Hey, sorry it took so long, yall! One of my kids had surgery last week (minor outpatient stuff, no worries!) and I've been inundated with appointments and helping out around the farm with wood cutting and stuff. And cleaning. Always cleaning, lol.

VERY IMPORTANT NEWS

I am moving to AO3. I've been considering this for a year because I love their layout and how simple their posting process is compared to fanfiction (especially when you're on the equivalent of dialup some days) but moving 55 stories is kind of daunting to say the least, especially when fanfiction won't let anyone simply upload them to AO3 directly from their site. I started moving stories last February and have been doing them a couple chapters at a time and I just got finished moving Trust over there, so this is the last update I'll make on this site. My name on AO3's the exact same, too, so no trouble finding me! There's also a link on my profile, just in case you do, and all you need to do is click "Subscribe." I'm sorry for the inconvenience if you're annoyed by having to follow me there instead, but some days it takes a hot minute just to upload a chapter! On AO3, it's all copy and paste! Love you guys!

"No, Osa Ge. Joo sleep me," She rumbled as she led her through the clan and towards one of the shallow caves that they all slept in during what the wer'kha deemed to be good weather. In bad weather, they all slept in a tightly packed circle to keep warm, but tonight was considered mild even if Usagi would have been shivering without her parka, so everyone would sleep with just their immediate families.

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked softly. "Ke offered to let me stay with her, and I wouldn't want to impose upon your mate. I know the males don't like me much," she added, slightly hurt by the way they'd all either avoided her or ignored her.

"Many males like joo, Osa Ge," She chuffed as they went deeper into the clan's territory, drawing closer to a large rock wall. "No males talk joor words or talk much Saiyan. So no talk to joo."

"Oh, ok."

She's whiskers curled in in a wer'kha version of a satisfied smirk upon seeing the way Usagi brightened a little, and happy to wipe that dark look from the goddess's face, the matriarch continued on proudly. "P'eu m'yo," she rumbled once they reached a large opening towards the end of the rock face.

It was close to the edge of the end of the defendable territory, and She knew that if there was an attack she'd be one of the first caves invaded by an enemy, but she didn't see it that way. Not at all.

The way She thought of it, she'd just get first dibs on the slaughter. If anyone was dumb enough to actually attack the largest clan den on that side of the world, then they deserved to be ripped apart by She the very moment they dared to attack her people.

Other matriarchs in the past had opted for caves closer to the center, hemmed in by the protection that the clan offered. But not She. She was still young and vital in comparison to those dusty old matriarchs of yore, and still plenty capable of wrecking the ever-living shit out of anything thrown her way.

More than happy to do so as well.

"Come. Be welcome," She pressed when Ose Ge hesitated at the threshold, likely as a result of She's mate rearing his head and staring at her in mild surprise. "This Vo. My mate." Switching to her native tongue, She addressed the male in question. "Don't growl around her, she thinks all the males hate her because you can't speak her language or Saiyan," she chuckled.

Chuffing lightly at the hilarity of such a thing, Vo nodded. He hadn't been happy at first about his new mate's choice of very unexpected allies, but after long discussions with She about Osa Ge and Trunks, he'd been convinced that they would be an asset, and that the little goddess would be a staunch friend to She. "Come," he growled out, imitating She, "ve velcooom."

Delightfully surprised by the invitation from Vo, Usagi beamed and entered the cave immediately, looking around with wide eyes, soaking everything in.

It was clean. Very, very clean. Amazingly so. And the walls were coated in fur and the floors—"She… may I ask a question?" Usagi said slowly, turning those inquisitive blue eyes to her hostess. "It might be offensive, though."

"No bad if asked honestly," She said matter-of-factly. "Wer'kha and Lunarian different. Joo have strange ways. I ask joo if I think joo strange. Like baths every day," she added with a friendly purr as she settled down against Vo and he snuggled into her much larger, muscular frame, his chest rumbling like an old car engine.

Usagi took a seat at that, encouraged by She's words, and gestured around to all the fur. "You wallpapered your home in your people's skins?" Oh gods, wrong choice of words, now she couldn't get the sickening thought out of her mind—one where they did the same with Lunarians after they'd died. Ew. Goddamnit, why did she have to word it like that?

"Ah," She sighed in understanding. "I tell joo before. No waste. To waste is insult to the dead. Big insult. Disrespect." Rising from her place, she gave Vo a playful nip when he grumped briefly over their snuggling being interrupted, and went to one snow white fur that was larger than all the rest. "This my dam. My dam was She, like me. On my wall, she keeps us warm. Protect from cold. Even in death, still have purpose."

"And that's why you eat the meat of your own people, too," Usagi said slowly. She'd thought about that more than once, but afraid that she would insult the matriarch, she'd skirted the subject. "Back home, we call it cannibalism. It's very, very taboo to eat one of your own people."

"Tch, taboo? No. Is good meat, why waste? Why let a sister rot? When I die, I want to feed the clan. Keep them warm," She replied calmly as she settled down against her mate again, snorting humorously when he nuzzled her and started purring loudly once more. Vo was definitely more affectionate than any previous mate, and if that didn't fizzle out after a few years, She knew she'd have a keeper. Not just a seed donor for more cubs come spring. "When I die," she continued, "I protect my clan. Protect and feed my sisters. This great honor to me. I am big, I will feed them for many days, Osa Ge. No hungry cubs."

