she could, not wanting to be the patient that cried.

The doctor seemed to notice her zoning out, taking a deep breath as he cleared his throat. “Do you want to hear the heartbeat?”

Mai’s attention snapped to the doctor as soon as he spoke, a tilt in her head. “They have a...heartbeat?”

“Heartbeats can be detected at six weeks.” He commented with a smile and turned a knob on the machine allowing for the heartbeat to be heard.

It was fainter than what she had thought and much faster than she expected. She could hear a much quicker, slower one in the background, assuming it to be her own. But her ears immediately wanted to focus on the babe’s, ingraining the quick pace into her mind.

The sound was like heaven to her. The gentle thumping telling her that it was all real. There was a life inside of her that she was nourishing. A life that she and Trunks had created. Though it was an accidental life, it was a life that she could already feel herself becoming attached to. Her only worry was Trunks. What if he didn’t share the same view as her?

“Are you okay?” The doctor’s voice broke her from her train of thought.

She sniffed and realized that she had been crying, tears wetting her cheeks. She wiped her eyes on the sleeves of her sweater and nodded her head. “Peachy. I’m just emotional.”

“That’s common. You’re not the first patient of mine to cry. It’s completely healthy and recommended that you don’t hold back. Stress isn’t good for baby or mom.” He reassured and smiled, turning off the knob and pressing a button that would print off pictures of the ultrasound. “You can take these pictures back home to show dad.” He spoke, but stopped himself, glancing at her. “Unless he’s not in the picture?”

“Oh, no. He is.” Mai spoke and shivered as the doctor wiped off the gel with a paper towel and placed the sensor to the side. “He’s away on...business right now.”

“Does he know?” He stood and took the gloves off to dispose of them in the bin.

“Not yet. I want to tell him in person.”

“When will he be home?”

“In a month or two I think.”

“Well, if he’s home in time for your twelve-week checkup, he’s welcome to come with you.” He smiled. “I’ll more than likely be able to tell you the sex of the baby then as well.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Mai smiled back and sat up, rolling down her sweater.

“The nurse will schedule your next appointment and get you those pictures.” With a warm smile, he nodded at both Mai and Bulma. “Stay well, Mama.”

Chapter Text

This call was earlier than the other ones. Maybe Whis had felt sympathy for her pleas and allowed him to cease training earlier so she could have more time. Or maybe Whis had simply just ended the training to deal with manners involving Beerus. Whatever the reason was, she didn’t feel like the answer was necessary enough to waste precious minutes on.

He looked well since the last time she’d seen him. Their video calls had been thinning out ever since she was plagued with “morning” sickness, always telling him she was too tired or busy to talk face to face. But it didn’t stop them from having text conversations into the late hours of the night, only stopping when he had remembered she was tired. He had always been thoughtful.

Besides the yawn every so often, Trunks seemed well-rested. The dark circles under his eyes had faded over time whilst hers became more predominant. His bags were still present, but nowhere near as large or looming as her own. But she didn’t want to worry him, having Bulma show her how to conceal and brighten her undereye luggage for a more healthy look. As sheepish as she was about it, it seemed to work well. He hadn’t commented on it at all.

She sat on their bed instead of at the desk for once, sitting criss-cross with her tablet propped up on a pillow. She was listening contently to him fill her in about his past few days, telling her all the times Whis nearly got him killed or what kinds of things he had done. He even had fun, little voices for Beerus and Whis that made her crack a grin or laugh. Maybe he could tell something was wrong or off, and this was his way of trying to comfort her without being there. If it was, it was working.

“So, tell me about your week. It’s got to be more exciting than mine.” Trunks spoke as he scooted closer to his screen, propping his head against the surface of his desk with his elbow.

Mai opened her mouth to tell him about her doctor’s appointment or tell him how nauseous and lazy she felt, but she closed her mouth right away when she realized it would go against her own dumb wishes. She took a deep inhale and exhaled slowly, giving a smile. “Quite the opposite. The only interesting I’ve done is sleep all day.”

Trunks furrowed his brows. “That doesn’t sound healthy. Are you sick or something?”

“Hm? Oh! No, it’s not as bad as you think! I mean, I do other things like doing laundry or taking walks and stuff.” Mai forced a smile, tilting her head to the side. “There’s no need to worry, dear.”

“If you say so…”

There was a brief silence before Mai’s jumbled brain blurted out the first thing she could think. “What are your thoughts on kids?”

Trunks seemed caught off guard by the question, moving his head off of his hand as he sat up straight. “Um, be more specific?”

Mai blushed when she realized what she had done to herself, looking down at her hands in her lap and fiddled with the strings of her pajama shorts. “Like...having kids...someday?”

The quiet was deafening to her. She didn’t want to glance at him to see his reaction, afraid of what he’d say about it. Regret overcame her as soon as she asked. She should have come up with a bullshit excuse for her question like how she’d been seeing a lot of kids around. Nothing as serious as this.

“Well, that’s a heavy question.” Trunks started, letting out a breath through his mouth. “Personally, I’d say it’s too early for us to even think or talk about it. We’ve been together ‘officially’ for how long? Only a month or two?” A pause. “Maybe in like a year or two, we can talk about it. But right now with me gone for months at a time? I don’t think it’s a good idea…”

Her stomach twisted into knots as he spoke, her throat feeling tight. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked up at him. “I know. It was a silly question. Sorry I asked…”

“Mai, don’t apologize. I get it. It’s expected for couples to have kids, and we’re certainly not getting any younger…”

Mai looked back at and saw his face. It was a look she had come to associate fear with, making her heart sink. What was he afraid of? “Yeah, that’s it...I guess my brain is stuck in what society wants from us…” She grinned emptily. “I think I hear Bulma calling me. I better go see what she wants.”

“I didn’t...upset you, did I?”

“Oh, no, no. I’m perfectly fine, Trunks.” Mai hummed and glanced at the door. “But I should really get going. It could be important.”

“...Alright. Goodnight, Mai.” Trunks smiled at her, giving a little wave through the camera.

“Goodnight, Trunks.” Mai answered and reached out, pressing the red end button.

She stared at the lit screen, letting their conversation seep into her brain. He thought it was a bad idea. But not using a condom or Plan B was also a bad idea. It seemed to her that their baby talk would come in another month when he came back. Either when she tells him or when he sees the inevitable developing baby bump.

Absentmindedly, her hands went to her stomach, rubbing soft circles through the fabric of her tank top. What would he did when he found out? Would his mind change? Would he freak out? Would he be mad? Would he be overjoyed?

Would he leave?

When the screen went black, she was left staring back at a reflection of herself. She hadn’t noticed the tears until she saw the light glittered off of the trails left on her skin. The last thought struck a heartstring, pulling so tight she felt like it would snap at any moment. She felt her bottom lip quiver as she sniffed and took breathes to stop herself from sobbing.

But it was all hopeless. She came undone faster than she could build her facade up. The tears fell from her eyes like rain in the thunderstorm, her sobs echoing loud off the walls and back into her ears. She buried her face into her hands, letting herself really cry since she first found out.

