Traveling Connections

In Which There's A Tournament

17- In Which There's A Tournament

If someone had told Pan a year ago, or even several months ago, that she and Trunks would be kissing like they were at the current moment, she wouldn't have believed them. Truthfully, she probably would have laughed until she cried at the ridiculousness of it. Ridiculous or not, Trunks was kissing her and she was kissing him back.

There was something about the way his lips were coaxing her into the kiss that made her melt into him. Perhaps it was the way his hands were cupping her face or the way he seemed so gentle, which was a drastic change from the kiss he had given her just the day before.

Trunks pulled away and it took Pan several seconds before she was able to open her eyes. She looked at him with parted lips and wide eyes. He only smiled and reached down to hold her hand.

"Let's go find our seats," Trunks said.

Pan let him lead her silently through the crowd. Her mind was racing with thoughts. Her relationship with Trunks had changed so much since they had first started the time-traveling adventure. When it first started, they hadn't even been friends, they had been more like two people who were out to make the other as aggravated as possible. Somewhere along the way, they had truly became friends and now... Pan wasn't sure what they were but friends didn't just kiss friends.

Their seats were in the middle of the stadium and were rather nice seats. Pan couldn't help but feel excited. She had been just a few years old when the tournament had happened and honestly, she didn't remember any of it.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our 25th Martial Arts tournament!" The announcer cheered. "I've seen the contestants and let me just say that this year will be a good one!"

Trunks let out a small snort and glanced at Pan. "Little does he know..."

Her lips twitched. "I bet everyone was surprised when everything happened," she mused. "Mama told me she and everyone else were stunned. Since Papa and the boys were off fighting, her only focus was keeping me safe but in the end, Buu managed to get us," she shuddered. She was thankful she didn't have that memory, at least.

Trunks, who was still holding her hand gave it a gentle squeeze. "It was a scary day," he told her softly. His eyes glanced at the arena where two kids were fighting. "That day... This day... It still haunts me sometimes," he admitted. "I mean, that freak, Bibidi or Babidi, whatever the hell his name was, put some type of mind control on my Dad... He made my dad kill hundreds of people. I know my dad isn't perfect. I know he's done godawful things in his past but he's not that person anymore. And then, he tries to do the noble thing and sacrifices himself," Trunks let out an unamused laugh. "It didn't even work since Buu came right back..."

Pan squeezed his hand this time. Goten had told her about how Vegeta had knocked both him and Trunks out before sacrificing himself. She could only imagine the pain Trunks must have felt, and it was obviously something that still bothered him.

"Your dad may not have succeeded in killing Buu, but he did succeed in protecting you," she told him. "I have a feeling that's what he was really trying to do."

"Vs Trunks!" The announcer's voice boomed.

Pan gasped as she looked onto the stage. "It's already your turn to fight!"

"Oh yeah," Trunks blinked.

Pan smiled as she watched kid Trunks walk onto the stage. Even as a kid, he radiated confidence and control. The gun went off and the other fighter was jumping around like he had his underwear bunched up.

"You look so over it," Pan giggled at the unamused expression on Kid Trunks' face.

"I was pissed," Trunks commented. "Goten and I had to fight in the kid's tournament and it didn't seem fair."