"When you put it that way, it's not bad at all," Usa murmured thoughtfully. "But I think I'll abstain from eating one of my sisters back home if something happens."

At that, She could only laugh, and when Osa Ge moved to set up her bedroll along the other wall, she made a noise to get her attention and waved her over. "No, joo come sleep me and Vo," she corrected her. "Joo sister. Fam-lee."

Noting her hesitation, Vo tried for an encouraging smile and purred louder for the little golden-haired goddess's benefit. "Joo? Joo come?" Then to She in their language, "did I say that right?"

"Yes, you said it right, my warrior," She purred out in approval, nuzzling and nipping at his throat lovingly, lingering when he exposed his neck to her in submission.

Still Usagi hesitated, but not out of fear. "Um… She, I can leave if you want?" She offered, raising her eyebrows and nodding towards Vo when her new sister looked at her in surprise. "You know… if you want some privacy?"

"Privacy? Why, Osa Ge?" She rumbled in confusion.

"Um… you know." Usa was blushing now and fiddling with her bedroll, glancing to the exit for a moment before looking back to She in the dimming light. "If you wanted some alone time with your mate?"

"Alone time?" She's confusion only grew, but the matriarch was far from stupid and noticed Osa Ge's blush, recalling that the goddess only turned bright red whenever certain subjects came up. Usually Trunks… and mating.

"What? What did I say!?" Usagi squeaked when She burst out laughing in a something that was so similar to a roar that the princess would have probably peed herself if she didn't know it for what it was. "What's so funny, She!?"

Vo was asking the same thing, his expression blank as She literally roared with laughter, in complete and total hysterics—something he had never seen in his three hundred years. He honestly didn't think anyone but maybe Ke had seen such a thing before. "My moon? What's so funny!?"

"She thinks we're going to mate!" She shrieked, still laughing loudly—loud enough that Ke was appeared at the entrance to the den a few moments later, staring at them quizzically, wanting to share in on the joke, but just as clueless as Usagi. "And… and she thinks we need privacy for it!"

That got Vo rolling as well, but Ke only huffed and rolled her eyes disapprovingly before stalking in and nipping at her granddaughter's tail. "No tease Osa Ge. Some creatures mate in private. Saiyans do. I think gods do, too. Jesh, Osa Ge?"

Ooooh, so that's what was so funny. "Yes, but… wait. You do it in front of everyone!?" Usagi asked loudly, unable to keep her volume down thanks to her total and complete shock, her face burning hot at the idea of her and Trunks… no, no, don't think like that. It'll never happen again and you know it, Usagi. He said he needed time, but… you know better. It's better not to even hope.

She was suddenly grim, sure that she knew what her sister was thinking about, reading her facial expressions like a book as mortified astonishment quickly gave way to sorrow, those typically bright blue eyes filling with tears. "Osa Ge," she sighed sympathetically, "come. Joo sleep. Better in sunlight."

Ke didn't even wait for Osa Ge to comply, she was already stalking forward and clamping down on the tough fur of the goddess's parka, carrying her like a cub even when she flailed in a brief panic and protested weakly. The blonde was promptly settled between She and Vo, and the moment she popped up and tried to speak, Ke was ready for it and nudged her back down into the warm nest of fur and solid muscle. "No. Time sleep, Osa Ge. No cry for Trunks. Joo sleep with sister, brother and grand-dam."

Before anyone could ask what she'd meant by that last bit, Ke shoved her way into the pile and wrapped herself around the bewildered princess, purring loudly as she headbumped her and then rubbed her cheek to the soft, hairless jaw that was quivering with unshed tears. Another followed from Vo, and then another from She as the biggest in the cat-wolf-bear pile leaned over Ke to join in.

Usa felt loved then and sagged into the embrace of her new family, giving up any resistance she'd previously had.

But she still cried herself to sleep, even when she felt a large tongue licking her tears away.

#####################################

Trunks… my Trunks.

All yours, sweetheart.

Make love to me.

I want you.

I need you.

I want this… gods, I want this…

Don't stop… make me yours…

I want this…

Flia adai.

Tah'kha'or au.

I love you.

He didn't remember actually hearing it, but the mind was a funny thing, and as Trunks jerked awake in a cold sweat, he was convinced that he had. A hundred-percent positive. She'd said it at some point, likely when he'd been out cold, but he somehow knew that wasn't the case either.

It had been in the twilight of sleep and awake, just as he'd been slipping into a dream. He didn't consciously remember it, but she'd said it all the same, and he knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.

There was no way he could go back to sleep after that, so as he kindled a fire, Trunks considered going back to her, missing her terribly in the long, dark hours that came before dawn. Missing the way she smelled, the way she held him like she was afraid he'd run away—who could blame her for thinking that? I wouldn't—but most of all missing her presence and the way she lit up the room just by being there. Missing the way she centered him, made him whole. Missing the way she loved him despite his many flaws.

"I'm surprised you're not chiming in."

Don't have to, Kio muttered, you're doing a fine job of missing her all on your own. She's not at the house, either. She's further. Not by far, but not home.

The flames that Trunks was coaxing higher were finally at a height that was acceptable for cooking something, and he sat with a sigh. "She's with the clan, you know that. We knew she'd go there, and that's fine by me. She will keep Usagi safe. More importantly, she'll keep her company. And I have to admit that I'm jealous of your ability to sense her location so acutely."