She wanted to scream, but she knew that would only cause someone to come to the rescue. And she couldn’t let them see her like this. Instead, she grabbed ahold of her reflection and threw it across the room, trying to relieve just a little bit of her sorrow. The tablet hit the wall in front of the bed and fell to the floor, falling apart when it made impact.

It was after this that she realized what she had done, her sobs quietening down as she stared at the technology in front of her bed. She sniffed and got up, wiping her eyes before walking to grab the tablet. It was such a stupid idea.

She wanted to see him. To really see him. His presence had always been something she found calming. Maybe it was the way he spoke or the way he held himself. Whatever it was, she wished she could bottle the way she felt around him for times like this.

She didn’t even realize where her feet were taking her until she was in front of his alternate self’s door, her dainty hand knocking ever so gently. After a few seconds, she debated whether he had heard her or not. She could turn back without him noticing if he hadn’t, but she needed the tablet fixed. So, she lifted her hand once more to knock.

Before she could, however, the door opened. His alternate self was standing there, drying off his hair with a towel. His voice was laced with hostility when he spoke. “What do you want?”

She flinched at his tone, taking a small step back as she looked down at the broken tablet in her hands. “I, um...was wondering if you could...fix this?” She murmured and glanced up at him. She didn’t know how she missed it the first time, but he only had a towel wrapped around his waist, making her turn a shade of red before her eyes went back to the tablet.

“Fix wha-” He finally looked at her, his expression letting her know he was surprised to see her there. “Oh. I thought you were the agent…” His voice was filled with embarrassment as he cleared his throat. “Whatcha got there?”

“A, um, tablet your mom had made for me and Trunks before he left. I dropped mine…” Mai spoke and held it out to show him.

Trunks took the tablet in his hands and turned it over, examining it. “Must have dropped it pretty hard.” He joked and gave a small grin. “Come on in. I’ll see what I can do.”

She was sitting on the edge of his bed while he tinkered with the tablet at his desk. He had gotten dressed before setting to work, putting on sweatpants and a t-shirt before pushing aside his paperwork. With the toolkit he kept conveniently in the drawer of his desk, he quickly got to work on the tablet, trying to figure out how his mother had even built the thing in the first place.

“Can I...ask you something?” Mai asked as he fiddled around with part of the motherboard. He hummed inquisitive as his response, not wanting to break his focus too much. “How would you react if you found out something you said was a bad idea turned out to be true?”

Trunks stopped his work and sat up, turning his head to look at her. He examined her face, seeing that she was avoiding his gaze by looking down at her feet. He sighed and hunched back over the tablet. “I dunno. I guess I’d be upset since obviously I would have been asked for my opinion, but it was thrown out the window.”

“Oh…” Her voice sounded small and fragile, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t pay too much attention to it, blaming her obvious distress on the fact that her precious technology had been destroyed. But as he worked, he could hear what sounded like muffled cries to him. He perked up and looked over his shoulder, seeing that she had a hand pressed against her mouth while another rested on her stomach. “Are you...okay?”

She didn’t respond, merely shaking her head as her shoulders shook from a cry rattling her frame. He couldn’t help but pity her, turning his chair to face her. “Hey, come on now. It’s just a tablet. If I can’t fix it, I know Mom can.” Another sob. This one hardly being contained by her hand. “Please don’t cry...It’s okay.” He reached out and placed a hand on her thigh for comfort, his eyes scanning over her.

“I don’t care about the stupid tablet.” Mai choked out when she removed her hand from her mouth and rested it on top of his.

“Oh? Then why are you crying?” Trunks’ tone was soft and sweet, scooting his chair to be close to her. “You can talk to me, but first breathe. Calm down. You’re gonna give yourself a headache.”

Mai took a few shaky breaths to calm herself down, her tears continuing to flow. The most important part was that she wasn’t sobbing her throat raw. “I’ve upset him. I’m sure of it.”

“...Really? You upset him? Because I know you didn’t just drop that tablet. You must’ve thrown it for it to be so busted.” Obviously, she didn’t find his little “joke” to be funny. He frowned and tilted his head. “Do you want a glass of water? Maybe an aspirin?”

“Water sounds nice, but no aspirin.” She murmured.

He nodded and stood up, going to the bathroom to fill up the glass he always kept. He handed it to her when he returned, sitting down next to her on the bed instead of in the chair. “Why do you think you’ve upset him? I’m sure you haven’t done a thing wrong, Mai.”

She stayed silent for a few seconds. By the look on her face, he could tell she was debating whether or not she should tell him. Before he could tell her she didn’t have to say anything if she was uncomfortable, her words had already left her mouth. “I’m pregnant.”

Her statement had taken him off guard, his mouth agape as he stared at her. He couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind with him being gone. “Does...he know?”

“No. I don’t want to tell him until he’s home.” Mai murmured and took a shaky breath. “Bulma was the only one who knew before I told you…”

“If he doesn’t know, then how is he upset by it?” Trunks scooted a bit closer, taking hold of her hand for comfort.

“I asked him his opinion on kids. He said it was way too soon to think or talk about them. He called it a bad idea.” She hissed in an inhale, sniffing as she looked down at their hands. “But I can’t do anything about it now. Nor do I want to. I wanna have this baby…”

“It’s only natural.” He reassured and looked down. “I guess that’s why you asked me how I’d feel? Since we’ve, well, the same person?” From the corner of his eye, he saw her nod. “Well, I didn’t know the extent of what you were talking about, so I feel like my answer is incorrect. I think if he found out about this, despite saying it was a bad idea, I think he’ll be okay with it.”

“You’re only saying that to comfort me…”

“Yeah, maybe I am. Maybe he won’t be so overjoyed with it at first. But if I know us, then I know he’ll come around. I’ve seen the way he looks at you like you’re the only thing that matters in this world. If this is making you happy and is something you want, he’ll learn to want it to.”

“I don’t want to force fatherhood onto him. He might not be ready.”

“He’s never going to be ready.” Trunks said and gently grabbed ahold of her chin, tilting her head to look at him. “We never had a father growing up or a decent father figure. I mean, Gohan was the closest thing we had, and he died right before our eyes. When we did meet our father, he wasn’t exactly...fatherly or nurturing. He barely seemed to care at first. But I’m sure that if you give him time, the idea will warm up to him. And he’ll be ready before that baby’s born. Just be patient.”

“And what if he’s not?”

“Then I’ll kick my own ass. Literally.” The joke seemed to cheer her up, rising a small laugh from her. He smiled.

She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his shoulder. “Thank you...for this.”

“You’re welcome…” He murmured as he hugged her back, resting his head against hers. When he tried to pull away, she only hugged him tighter, pulling him back in. He reluctantly allowed this, rubbing circles into her back as he closed his eyes.

“Hey, Trunks! I was wond-” Suddenly, the door to his room opened, making him jump back from Mai. He looked at the door and saw the agent standing there in her sheer shirt and underwear, her cheeks flushed probably from having a few drinks. Or maybe it was from her shock of seeing them, but whatever it was, her eyes narrowed as she glanced from the two of them. “Oh, my bad. Sorry for interrupting.”