Try clearing your mind of all the garbage for a change and it's not that hard, even with only remnants of a bond to work with, Kio huffed. I can even tell that she's sleeping. Fitfully. I've been concentrating hard on her all night.

Trunks didn't even have to ask why; Kio missed her just as fiercely as he did. "One more pass around the southern end of the planet. Then we'll go home," he decided, feeling Kio relax, just now alerting him to how tense his beast had been in the first place.

Thank you.

######################################

Even when the jam'eht fell neatly at her feet, Usagi could only muster the faintest of smiles in response to the praise from the hunting party she was travelling with. "Will three be enough?" She asked instead as she slid down from She's back and went to the carcass to retrieve her arrow, swallowing down the usual faint urge to vomit when she plucked it from her kill's eye.

"One more," She intoned, chuffing in amusement when Ose Ge gagged a bit while shaking some brain matter off of the arrowhead. "Joo ok?"

"Ew, She," Usagi replied blandly, wiping the arrow on the rough, mossy hide of the jam'eht before putting it away in her quiver.

"Ew? Like pee this morning?" She couldn't help but laugh at the memory, and so did several in the hunting party that had witnessed Osa Ge's small meltdown at dawn.

Needing to pee, Usagi had gone in search for a suitable spot, only to be pointed towards the woods with directions. The wer'kha kept their dens very clean, and it hadn't even crossed her mind until then that she hadn't seen a single pile of dung anywhere. They all did their business out in the woods, about a half mile downwind, and when she reached it she could only gag at the smell. "EW!" She'd yelled at the sight of poop everywhere, some of it old, some of it new. "EW EW EW SO GROSS! I'M NOT PEEING HERE!"

The moon princess had gotten away from there as fast as possible and had marked her territory near a tree, and when she'd returned it had been to hysterical laughing from her new sisters, who had all heard her shouting with their superior hearing.

"Ew, no! The brain isn't that gross! It's just regular gross," Usagi answered with a roll of her eyes. She knew when She was trolling her, now—one full day with the matriarch had shown her that She actually had a very wicked sense of humor. The only problem with it was that it reminded her of Mako and Haruka and made her fiercely homesick. I'll make another video log today, she decided as she stayed out of the way, letting the hunting pack do the job of skinning and cleaning their freshest kill.

"Joo miss Trunks?" She rumbled from behind her, nuzzling her shoulder and purring in comfort.

"Yes, but… it's not that, She. I miss my sisters," Usagi whispered sadly. "You would have liked them. Maybe one day, if we ever get rescued, I can bring them back here to meet you."

"Jesh, would be good, Osa Ge. Joor sister, my sister. Joo sister are clan."

"Heh, you might want to rethink that, She. I can think of at least three of them that would move in to stay on a permanent basis, and Mako would drive you crazy the moment she learned that you eat everything raw. She'd be forcing you to eat culinary masterpieces as soon as she could get her spice racks out." It was supposed to make them both laugh, but Usagi only felt tears in her eyes at the thought, instinctively reaching for Trunks through the bond… only to not feel him there. Just that vague sense of direction.

"Joo go, Osa Ge. Come, I take joo. We kill jam'eht later."

Usagi wasn't about to argue, not when She was licking the tears from her face as they continued to leak from her eyes, and when her sister plucked her up and settled her gently onto her back, the princess simply hung onto her. There was no joy in the ride like there had been in all the others; she missed her sisters, she missed her mother, and most of all, she missed Trunks.

"I just want to go home."

###########################################

"Damn it, she's not home," Trunks mumbled as he tried his best to use the remnants of the bond to track her. She was close, but because the bond was so weak, he couldn't exactly pinpoint her. His mind was just too cluttered with everything else, and he didn't bother asking Kio, knowing that Usa was likely with She. "Oh well, she's safe, that's what matters," he decided, even though he was disappointed that she hadn't been there to greet him with a relieved smile, a hug, and an inquiry as to why he was home after only being gone for one full day.

"Not just because I missed her… but because it's pointless," he finally acknowledged, knowing that she was going to be devastated to hear that he'd completely lost hope of being rescued unless they were discovered by accident or by a party of Saiyans training on Five.

She would cry the moment he expressed his dwindling hope of rescue, so Trunks flopped down on the bed and sighed heavily, trying to think of some way to break the news to her, to lessen the blow somehow, and rolled over, his hand searching blindly for the pillow behind him. Gods, he didn't want to see her crying. Not again. Not ever.

Flia adai.

Tah'kha'or au.

I love you.

"I love you too," he finally dared to confess, breathing deeply into the pillow once his face was buried in it, part of him wishing she'd heard him. That thought didn't stick with him for long though—she was still in estrus, and that fact hit him like a sack of rocks as his pupils dilated and his cock hardened beneath his covering, his hands gripping the pillow hard as he emitted a soft groan of desire.

The scent wasn't just strong. It was overwhelming. And try as he might, he couldn't resist breathing in that intoxicating aroma once more, catching himself on his third inhalation.

"Shit… oh gods, I need to go back out and just act like I'm searching for a couple more days… I can't take this. I'll wind up mating her, I know it."

Opening his eyes as he rolled over, they were immediately drawn to her face, the image flickering on the screen of the little computer that rested on top of the bedroll she'd probably taken with her to the clan's den. Her eyes were red-rimmed and filled with tears, her cheeks wet and her expression miserable, and Trunks stuttered out an instinctive purr of comfort. Reaching out, he couldn't help but caress the screen as if he could wipe her tears away, only to blink when her face vanished and a loading screen popped up. Loading…? Loading what?

"Hey, Rei," Usagi's voice whispered as her face reappeared, this time tear-free even though her expression was forlorn. "I know I just made you a video message after I got back from the hunt, but I'm lonely, so I figured you could just skip over this one when you finally watch all of my videos."

"I should turn this off," Trunks realized as he watched her fluff her fingers through her hair and sigh, his eyes transfixed on the overwhelming sadness in the blue pools and the way they were beginning to fill with tears, making him ache to hold her close and fix whatever was making her so unbelievably sad.

"I love him so much," she choked out, "and I know you'll think I'm pathetic, Rei, but I just can't help it. Every time I look at him I just want him… I want him so badly that it hurts. It physically hurts, Rei, and I just don't know how to tell him. I just don't know what to do," she whimpered. "If I tell him he'll only push me away, and while I understand that he's afraid of displeasing his father or of me getting hurt when we're rescued, I honestly just can't be bothered to give a shit about that anymore. I care that he wants to make his father proud, and my heart breaks for him when he talks in his sleep about Prince Vegeta, but I can't help but feel selfish and just wish that he'd stop worrying about it.

"I'm not stupid," she continued softly. "I know that rescue isn't coming anytime soon. We're stuck here for an indefinite amount of time, and with every day that passes it just hurts more and more not to tell him how much I love him. I never felt this way about Endymion… not even close. I never wanted to kiss him or hold him…" Her face colored brightly then and Usagi wiped at her eyes before finishing her sentence. "…or make love to him. What I feel for him goes beyond anything physical, but I really want that part of it with him, too. I find myself thinking constantly about what it would be like to be mated to him, to marry him, to have his babies and to grow old with him, but… I know he doesn't want that. No, he does, I know he does. He just can't get over what his father will think. Gods… I hate his father. Imagine that… me hating anything or anyone. Well, I do. And I honestly can't say I feel very sorry about it right now, Rei. You know why? Because when we're finally rescued and we have to go back to our own planets, I think it'll break me. I don't want to leave his side. Ever. Hell, look at me, Rei," Usagi chuckled humorlessly. "We're on the same planet and he's only been gone a day, and I'm a gods damned wreck. I swear, I'll never wish love on you again, not after watching my past videos and seeing what it's doing to me. Thank the gods he'll never see these, even though I sometimes think he should, especially since She's offered to let me come stay with the clan on a permanent basis."

The clan? Why in the hell would she stay with the clan? Trunks wondered as he watched Usagi sigh again and the video stopped playing, feeling a swell of jealousy welling up inside of him, pushing past his shock and heartache at hearing her soul-wrenching confession of love for him. He'd known that she loved him, yes, but to hear it spoken with such emotion, conviction and longing made him rethink his choices regarding them possibly mating.

"I can't," he whispered, the words sounding hollow and pathetic to his own ears. He wanted it more than anything, Trunks couldn't deny it anymore. He wanted everything she'd just talked about and more—he wanted to never stop waking up with her curled into him, to see her smile up at him as she roused from slumber, her eyes sleepy and full of love, her warmth pressing to his enticingly. He wanted to watch her body change as his child grew inside of her, to hear her sweetly whispering in his ear as he mated her leisurely amongst the furs on their bed. He wanted everything she had to give him and he wanted to give her everything he was in return, to build a life with her, to grow old together, to watch their children mate and marry and have children of their own. "I can't," he repeated weakly, choking on the words as his heart clenched at the thought of never having any of that with her, of continuing the charade that he didn't love her until rescue came.

That thought froze him, and Trunks swallowed hard at what would happen when rescue did finally come. She was right. Absolutely right. They'd be separated and taken to their respective planets—if whoever rescued them didn't kill one of them out of instinct. They would never see each other again. Ever. Both of them would eventually wither and die, longing for each other, never able to get past the fact that he'd had every opportunity to make it permanent.

If he bit her, if he mated her, no one would be able to take her from him. Or him from her. His father would try to kill her, yes… that was guaranteed. But he was stronger than Vegeta now, wasn't he? The fight wouldn't be quick, but he would win.

"And rescue isn't coming. Not anytime soon," Trunks whispered before burying his face in her pillow again and groaning at the thought of taking her slowly, of drawing it out, fixating on how it would feel when she sunk her teeth into his shoulder as she climaxed. "I'll be level two by the time anyone finds us. I'll be able to kill him if I have to."

About fucking time, his beast grumbled, having stayed silent thus far in order to let Trunks draw the obvious conclusion on his own. I don't suppose you want to go tell her about your stunning revelation and mate her, would you? Like… right now, perhaps? Pretty please? I'd definitely love to get on that babymaking part that you both seem to want so much.

"I… I…" He couldn't even process his beast's snarky remarks at the moment, so he just nervously ran his fingers through his thickening beard and rolled out of the bed, climbing to his feet. Usagi. That was all he was capable of thinking, even when his beast cracked another triumphant joke.