Before Trunks could tell her anything, she had pulled the door closed hard enough for it to slam. He wanted to get up and run after her. Tell her that it wasn’t what she thought and that he was only comforting Mai. But before he could turn to Mai and tell her he’d be right back, she spoke first.

“Can I...sleep in here tonight? I’m tired of being alone…”

Trunks opened his mouth to tell her that it was inappropriate. To tell her that he wasn’t going to bed right away and that she needed her sleep, but when she looked up at him with her black eyes, he sighed. He knew that she was hurting, and he couldn’t just leave her to sob herself to sleep. “Of course…”

He lied. Lied straight to her face about her other self. And she was furious because of it. After seeing the two of them embracing in his room, she had dashed down the hall to her room. Out of pure rage, she grabbed ahold of a pillow and screamed as loud as she could until she ran out of breath.

She half expected him to burst through the door and tell her that it wasn’t what she thought. It would save her impression of him for sure. But when she sat there in her desk chair with her legs and arms crossed glaring at the door for a few minutes, she realized he wasn’t coming for it. He was truly adding gasoline to fire.

She quickly got dressed, not bothering with undergarments because she knew exactly where she was going and what she was going to do.

It was a shot in the dark really as to if the redhead would even be there. But if not, she’d charm her way into someone else’s pants. The bar was across town from Capsule Corp, so she took a taxi, telling them to charge the company since they were always oh so generous.

Not once during her fit of rage did she question her motives or actions. The only thing she knew was she wanted to forget everything. Wanted to pick back up where she left off with the stranger. Wanted to get back to her old lifestyle of doing whatever she wished.

Trunks was a lost cause anyway. He and the other idiot were fighting over the damsel in distress. She should have seen that coming from a mile away.

She thanked the driver before getting out, storming into the bar. She was a woman on a mission, and she’d be damned if she was going to be stopped.

By a stroke of luck, she saw the young man from before in the corner with a group of his friends, boozing and having a few laughs. She smirked in triumph and strutted over to their table, placing her hand on the top and leaning into him.

It only took him a few seconds to notice her there and a few more to recognize who she was. “What do you want?”

“I think you know.”

He raised a brow. “Last time you ran away and nearly broke my arm, doll.”

“I wasn’t in the right state of mind then.” Mai spoke and grinned, moving so she could squeeze herself onto his lap. “I promise I won’t run away from you this time.”

The man glanced at her and then to his friends who all watched with hungry eyes. “Oh really? Then what would you do?”

Mai didn’t like that he wanted to play games right now. She hummed and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “I could sip you like a vintage wine. Or, if you’d rather, whisper all sorts of things down your neck. Anything you want to do, babe, I’m game.”

The moments to come were hazy to her. She was lead out of the bar down to a rundown motel--the same one she had been in when Trunks tracked her down. It seemed he already had a room or maybe he was using one of his buddies rooms. She didn’t know nor care at this point.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, there were connected. He pushed her back onto the bed and made quick work of their clothes. At first, she lied there, taking in the feeling of actually being touched for the first time in months. But when thoughts of Trunks entered her mind, she growled under her breath and switched their position, straddling his hips.

He didn’t seem to mind, bucking his hips to entice her. She kissed down his neck, biting down hard when another thought popped in. He hissed but didn’t seem to mind, merely returning the notion.

The pain was bliss. She never thought of herself as a masochist, but the pain gave her something to focus on before her mind became hazy. She focused on the pulsing of the mark. He hadn’t been hard enough to break the skin, but she knew that it was going to be bruised. Maybe it would give Trunks a sign that she was over it.

The pain wasn’t working as much as she wanted it. He was still there. Still presence in her damn mind. She wanted to choke him for it.

She didn’t know exactly when the man beneath her had made entrance, but when her mind came back to the real world, the pleasure she felt distracted her from her thoughts finally.

She felt in control above this man, leaning forward so she could lick and suck at his skin. More distractions, she told herself. Their hips moved nowhere near in sync. He was eager and hungry. But she wanted to savor the moment, let the feeling sink into her and draw it out for as long as she could.

Unfortunately for her, this man wasn’t the same. He wanted it to be quick and dirty. He flipped their positions so he could take all control from her, thrusting and bucking his hips as wildly as he could. She couldn’t move underneath his weight, his hands having a tight grasp on her wrists.

She knew she wasn’t going to release as soon as he took over. There was no way she could, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t disappointed when he had come down before she was anywhere close.

He was a panting mess above her when he stopped, pressing his face against her shoulder where he had returned her pain. He chuckled. “You truly are a vixen.” He spoke between pants.

Mai was barely out of breath and glanced over to see the side of his face. “Thanks?” She wasn’t sure if she should be complimented or not.

He pulled out and got up after a few seconds, going to the bathroom to clean himself up. Mai furrowed her brows and sat up, grabbing the sheet of the messy bed to cover herself. When he came out, he immediately got dressed and faster than what she thought he would. “You’re leaving?”

“What? Did you want to cuddle after a fuck like that? Or maybe another go around?” He joked and looked up at her, a grin on his face. “I got a girl to get home to. She’s a good fuck, but her body is nowhere as banging as yours.”

Mai felt her stomach drop when he spoke, her face going pale. “You have a girlfriend? And you still fucked me?!”

“Hey, you came onto me. How can I resist someone like you? It’d be stupid if I denied free pussy.” Mai was disgusted by his words, gritting her teeth. “You can’t say you’re mad at me. Besides you weren’t even thinking of me.”

“I beg your pardon?” She nearly growled out, glaring as he slipped on his shoes.

“You kept saying that little Capsule Corp. brat’s name. Granted, you don’t really know mine, but still doesn’t feel great.”

Mai’s eyes widened when he spoke. She had been so lost in not thinking about it, that she wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying. “Fuck you!”

He was already at the door when she yelled at him, a smirk on his face. “You already did.” He winked. “Stay as long as you like. Free of charge.” And like that, he left without another word.

Mai sat there in bed with a dumbfounded look at her face. She hadn’t really thought this thing through. What did she think would happen? They’d fuck and then get married so she would have disappointment every night?

Her stomach felt sick. He had a girlfriend yet he still fucked her like he hadn’t had sex in years. She had been used, but she allowed herself to be. She hugged her knees close to her chest and placed her head between them, holding herself as she tried to decipher what was wrong with her.

She got up and took a shower, scrubbing at her skin to peel her action away. God, she would use that damned time machine to tell herself she’s an idiot for doing such a thing. But that wasn’t how it worked and using it meant talking to Trunks.

She wasn’t going to do that right now. She didn’t bother putting clothes on, just crawling underneath the sheet and thin blanket. She laid there in the dark for what seemed like hours, staring at the wall as tears found their way down her cheeks.

Chapter Text

He was distracted. He had been for a few weeks now. He knew Whis could tell. The angel had upped the power in his own counterattacks to knock sense into the hybrid. But, alas, the intensity would only work momentarily until he was lost within his own mind once more.

He felt off. Something was wrong, that was the only explanation he could think of. Something was wrong with his universe. He figured it had something to do with Mai or the mix-matched ‘family’ back on Earth. When he talked to her every night, however, she was always peachy. He had confided his concerns to her on a few occasions, being met with a wave of the hand and reassurance that she was fine.