Licking his lips at the prospect of finally mating Usagi and wondering what her reaction would be when he found her, Trunks launched himself out of the hatch without even thinking about it first, casting around in every direction, trying to figure out where she'd gone. It was unseasonably warm and all of the snow had melted in the last week, so she could be anywhere.

Focus, boy, his beast chuckled when Trunks suddenly could think of nothing else except how she would feel in his arms, their naked bodies gliding together as he loved her slow and deep, what her voice would sound like as she moaned her pleasure and came for him repeatedly.

"Can't help it," he murmured, his cock rigid beneath his loincloth. "I've denied the idea for so long that… gods, I can't take it anymore, Kio! I need her so badly right now that I can't even think of anything else!"

He wasn't exaggerating, either—everything he was was screaming at him to find her, to bite her, to ease himself inside of her physically and mentally and to never, ever leave her again. To give in. To give up. To just surrender to the pull and to her, to bare his throat to her in total trust as she accepted him into her heart and her bed.

Everything except for Kio, that is. For once, his beast was actually trying his best to calm him down.

Try the lake, his beast suggested patiently, its mirth tangible even though it was actually trying its very best not to act like a smug douchebag over such a huge victory. They were finally going to mate their true, destined life partner, so Kio didn't want to ruin the moment with gloating, choosing instead to aid the young warrior in order to join with Usagi sooner rather than later. Am I going to need to rein you in for this? He added with mild concern when Trunks took off like a shot for the water without any further thought, his thoughts a jumble of raw sexual fantasies and sweet confessions of love. I'd hate to pull rank on you and shove you in a cage, boy.

Trunks hadn't even realized that he was moving at top speed, but when he did, he didn't stop, his heart pounding at the thought of hearing her saying 'I love you' with his own ears, his Saiyan blood singing at the thought of just simply pressing his lips to Usa's and feeling her return the amazingly arousing, foreign gesture of affection that her people practiced. And then if she was agreeable, he'd move on to Saiyan kissing and—

The prince skidded to a halt in mid-air when he saw her in the field just outside of the woods, picking winter berries from the vines twining around the low-hanging fruit trees, her back to him as she pulled herself up onto a branch and hauled the basket after her.

There she was. His for the taking if he approached her. Surely, he couldn't go about this the traditional Saiyan way, though; he couldn't just swoop in and take her to the ground and bite her and fuck her. No, she wasn't Saiyan, she didn't stand a chance in hell of fighting him off. Taking a Saiyan woman in that way was fair; any Saiyan woman worth her salt could fight off a male if she didn't want him, and if she couldn't fight him off, she knew for certain that no male would force himself on her if she really, truly didn't want him. The right choice phrases would assure him that she was definitely not interested, and all Saiyan females knew what to say should that scenario ever occur.

But Usagi wasn't Saiyan. Usagi didn't know those things. If he just flew in and pinned her down it would scare the life out of her; she wouldn't understand that it was a good thing, that it meant that he wanted to take her to wife, that it meant that his heart beat for her and only her. No, the princess would think that she'd done something to anger him if he couldn't get himself under control first. She loved him and wanted him, but there was a chance that she'd cry, she'd beg, she'd scream at him to stop—and given their rocky past and how they came to meet in the first place, she might never trust him again if he tried that.

Do I need to rein you in, Trunks? Kio repeated calmly. Do you think we should go somewhere and calm down for a couple hours?

"No… I don't think so. But this was your idea," he mumbled to his beast. "I'm open to suggestions."

Why don't you just go down there and ask her? His beast pressed patiently, keeping in mind that at least Trunks had accepted the inevitable and was trying to make strides towards mating the love of his life. Isn't that what our mother said Solarians do? The male bares his heart, asks the female to mate and then they go and do some bizarre ceremony and put a ring on the male's cock?

"On the finger actually… but other than that I don't know," he admitted, unable to unlock his eyes from the woman that would be his if she was agreeable to it.

She must have felt his eyes on her, because she was suddenly looking around and then up, waving once in his direction, and half-heartedly at that. Just that quick lifting of her arm before she dropped it and gazed up at him. She wasn't smiling, though—normally she smiled at him, why wasn't she smiling? Had he done something wrong by coming back early and she was angry with him? Or was she still upset after making her recording?—she was frowning, her eyes seemingly sad even from a distance, and Trunks flew towards her and hovered a few feet away, taking in her somber expression.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry," she said softly, her blue eyes brimming with tears. "I… I know you've been having nightmares, Trunks. About your father. Not often, but you had one the night before last, before you left. And you talked in your sleep. It broke my heart, Trunks… you sounded so young. Like you were just a kid, and you were begging him not to kill me. To forgive you and leave me be. I think it's because you've felt pressured by me… and I don't want that. I wanted to say that I'm sorry. So… I think I'm going to go stay with the clan for a while… She offered to let me come and stay with her if I wanted to. I understand wanting to please your parents, and I understand being afraid of things you can't control... and I don't want there to be anymore tension between us. Not because I love you."

She'd said it. Oh dear gods, she'd actually said it!