He didn’t believe her. Not that she wasn’t trustworthy. He trusted her more than anyone else in the world. But he knew her and the way she acted. He remembered times during the revolution where she would hide her injuries while nursing others’. She had done it to him a number of times.

“Sorry.” She apologized when she placed the alcohol soaked cloth against the burned skin, furrowing her brow as he winced. “Lemme just clean it up a little so it doesn’t get infected…”

Trunks nodded his head and looked over his shoulder to see Mai’s hands dabbing the off-white cloth against his flesh. He had had a run in with Black. One that had gotten a bit more out of hand than he expected. He took a powerful Ki blast straight to the back. Typically there wasn’t damage like this done, but the blast had been so hot it had burned through his purple jacket.

“...Did he say anything to you this time?” Mai asked. It seemed she was trying to spark up a conversation. It was unusual for her. She seemed to be the type of woman to keep people at bay. And he didn’t blame her. He would do the same if it weren’t for his big heart.

“Nothing besides the usual talk of destroying all mortals and how ingrateful we are.”

“Huh.” She placed down the alcohol cloth and picked up a tube of burn cream, squirting a small amount onto her fingers. “You say you’ve met this man before?”

“...Kind of? I met a different timeline’s version of him. He wasn’t anything like this though…” Trunks relaxed his shoulders when her fingers glided over the burn to apply a thin layer of ointment.

“That you know of.” She murmured under her breath. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her set her jaw, her eyes glaring more wounds into his back.

“He saved their world countless times. I’m sure I- Ow!”

“Sorry.” She retorted and glanced up at him, apologetically rubbing the spot. “It’s a bit more tender there.”

“You think?”

With a roll of her eyes, she wiped her hands clean on a spare towel and grabbed a roll of bandages. “Do you have any other clothes? Your old ones aren’t usable anymore.”

“Probably in Mom’s lab, but not here.”

“Where are we anyways?” She asked and began to bandage around his waist.

“It’s just some apartment I’ve scouted out a few times. It seems relatively safe.”

She hummed. “Why don’t you stay with the rest of us? It’s got to be lonely staying away from everyone all the time.”

“Black knows my Ki.” He paused and turned towards her when he felt her hands guide him that way. “It’s dangerous for me to be around anyone else. He knows how to find me. I’ll just lead him to you.”

“I didn’t know that’s how that worked. I thought we were just lucky to have you around when he showed up.” She tied the bandage off and snip off the excess, tucking the end back into the roll and putting it back into her pack.

“I wish it were like that.”

“If only life was in our favor.” She added and stood up, making her way towards the window to glance outside.

He watched her. Something about the way she walked stood out to him. Then it hit him. She was favoring one side of her body, avoiding the placement of weight on that side. Tilting his head, he scanned down her body to see the faint signs of a slash against the side of her thigh. With the dark fabric of her pants, he hadn’t even noticed. But now that she was in more light, he could see the slick look of blood.

“You’re hurt.”

She perked up and turned her head towards him, furrowing her brows. She followed his eyes and saw the slash in her pants, frowning. “Oh. I hadn’t even noticed.”

“Come here.” Trunks beckoned her over with a hand.

“What?”

“It’s only fair that I fix you up since you fixed me up, no?”

With a swift blow to the side, Trunks rolled across the lawn in front of the palace. It had been the third time today he had been taken off guard by Whis, amounting in his side probably being bruised underneath his shirt.

“What in the multiverse is wrong with you today?” Whis asked as he approached the half-Saiyan, a frown on his features. “You’re more distracted than usual.”

Trunks sat up at first, propping himself up with his hands behind him. “I’m perfectly focused.”

“You’ve been here for three months. I think I can tell when you’re focused or not.” The angel furrowed his brows and gazed down at the hybrid. “If you call that focused, then what are you like distracted?”

Trunks took a breath and casted his gaze downwards, glaring at his feet. Whis examined him for a few seconds before letting out a loud sigh. “I suppose we can be done with training for today. But I expect every single one of your chores to be completed meticulously. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Trunks answered and brought himself to his feet, wiping the dirt clean from his pants. “...Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.” The angel turned his head with he heard the Destroyer God call his name, a frown present on his lips. “Clear your head. Tomorrow your training will be twice as long to make up for it.”

“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”

Trunks perked up when he heard her. He turned his head to see her sprawled out on his bed, hands resting on her lower abdomen. She had been treating herself to time in his room ever since she had told him about the baby a couple of weeks ago.

“I don’t know. What do you think it is?” He answered. His voice had a tone of disinterest, but she never seemed to notice his distaste for these conversations. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. He just didn’t care as much as she thought he did.

“I’m not sure…” Her voice trailed off. He turned back to his work, continuing to fill out the papers before him. “I’m hoping for a boy.”

“That’s odd.”

“How so?”

“Don’t most women want a girl?” He looked over his shoulder to her, a brow raised. “I know my mother wanted a girl.”

“I just think a boy would be a better fit for us is all.” She paused. “But a girl wouldn’t be bad either. I’ll love them no matter what.”

“When do you find out?” He turned back to his work.

“Next week during my appointment. At least, I hope he’s able to tell.”

Trunks nodded his head to show he was listening, flipping through the pages of paperwork. “You must be excited. Is Mom giving you a room for a nursery?”

“Well, I’d personally like for us to just...live on our own. Don’t get me wrong! I love it here, and it helps me not feel so lonely. But I want our child to live with just one version of their parents.” She hummed. “Speaking of that, have you heard from her recently?”

“...” Trunks stopped his hands from writing and sat down his pen with a sigh. “No...No one even has an idea of where she could be or what she could be doing.” He turned his chair to face her, slumping down and crossing his arms. “I mean, she can do what she wants. She is an adult, but I’m...I’m just worried about her.”

Mai propped herself up on his elbows, tilting her head. “She couldn’t have just disappeared. Someone has to know something.”

“She’s a genius.” He commented and turned his gaze downwards. “It’s why we employed her in the first place. She was able to get into our security system without leaving a trace which is...beyond amazing.” He casted his eyes up to her. “If she wanted to drop off the face of the Earth, she very much could.”

Mai watched him for a second before sighing and sitting criss cross. “Where do you think she is?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know how you two think…” He stopped and perked up. “But you do.”

“Excuse me?”

“You have to have some idea as to where she is, right? You are her.”

“...” Mai slumped her shoulders and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but she’s...different from me. I don’t know what she thinks either.”

“There has to be a time when you thought like her. Before the destruction of your timeline?”

“I guess I did, but I don’t know how she thinks now. She could have changed like I had.”

“Do you think she’s changed from how you thought?”

“Almost certainly. There’s no way she hasn’t developed over a year. Besides, I’m not entirely sure we were on the exact same wavelength to begin with.” She looked down at her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry I can’t help you…”

Thunder cracked in the distance making her glad she was inside rather than waiting outside like she had originally planned. Scouting the place out had taken longer than she had expected. She was certainly out of practice, but nevertheless, she believed she had a fair understanding of the building.

The downtown office for Capsule Corp. was much smaller than the lab. Trunks was here a every Monday and Friday, working in the upstairs office and making sure everyone was aware of their assignments for the week. Employees left by six o’clock in the evening and the janitorial staff was typical gone by nine. To say she was confident that she would be undetected by personnel was an understatement.

But then that little assistant of his just had to stay in to work late. It was nearly ten, and Miss Lauren was still in his office doing whatever. It put a huge dent in her plans. Security showed up for the nightly shift at ten-thirty. If she didn’t leave soon, Mai would have to postpone this for a few more days.

Mai was boredly sitting underneath the stairwell, bouncing a blue ball against the wall to entertain herself. She glanced at her watch every now and again to check the time. She listened intently for the heavy, front door that would signal Lauren’s leave, but it never came. Maybe she missed it?

Before she could stand up to find out, the door to the second floor opened, making Mai jump back and drop the ball from her grasp. She heard the click of heels walk down the stairs but stop as the ball bounced and rolled to where the woman undoubtedly saw it.

“...Hello?” She heard from above her, but she covered her mouth. “Is someone there..?”

She stayed silent and shifted to press her back against the wall, squeezing her eyes closed. There was silence for a few minutes before Mai heard footsteps coming down the stairs all the way. She saw the young woman stand in front of the door that lead to the lobby.

It was her chance. Luckily for her, she had taken her shoes off beforehand, so she was relatively quiet as she ran up the stairs. She wasn’t quiet, however, when she pushed open the second floor door, cursing herself when she hear Lauren gasp from beneath her.

She’d have to be quick.

“I’ve made a decision.”

Trunks looked around the pile of clothes he had in his arms when he heard Whis’ voice. “Decision on what?”

“You’re going home early.”

He dropped the laundry in his arms, furrowing his brows with a confused expression. “I’m sorry?”

“You’re too distracted to be any good.” Whis spoke, an arm crossed behind his back while the other was on his staff. “You need to clear your head. And I believe the only way for that to happen with you is for you to go home for a few days.”

“...You’re serious? I still have a couple of weeks left.”

“If you continue to perform like you have been for those couple of weeks, it would be useless anyways.” Whis frowned. “Do you not want to go home?”

“No, that’s not it!” Trunks shook his head, eyes wide. “I’m just...confused is all.”

“Well, there’s no reason to be. You need to clear your head and this is a way to do so.” Whis hummed. “I believe Mai will be happy to see you. She contacted me a month into this endeavour asking to send you home.”

“She did what? And you didn’t tell me?!” His mouth fell open.

“Oh, calm down.” Whis waved a hand. “She was fine. Granted she didn’t give me a reason why. But I’m sure it wasn’t anything urgent.”

Trunks shook his head. “When are we going?”

“Right now if you’d like.”

“Of course!”

“Well, go gather your things then. Meet me in the yard in, say, a ten minutes?”

Chapter Text

She wanted to protest when he got the call from his assistant. Tell him that the girl was probably just imagining a presence in the building and it wasn’t worth his time. Before the words could leave her mouth, he was already out the door, keys in hand. She had watched from the window as his car drove out of the gate of the compound, rain splattering against the glass.

Fine. If he had to deal with his business, then she’d deal with her own. Which currently happened to be her hunger.

With spatula in hand, Mai flipped over the chocolate chip pancake in the pan, her mouth salivating at the sight. It had been her guilty pleasure recently. She wasn’t sure if it had been the pregnancy that cause it or if she had just wanted to fill a void.

She flinched at the thought and shook her head, using her free hand to pull Trunks’ jacket close to her body. She had never been the kind of person to eat away her feelings, but maybe the baby made for an excuse for her to start.

Sighing, the woman took the pancake out of the pan and placed it on top of the stack of three. She turned off the stove and placed the pan in the sink.

As she dressed up her pancakes with the tip of her tongue sticking out of her mouth, she felt an arm wrap around her waist while another hand reached up to cover her eyes. She jumped as the sudden touch, dropping the bottle of syrup in her hand. She felt someone lean into her ear, letting out a familiar hum before speaking. “Guess who.”

Her face lit up immediately. She wiggled her head out of his grasp and turned towards him, mouth agape as she stared into those ocean eyes. “What are you doing here? You still have a couple weeks.”

“Whis brought me home early. He said I was distracted or something.” He waved a hand before wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. “Whatever that means.”

Her eyes welled up with tears, her bottom lip threatening to quiver as she pressed her face against him. She took a deep inhale, trying to determine whether this was one of her crazy dreams or a blissful reality. “I’m so glad you’re home. There’s something I want to tell you actually…”

“Hm? What is it?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m-”

Before the words could leave her mouth, Bulma walked in, yawning and still dressed in her lab attire. She was rubbing the sleep from one of her eyes, pausing at the doorway as she looked at the two. “Trunks? I thought you left for the office?”

“Different Trunks, Mom…” He answered and released Mai, rubbing the back of his neck. “Whis sent me home earlier.”

“Oh!” Bulma perked up, seemingly gaining a burst of energy. “Really? Why’s that?”

“I was distracted and couldn’t focus on training apparently.”

“Interesting…” She hummed and looked at the two, raising a brow. Mai didn’t need to read minds to know what she was asking.

‘Have you told him?’

She shook her head in response and crossed her arms over her stomach.

“Well, I only came for a little snack. You know, science doesn’t sleep and neither should I!” She exclaimed in a fake sounding voice, grabbing a singular apple from the fridge. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Be gentle with her, Trunks.” She gave a wink before leaving the kitchen.

Mai’s cheeks were a bright red when Trunks looked back at her, his own face flushed from embarrassment. “I, um…”

“She’s probably just sleep deprived and doesn’t know what she’s saying.” Mai spoke first and gave a small smile, waving a hand.

“Of course.” Trunks took a breath and wrapped his arms back around her, holding her close to him. “Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?”

She froze in her tracks, feeling her heartbeat pick up when he asked. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I’m, um, well…”

“You’re…?”

“I...missed you.” She couldn’t do it. Not now. It felt too soon yet too late at the same time. “Like a lot.”

“Well, I’d sure hope so.” He laughed and picked her up, setting her down onto the counter so she was more even with his height. He kept his hands on her hips, pressing a kiss to her lips.

She nearly fell into the affection, humming and wrapping her arms around his neck. It was something she couldn't get anywhere else. Her own ambrosia.

But the relief didn’t last long. His hands had taken it upon themselves to explore her body, slipping up under her shirt to feel every inch. She opened her eyes wide and felt her stomach twist around. Would he be able to tell?

Before she could find out, she pulled away from him, taking a gasp of air before blurting out, “I’m pregnant.”

 The words hit his core. He was stunned, like he had taken a blow straight to his stomach. He couldn’t speak, mouth agape as his hands left her body and he instinctively took a step back. Is this why she had asked about kids before? Oh, god. His answer couldn’t have been a good thing to hear at the time.

“Um...hello?” Her voice brought him back to reality. “Are you going...to say anything?”