It was so hard to resist the urge to pull her into his arms right then, but not wanting to blindside her, Trunks stayed put for the time being, his heart pounding at the thought of kissing her and seeing her reaction when he told her he loved her. Would it make her heart skip just as his had upon hearing it? "Usa… I dream about my father, yes," he answered carefully, floating closer until she was within touching distance, his hand lifting with a will of its own to brush her hair out of her face and wipe a tear from her cheek. So much for staying put, he couldn't bear to see her cry. "But my father isn't important. Not anymore. And you've never pressured me. I don't want you to ever feel that way… and I don't want you to leave. Please… please don't cry, sweetheart. I… I…" Trunks found himself swallowing hard, trying to say the words she needed to hear, but the scent of her heat was so overpowering that he could only think of taking her right then and there. Gods, it was requiring every ounce of willpower not to just strip her down and mate her!

"Trunks, I—"

A rough kiss cut her off, his large, calloused hand cupping her face as his free arm wound around her waist, and despite how stunned she was, Usagi let out a sob as her eyes slipped shut, then a whimper when his mouth gentled and moved tenderly against hers. And then the reality of what was happening hit her and she drew away, staring up at him in a mixture of heartbreak, love and confusion.

He'd said it himself; kissing her completely undid him. It made it difficult to think, nearly impossible to reason, so if he was kissing her, did that mean…? "Trunks… what… what are you—"

"Giving in," he breathed before pressing his mouth to hers again. One taste wasn't nearly enough now that he was finally surrendering to his love for her, and while he was fighting his instincts in order to go slow and be gentle, he knew that she still didn't quite get it. He needed to be able to pull back, to explain that she had it all wrong, that he hadn't tracked her down just to break her heart and tell her that there would never be anything between them but friendship.

"Giving up," he continued, only to kiss her again, nipping at her lower lip and pressing to her tightly, letting her feel his desire weighing heavily against her stomach. "Surrendering," he groaned against her lips, recalling his thoughts about her from before and what his beast had been demanding of him. "Trusting," he sighed as she began to tremble and his kisses grew heated and more demanding. "I want you… I need you… please, Usagi…"

Usagi could only respond with a soft moan as the hand cupping her cheek slid back to bunch in her messy braid and the arm around her waist tightened, drawing her off of the tree branch, her legs wrapping around him to keep her from dangling in the air.

This kiss was everything she'd dreamed of and everything she'd hoped for, and as his tongue touched hers and he explored her mouth hungrily, she could only melt into him and return it wholeheartedly, gasping with pleasure as he ground his arousal against the juncture of her thighs. Please don't stop, she thought as she matched his hunger with her own, rocking into him and moaning when he shoved her skirt to her waist. My heart will break if you stop, Trunks… please be sure that this is what you want…

She was surprised to feel her back meet the ground suddenly but only moaned when Trunks came down on top of her, his lips demanding and ravenous as he continued to kiss her and began tugging at the ties holding her top in place at her neck and her lower back. The soft fur was gone in a moment and tossed aside, and when Usa felt a calloused palm grazing a puckered nipple, she let out a gasp of pleasure and arched into the touch, clutching tightly at his back.

"Mate with me," he groaned once he finally found his voice again, so overcome with desire that words were nearly beyond him. "Be mine… I love you, Usa." He'd finally said it to her in a language she could understand it in, and whatever her reaction, at least the weight on his heart had finally been lifted by the confession. "I love you," he repeated wholeheartedly, his eyes locked with hers, his hand brushing away more of her tears. "I love you and I'm sorry and I want you to be my wife and mate. And if you want me to beg, I will. I'll get on my knees and beg, Usagi. Forgive me."

Usagi could only nod, speechless thanks to the tearful sob that was closing her throat, only able to return his next kiss with every fiber of her being, her hands moving from his back to explore his heavily muscled torso as he pulled at the makeshift fur skirt that he'd made for her. That was tossed to the side as well as her threadbare panties when they tore from a light tug, and when he immediately pushed his own covering aside and pressed to her moist entrance, she made a noise of approval and moved against him in silent permission. "I love you," she whispered when he paused and trembled against her. "Don't stop, Trunks… don't stop."

She'd wanted this for weeks. She'd dreamed about it, fantasized about it, she'd prayed to her grandmother and even to Cha that he would want this with her and that she'd finally know what it was like to be completely, fully one with him, his thoughts and emotions melding with hers even as their bodies joined. "I want this more than anything," she assured him, pulling him back down to her for another kiss and flexing her legs around his waist so that he was pushing into her.

Trunks's kiss was gentle as he encountered some resistance, his purr reaching an all new level as his beast roared in triumph. She wasn't a virgin anymore, but damn it if she wasn't still tight. "Relax," he breathed between kisses, "so tight… relax, Usagi."

"Trying," she replied, wincing as he pushed forward, trying not to tense up. The discomfort fled quickly enough and she was pulling him deeper, moaning happily into a kiss as he stretched and filled her, rubbing that spot that had had her mind going fuzzy during the mini-burning.

"I love you," he whispered as he broke the kiss to gaze into her eyes, feeling the pull for the hundredth time since they'd met and relishing the knowledge that he was finally about to become her mate. No partial mark this time, oh hell no. He was sinking his teeth deep and never letting go of her.

And Vegeta could rot in hell for all he cared.

"Let me mark you, let me make you mine," he added gently when her eyes welled up with fresh tears and she smiled happily.

"I'm yours," she answered softly, her fingertips travelling his bearded jaw before pushing his hair out of his face. "Bite me," Usa urged him when he bent his mouth to her shoulder and he raked his teeth over it, his hips grinding into hers slowly, his purr shifting to something primal and seductive as his instincts took over. "Make me yours, Trunks… I love you."

"Mine," he breathed before sinking his teeth into the lightly tanned flesh, a low growl escaping him when her head rolled back and she bared her throat to him, her moan of pleasure filling him with a raw need to move, to take her and claim what she was offering him freely, to hear and feel her ecstasy, to show her with his body not only his love, but his life-long devotion and loyalty.

Sure, the Saiyan language always put the possessive in the male's tone, but now Trunks finally understood why his mother always joked about her father really being hers and not the other way around.

Trunks was just as much hers as Usagi was his.

"I need you, too, atti," he purred as he released her shoulder and licked at the silver-edged blood welling up from the punctures. "Bite me back when you're coming." Trunks began to move then, his hips rolling into hers slowly, his eyes and ears open for any sign that he was hurting her as he kept licking and sucking at her mark, his hands exploring her idly as he resisted the urge to go hard and fuck her right through the other side of the planet.

Even moving slowly, though, Trunks was trembling from the force of his own pleasure, her tight, silky walls gripping him and threatening to end him before he'd even started, and he knew that he wouldn't last beyond her first orgasm—if he even made it that long. "Come for me," he repeated with a hint of a whimper in his voice. "Usa, please… you feel so good… won't last…"

"I'm close, Trunks. Bite me again," she suggested, kissing him sweetly as she remembered how good it had felt, how it had made her nerves sizzle with pleasure.

Trunks was more than happy to fulfill her request, giving her one more slow, lazy kiss, relishing the love he saw reflected in her smoky, tear-filled blue eyes, knowing that the same love was echoed in his own. So this was what it was like to be in love and to have it returned; this was what so many warriors secretly yearned for when they spoke of the pull and mating with someone that was perfect for them, someone that complemented them in every way.

He felt whole as he sank his teeth into her shoulder again and sucked at the mark lovingly, purring and growling joyously as the half-bond strengthened and the intensity of her emotions grew. He had sorely missed that connection with her since they'd let the partial mark heal, and now he could feel her love filling him up from head to toe, warming him from the inside out, washing through him like some sort of healing balm as he continued to move inside of her carefully, her little mewls of pleasure ringing sweetly in his ear. "That's it," he sighed between sucks when she let out a soft, feminine moan and he felt her flexing around him tightly. "That's right… please mark me, Usa…"

Her inner muscles squeezed him then and he felt her nails digging into his back just as she let loose a long cry of his name, and Trunks's eyes rolled back when that cry was muffled by his own shoulder and he felt her jaw tighten just before her teeth pierced his skin. He couldn't think anymore, he could suddenly only feel, his purr blocking out all sound as he groaned and saw stars, a tsunami of ecstasy rolling through him as he spilled his seed in a series of erratic thrusts.

The first thing that greeted his eyes was the sight of tears on her cheeks, and even though she was smiling, Trunks momentarily panicked and began to babble. "I hurt you. Gods, Usa, I'm so sorry… please forgive me. Please don't cry, I didn't mean to, I swear."

"Shh… no, Trunks, I'm happy," she whispered, her voice thick as she felt his love for her pouring through the bond alongside his worry that he'd harmed her during their very first act as mates. "It was wonderful and beautiful, that's why I'm crying. Not because you hurt me." The foreign sensation of confusion and amusement that didn't belong to her made her giggle, and she leaned up to kiss him, pulling him back down with her and savoring the fact that she was finally kissing him, just as she'd yearned to do for what felt like forever. I don't think I'll ever be able to explain to him just how happy I am in this moment, she thought wistfully.

You don't have to, came a reply in her head, I can feel it, r'sha m'yo. You can feel mine, too; just open your mind the rest of the way. Like opening a door… that's it.

Mmm… I like this… can we do that again, but like this? She wondered curiously as they continued to kiss, both of them sighing and moaning as their mutual arousal perfumed the air around them. Or is there a limit to how we can use the bond?

Heh, no, sweetheart, Trunks answered tenderly. Come on, let's go home. Let's make love properly in bed, near the fire.

Right here's just fine, she answered with a giggle in his mind and out loud.

Yeah, but we've got an audience, Trunks chuckled, breaking the kiss with a euphoric little smile before nodding without even looking towards the treeline.

"Oh," Usagi gasped, followed by a laugh when She snorted loudly from the woods, her eyes flashing in the fading sunlight before she tipped her head towards them once in acknowledgement and backed away silently into the trees, her body not even rustling so much as one leaf. "Well, at least she'll know not to come back to get me at dusk," she giggled.

The blush staining her cheeks was adorable, and Trunks grinned before kissing her briefly and grabbing her clothes, nipping the tip of her nose as he scooped her up in his arms and aimed for their home.

He stopped at the lake first, though, licking his lips in anticipation and watching her do the same as he pulled at the ties of his loincloth, and once it was off, he wasn't disappointed by her curious expression and the banked lust in her eyes.

Usagi had seen him naked before, but this was the first time she'd looked in the daylight. And even though she'd been up close and personal with it during the burning, she couldn't help stroking her fingers along his rigid cock, making a slight face at the sticky, drying fluid that coated it. "Sorry," she said with a touch of shyness when he licked his lips in anticipation and choked out a sound that was half-groan, half-laugh.

"Just the first time, sweetheart. That's why I thought we should stop here first. We can wash up, then we'll go home."