He shook his head to bring himself back to reality, his arms embracing her body one more time. He gave her a hearty squeeze, being gentle enough not to squeeze too hard. “I’m so sorry, Mai…For everything. If I had known, I wouldn’t have said what I did. I wouldn’t have left you…”

“I didn’t know until after you left…” She said and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his shoulder. “I...I talked to Whis when I first found out. I begged him to send you home, but I was afraid you were around, so I didn’t tell him why. He told me he couldn’t send you back without a valid reason, and I-”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have come back as soon as I could.”

“I felt like you needed to hear it in person. I didn’t want to tell you while you were away and have you not being able to come back…”

“Mai...I would have found a way back if he wouldn’t bring me back.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips, pulling way after a few seconds. He cupped her face in his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb.

“I was afraid you’d be upset at me…”

“Why? It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s my own.” He chuckled. “I’m beyond happy.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he picked her up and held her bridal style. Her arms held onto his neck, like she was afraid she’d drop him. “Trunks!”

“Let’s get you up to bed, Mama.”

“But my pancakes!”

“We can take them with us.”

 “I swear, sir! I heard something!”

“Drive safe, Lauren. It’s late.” Trunks said as he held up her car door for her.

“But sir!”

“The cameras don’t show anyone around. But I’ll check the building and tell you if I find anything, okay? I’m sure it was just your imagination. That building is scary at night.” He wanted this conversation to end, his clothes and hair already soaking wet from the pouring rain. “Now, goodnight, Lauren.” He closed her car door and gave her a small wave, walking back into the building before she could say anything else to him.

Trunks took a breath and took off his jacket, shaking his head to get some of the water out of his hair. He checked his watch and saw that the time was ten-twenty, leaving him only ten minutes until the security got here to find her himself and get her out of here.

Or at least he hoped it was her.

She was crafty, but he had picked up on her little camera trick the first time she had done it. Examining closely you could see where the footage would loop and the slight skipping of a frame that showed that. It was undoubtedly her work.

He took the stairs up to the second floor, having grabbed a towel from the supply closet to dry his hair on the way up. He pushed open the door as quietly as he could, making sure to sofly shut it behind him. He took off his loud shoes and walked in his soaks to his office, towel across his shoulders.

That’s where he found her, rummaging through his papers as if she were looking for something. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching her murmuring to herself. The most notable change in her appearance was her hair. It was cut into a blunt, choppy bob. It was a drastic change from her usual long, black hair.

“Nice hair.”

He watched her jump from his words, clenching and wrinkling the piece of paper in her hands. She looked up at him with her cold gaze, eyes set into a glare. “What do you want?”

“I can ask you the same thing, you know.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Silent treatment? I could call the cops on you.”

“You wouldn’t. You didn’t do it the first time.”

“Correction. I did do it, I just told them you got away.” He leaned against the doorframe, a smirk on his face. “Isn’t it convenient that the same criminal decided to break into our office building?”

He could see her breathing hitch as her mind was turning, her posture slouching in defeat.

“What happened, Mai?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Why did you lie?”

He was confused. “I didn’t lie to you.”

“Oh? Then why were you clinging onto her ?”

“Mai-”

“You told me you didn’t like her. You told me it wasn’t about her.”

“And that all still stands.” He took a deep breath and rubbed his temple. “She came to me that night for comfort.”

“Comfort? Comfort from what? Her perfect life?”

“Mai…” He hesitated and took a breath. “Something personal...It’s not my place to tell you. Just know that she’s been annoying the hell out of me ever since.”

“Ah, what? Your princess isn’t as nice as you thought?”

“Do you ever shut the hell up?!” He snapped, making her fall silent for once. “Mai, she’s...pregnant. No one knew besides her and Bulma at the time. She was talking to her Trunks and had offhandedly mentioned kids. He said he didn’t want any, but he didn’t know she was already pregnant. She was hurt and needed someone to comfort her. Mother was already asleep, and you’ve made it clear that you’re not a huge fan of her. That leaves me. Do you understand?”

“...” She didn’t say anything, just stood there with her arms crossed and eyes towards the floor.

“I think you owe me an apology.”

“I’m...sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” He walked over to her, tucking his hand underneath her chin and tilting her head upwards to look at him. “Now, why were you getting your panties in a wad over this?”

“I’m...not sure.” Mai sighed and pulled her head away from him, turning to look out at the calming storm from the window. “The thought that you liked her more just upset me...I didn’t want her to steal you away from me.”

“Steal me away? What are you talking about?”

“You’re the only person who’s ever seen me for something more. You don’t look at the surface and leave…” She murmured in a voice he could barely hear. “When I left, I...spent the night with this guy. Well, it was more like a few dissatisfying minutes, but you get the picture.

“I don’t know what I expected, but afterwards he...left me. He didn’t really say anything to me at all. He complimenting my body and then said he had a girlfriend. And I don’t know why, but I felt...hurt? It’s not like it was the first that’s happened to me, but I was getting used to someone...seeing me as a person instead of this ‘vixen’. You treated me like I had feelings. That guy didn’t have to tell me he had a girl at home, but he did. And it hurt. Even though I hadn’t known him long, it hurt to know he had someone else. I felt alone…”

“Mai…”

“He told me I said your name.”

“Wha-”

“I didn’t mean to, but it’s been killing me ever since. I don’t even know why I did it. I don’t even know what I thought I’d get out of doing this job…” He heard her sniffle. “I just...I guess I was hoping to see you. Or at least see your files and to know you were okay.”

“Mai…” Trunks moved to stand next to her, looking at her instead of the window. “I don’t really know what to say…”

“...Figures.”

“Can we...start over? From the beginning? I want to get to know you more. I want to know the person you are, not this facade you project to the world.”

“What if it’s not a facade and I am this horrible?”

“I don’t think that’s true.” He smiled and turned to face her, holding his hands out to shake her hand. “Hello there. I’m Trunks Briefs. CEO of Capsule Corp. What’s your name?”

She looked at his hand and furrowed her brows. “This is stupid.”

“Just do it.”

She groaned a bit and took his hand, giving it a soft shake. “My name’s Mai. I’m a secret agent for a really bad man, and this is the dumbest thing I’ve ever done.”

Trunks chuckled a bit and gave her a firm shake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mai. Would you care to come home with me so we can talk over a nice, hot cup of coffee?”

Mai looked at their hands for a second and took a deep breath, looking up to see the curious expression on his face. He could tell she was debating in her head, but he already knew her answer before she said it.

“I’d like that very much, Trunks…”

Chapter Text

The cold that crept into the room was enough to lure him out of slumber. He turned over and outstretched his hand to reach to pull her in. When he found nothing but empty space in her spot, his eyes opened panicked.

He threw the covers off of himself and get out of bed, going first to the bathroom. If she had gone into labor and didn’t wake him up immediately, he suspected she’d be there. But when he found the door wide open and the light off, he knew she couldn’t be there.

He let out a sigh of relief, but more panic rised in him. If she wasn’t there, then where was she? He looked into every room of their home, but eventually found her in the last place he had looked: the nursery.

The nursery had been set up for weeks now. She had insisted on it as soon as the rest of the house got situated. They had chosen to keep the sex of the baby a mystery, so the room was decorated in pale shades of yellow and green. Most of the furniture was pressed against the wall, the middle of the room being open space for the baby to eventually crawl on. Set in the corner and out towards the middle of the room was a white rocking chair, something she had practically begged for despite the room being filled.

She was sitting in the rocking chair with her hands cradling her large stomach. She looked half asleep, eyes closed as her hands instinctively rubbed her stomach. It was a sight he hadn’t seen before, but it looked oh so natural for her. How often did she sneak in here at night?

“Mai?” His voice was soft as he walked in, but the soon-to-be mother couldn’t hear him. Upon closer inspection, he saw a pair of headphones in her ears. He reached out and gently put a hand on her shoulder, startling the woman.

Mai pulled out one of the headphones and tilted her head to the side. “Yeah?”

“Daydreaming, are we?” Trunks teased and kneeled down beside of her.

“I’m not daydreaming.” She spoke, giving him a sheepish grin. “I’m very much so in reality.”

“Oh?” He raised a brow.

Mai held out the headphone she just had in her ear. “Listen…”

Trunks gave her a weird look, but accepted and placed the headphone in his ear. Instantly he could hear the fast, hummingbird heartbeat of their angel. It was something he had heard a dozen times before. Yet it always made his heart leaped from joy.

“They were so active they woke me up.” She smiled and looked down at her stomach. “You can definitely tell they’re a Saiyan child. I’m surprised they haven’t broken any ribs with all that kicking.”

“Heh, sorry…”

“It’s not your fault.” She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I like it. It lets me know they’re okay.”

“Does it?” Trunks took the headphone out and handed it back to her.

She took out her own and set them aside, nodding her head at his question. “Well they’re moving, they’re alive. I don’t care how many hours I’m kept awake. As long as they’re okay, I’m okay.” She hummed and perked up suddenly. “Give me your hand.”

He furrowed his brows and gave up his hand to her. She took ahold of it and guided it across her belly. They sat there for a few seconds. Trunks was going to ask her what she was doing, but just before he could open his mouth he felt the soft yet strong kick from the child.

His face instantly lit up. He knew it had even before he looked at to see her excited face. He shifted himself to be kneeling in front of her, leaning forward to press his cheek against her stomach and wrapped his arms around her as best as he could. He could feel her laugh.

“What are you doing?” She placed a hand on top of his head, messing with his bedhead.

He didn’t answer, but he pulled away from her and leaned up closer to where he was nearly face to face with her. “Any day now, Mai. Any day now and we’ll have a family…”

“We already have a family.” She said and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips. He smiled and returned the gesture, feeling her arms wrap around his neck. They pulled away after a few seconds, both grinning from ear to ear.

“Well, I think it’s time for Mama to come back to bed.” Trunks commented and stood up, holding out his hand to help her.

Mai sighed and rolled her eyes. “If this child would ever let me get sleep.” She answered and took a hold of his hand. As she pulled herself up, however, she paused, her face going white.

“...” Trunks didn’t like the look on her face, a hole being burned into his gut. “What’s wrong?”

He watched as she looked down, following her eyes to see the same thing she did. Her pajama pants had suddenly become soaked, the ground at her feet also wet. “I...I think my water broke…”

 They had been there for hours. At first, they had been allowed in the room with her. It wasn’t a sight she truly wanted to see. She didn’t like seeing someone who looked nearly identical to her laying in a bed with wires and tubes coming from different places. It was...surreal. Something that made her uncomfortable.

When the doctor had come in to help her push, they had to be escorted out. The former agent didn’t blame her. She wouldn’t want more of an audience than she had to have either. Or maybe it was policy. Either way, all she knew was she didn’t have to see what birth looked like. But it felt like she had been pushing for so long. It had been almost an hour since they had to leave with no sign that the baby had been born.

She felt exhausted from their hours here, not to mention they had come very early in the morning to just sit around. She leaned her head against Trunks’ shoulder, rubbing her thumb against the hand she held. She wanted to sleep. Wanted to take a nap. She truly didn’t understand how the man and his mother were still awake.

She had nearly gotten her wish when he shifted and upset her position. She groaned and sat up, shaking her head a bit to wake herself up. If she still had her long hair, there was no doubt that she would have hit Trunks in the face. But she had grown fond of the bob haircut, deciding to keep it rather than grow it out like she had originally planned.

“Sorry…” Trunks murmured when she sat up, looking over to her with furrowed brows. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“It better not be. I’ll go home to take a nap if it is.” She commented with a small smile, leaning her head back down on his shoulder.

“You can’t tell me that you’re not somehow excited about the baby.” Trunks leaned his head on top of hers.

“Eh, they’re never cute when they first come out.” She shrugged a shoulder and closed her eyes, taking in a deep inhale.

“That’s unexpected…” He murmured.

“How so?”

“You always talked to her about how excited and happy you were for them. You even went to her baby shower…”

“The baby shower was tacky in my opinion.” Mai opened her eyes and sat up, turning her body to face him. “It’s called being nice. I...don’t really like kids, but I couldn’t just tell her that I disliked them. She might take it personal.”

“Huh, I always thought you’d like kids.” He shrugged a shoulder and looked at her. “I take it you’d never want kids then?”

“I wouldn’t say never, but more than likely, no.” She crossed her arms and slouched down into her chair. “If I were to have kids, I don’t think I could give birth like she is. I’d request it be removed from my body rather than pushed out.”

Trunks remained quiet for a moment, glancing over to his mother. Mai followed his eyes and saw her flipping through a magazine completely lost in her own world. “I can agree with you on that.”

“...On what?”

“Not really wanting kids…” He murmured softly and looked back at her. He frowned. “I don’t think I could do it. I’ve never really had a paternal figure. You could argue Gohan I suppose, but he was more like an older brother than anything. I’m afraid I wouldn’t do so well parenting.”

“I’m the same way…” She paused and looked down at her hands, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. “I...I really didn’t have a mother growing up. One that I can remember at least. I was always on my own.”

Trunks wrapped an arm around Mai’s shoulder and pulled her closer to him, pressing a faint kiss to the top of her head. “I guess neither of us are ready for parenting, are we?”

“Oh, hell no. I’d end up swearing in front of the thing, and they’ll just keep repeating me.”

Trunks laughed and leaned his head against hers. “Knowing you, they’ll ask what the baby’s name is and you’ll say ‘fuck’.”

Mai rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hold back her smile. “You know me so well.”

They sat there in serenity for a few minutes. Mai leaning against Trunks with his arm around her. It was a sense of security she had to get used to, but had grown to feel empty without. She hadn’t agreed to PDA easily, fighting tooth and nail about it until she had finally given in. But it had been something she enjoyed now, loving the way people glanced at her and wondered how a nobody like her could get with a man like him.

When the doors to the patient wing opened, Mai sat up, unsettling the man who was using her for support. The three of them stood up to greet him, Bulma grinning from ear to ear when he delivered the news.

“It’s a girl!”

 She was beyond exhausted, but no longer in extreme amounts of pain. Her legs were about the only thing that still hurt. They were sore and numb, having felt like she just ran about a hundred miles with no breaks. Her mind was already blocking out the pain she experienced, filling her thoughts with unconditional love for the baby that laid against her chest.

Mai was beyond in love. It was something she didn’t think she’d ever be able to feel. The baby girl was perfect. She was an angel with her black hair and those light eyes that Mai prayed would never fade to dark brown. She was ethereal.

Her attention from her daughter was broken when the door to her overnight room opened. She was prepared to argue once more with the doctor about going home tomorrow, insisting that she didn’t need two nights to recover. But she was taken aback when she saw Trunks walk in with the alternate versions of themselves as well as Bulma.

The oldest woman gasped when she saw the mother and child, her face instantly lighting up with joy. “How precious! She’s so tiny!” Bulma declared as she walked over to get a better look. “Oh my, what an angel…”

“I thought she’d be bigger, honestly.” Mai grinned and looked down at the baby. “Considering how much weight I gained. But I guess that must have just been all the sweets.”

“Well then, she better grow up to be a sweet, sweet girl.” Bulma sanitized and washed her hands, reaching out for the small bundle in Mai’s arms. “May I?”

“Oh! Of course.” Mai was startled and sat up, transferring her over to her grandmother. “Oh, be careful. She’s been fussy with the nurses…”

“I will, I will. It’s not the first newborn I’ve held.” Bulma walked away from Mai’s bedside to sit in a chair pressed against the wall in front of her bed.

Mai’s eyes left the child when Trunks sat down next to her, setting his hand on top of hers. She glanced over at Trunks and smiled at the almost proud look in his eyes, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips.

“What’s her name?”

Her own voice asked the question. She looked up to see the woman standing beside of Bulma, her hand reached out to gently stroke the newborn’s soft skin.

The couple looked at each other, a smile creeping up onto both of their features. They looked back at the other Mai to see her staring with a raised brow before they both answered.

“Hope.”

Chapter Text

The sun came pouring in from the pink sky as Chronoa’s feet hit the lush, teal grass. She shielded the beaming light from her eyes as she looked up, following the dead tree that reached for the many moons. She had been on Beerus’ planet a handful of times before, but she could never get over how beautiful the scenery was.

“Does he...live in the tree?”

She looked up at Trunks when he spoke, having nearly forgotten he was with her until that moment. “Technically, yes. His temple occupies the hollowed insides of the tree as well as some of the surrounding area.” She hummed and looked out to the lake. “It’s the most beautiful planet in our universe if you asked me.”

“I can see that…” Trunks let his voice trail off as he looked around, his mouth slightly agape. She wondered if he would catch any flies.

“Ah! There you two are!”

The Kai looked at the entrance at the base of the tree, having to squint her eyes to see the Angel walking towards them. She smiled and gestured for Trunks to follow her, meeting Whis halfway.

“I must say, Whis, this place is as lovely as ever. You’ll have to give me the number to your landscaper.”

“Oh, why, thank you, Chronoa. It’s always nice to see you in good spirits.” Whis smiled and looked at the man next to her. “Hello, Trunks. Is the Time Patrol treating you well?”

“Um, yes, sir.”

“Good, good.” He hummed. “Well, let’s head inside, shall we?”

“Sounds delightful, Whis.”

The two of them were lead inside and into the dining room where platters upon platters of delicious and exotic foods were set before them. Chronoa saw several of her own favorites amongst the mix, a small smile on her face as she couldn’t wait to dig in.

“If I knew we would be having a meal, I would have brought some homemade cookies.”

“Oh! We wouldn’t want to bother you with something like that.” Whis spoke as the two took their places at the table, pouring some water into their glasses. “Being the Supreme Kai of Time must keep you busy.”

“It really wouldn’t have been trouble at all.”

“I’m afraid Lord Beerus is a picky eater and wouldn’t appreciate your...interesting flavors.” Whis furrowed his brows and sat the pitcher down, clearing his throat. “Speaking of which, let me go fetch him.”

Chronoa opened her mouth to respond to his comment, but Whis was gone before she had the chance. She hummed and tilted her head. “He thinks my food is interesting? That’s a good thing, right?”

“...Certainly, ma’am.”

“How many times do I gotta tell you not to call me ‘ma’am’? Makes me feel old.” She sighed and took a sip of her water. The more seconds passed the more and more her anxiety rose. It was unusual for the Destroyer to call upon her in such a manner.

As she set her glass down, the door to the dining room opened. With his hands folded behind his back and his tail swishing in tow, Lord Beerus stepped into the room, a grin on his features. “Why, Chronoa. I’m so glad you could make it on such short notice.”

“It wasn’t much trouble, Lord Beerus.” She stood out of her chair and bowed in respect, Trunks following her lead. The last thing they’d want would be to upset him. “The Time Patrol can take care of things for me while I’m away.”

“Of course. What else would it be good for if to not take care of your duties?” He hummed and took his seat at the head of the table, nodding his head.

The two of them returned to their seats, a smile on Chronoa’s features. “Might I say just how lo-”

“Let’s skip the small talk and get straight to what I’ve called you here for.” The feline’s tone had almost completely changed, his elbows on the table with his chin resting on his folded hands. “The two Saiyans in this timeline. What can you tell me about their lineage?”

“Their lineage, sir…?” Chronoa shifted in her seat and glanced to Trunks. His face was unreadable. She looked back to Beerus. “Well, I know as much as you do. Vegeta’s family comes from a line of royalty whereas Goku’s a descendant of average warriors. Why do you ask?”

“Could you bring their ancestors to this timeline?” He raised a brow.

“Like from the dead? That’s not really-”

“No. Like take them from their timelines and bring them here.”

“...Like time hopping?” Chronoa felt her stomach twist. “I’m afraid I don’t know where this is going, Lord Beerus.”

Beerus stood out of his chair and walked towards his aquarium, arms folded behind his back as he watched the fish swim around. “The two Saiyans are always battling for the best spot in the universe. But I’ve grown bored of watching just those two fight each other day in and day out. So, I want to host a tournament.”

Chronoa watched him, hearing her heart in her ears. “A tournament?”

“I want their ancestors and descendants to be brought to this time. I want to see which bloodline is truly the superior one.”

Chronoa widened her eyes and stood out of her chair. “Sir, that’s ridiculous! You can mess with the delicate fabric of time by doing this! Who knows what the consequences are!”

“I know I typically disapprove of mortals messing with time, but I’m curious. And if I’m to trust anyone to do something like this, it would be you.” Beerus glanced at her, his eyes set into an almost glare. “Tell me if it’s possible. And don’t lie to me.”

She paused and stared at the God, glancing to Trunks to see if he had a reaction himself. He wasn’t even looking at the two of them, his own glare cast downwards at his hands in his lap. She took a breath and sighed. “I suppose it would be…”

“Great. Send your little minions to collect those I want.”

“Which on-” Before Chronoa could finish her sentence, Whis held out a piece of paper to her. She took it and read over the names. “You just have grandchildren written down here. What should I do about that?”

“Give me whoever you think is worthy of this challenge.”