"Like a honeymoon?" She asked hopefully, only to blush hotly at her own presumptions. "I mean… we are married, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are. And while Saiyans don't do honeymoons, I don't see why we can't take one. After all, we have plenty of supplies and I can't think of a better way to spend the next month." Purring at the idea of making love to her as often as possible for a straight month, Trunks hauled her up against him and kissed her deeply, walking them in to their ankles so he could heat it with his ki, releasing her only when the urge to take her right there was almost too strong to resist. "Come on, let's hurry up," he suggested as he tugged her in further even though the water was tepid at best, his own cheeks coloring for once when he looked down to find half of his cock bobbing up above the waterline.

"I couldn't agree more," Usagi whispered, suddenly shy as she felt his eyes tracing every exposed inch of her body, the warmth in her lower belly strengthening, demanding more of what they'd just shared out in the field. "Gods… Trunks, I know so little about men and women," she sighed as she pulled out the soap and handed him a bottle. "Is it normal to want to make love again so soon outside of the burning? Am I going to want this often? N—not that I mind or anything," she stammered out quickly, "I just want to make sure I'm not weird."

"No, there's nothing weird about it," Trunks assured her, using his tail to draw her close so he could let his soapy hands glide over her soft skin and he could explore her in the bath like he'd wanted to for so long. He could take his time, he could savor the experience, and now that they were mated he'd make sure to take the opportunity to touch her like this as often as she'd let him. "In fact, I want you again right now, Usa."

Tuning into the strength of his desire thrumming through the bond, Usagi began to soap him up as well, looking up at him through her lashes as she let her soapy hands glide repeatedly over his cock, a shy smile touching her lips when he groaned softly and flexed his fingers against her sides impatiently. "I'm clean, I'm clean!" He finally growled, nipping at her ear before trailing his lips and teeth down her throat, enjoying the way she was shivering against him in response.

Usagi couldn't help but giggle at his surly tone and the way it contradicted how he was gently lifting her and moving deeper into the lake, his mouth travelling lower to capture a nipple between his lips. The slow sucking shot spears of pleasure right to her core and she moaned softly, tangling her fingers in his hair and rocking against him, gasping when he immediately gave her what she wanted and pushed into her. "That feels so good, Trunks," she breathed as she rocked against him and surrendered to the wonderful warmth spreading through her despite the chill in the water. "I love you," she sighed as his mouth travelled up her throat and he emitted a groan so full of need and pleasure that it shook her to the core. "I love you so much, Trunks…"

"Gods, I'll never get tired of hearing you say that," he breathed as he kept moving, taking care to keep his motions slow and gentle, terrified of harming her with his Saiyan strength. "I love you, Usa… wish I'd realized it sooner…"

Feeling his regret and hearing his jumbled, disjointed thoughts as he fought the urge to come before she'd climaxed, Usagi kissed his mark, her eyes filling with fresh tears of happiness. "We have each other now… that's what matters, Trunks…"

She was kissing his mark again, slowly and sweetly running her tongue over the indentions her teeth had left, and Trunks whimpered as it overwhelmed all of his senses and shoved him over the edge. "Gods… damn it, Usagi… wanted… I wanted…"

"I love you," she whispered once more before she kissed him tenderly, running her fingers through his hair and down his slick back as he fought for air and filled her with hot seed. "I love you, Trunks. I love you."

Hearing those words over and over was overwhelming him with emotion, and Trunks felt tears on his cheeks as he kissed her passionately and carried her from the water and used his ki to dry them. "Let's go home," he finally whispered, shifting his hold on her so that he was cradling her against him. "Let me make love to you in our bed. Let me do this right."

Trunks continued to warm her in the chilly air with his ki as he flew them the short distance, and he pulled the hatch closed behind them before taking her to their bed and placing her on top of the furs with a sense of reverence, fully aware of the gravity of what they were doing. Their actions out in the field and even in the lake had been instinctual and spur of the moment, but now that he could think, he acknowledged the fact that he'd likely gotten her pregnant… and if he hadn't, she'd definitely wind up that way if they kept having unprotected sex. "Usa… I…"

She could hear his thoughts and just shook her head as she drew him down to her and kissed him gently. "It's alright, Trunks. I want all of you," she whispered, "and I think it'd make me crazy to not have all of you now that we're mated. So please… I'm alright with this. Make love to me again."

"I love you, sweetheart," he groaned as he pulled back the covers and they shifted around so that they were finally lying beneath them, their mouths joining softly over and over, their tongues tangling as they simply touched, explored and savored one another.

It was only when he was pressing into her again that common sense struggled its way to the surface instead of continuing to drown in lust, and Trunks paused, panting slightly from the exertion of willpower. "What if I get you pregnant? What will we do?"

"Trunks, it takes nine months to make a baby," Usagi reminded him. "Surely rescue will come before then." The look on his face told her she was wrong. "It will, won't it?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," he admitted, his tone soft as if it would somehow soften the blow. "It's been a little over two months. I think they think we're dead. When we do finally get rescued, it'll be by a hunting or training party, and they'll see us alive and flip the fuck out, most likely. And they don't come in the winter; it's too hard to hunt the wer'kha when there's snow and they blend in."

If he'd told her that yesterday, Usagi would have likely cried her eyes out, but now… now he loved her and she knew it. Now, they were married. She had him, and he had her. That made the news a lot easier to bear, and she found herself nodding slowly as she came to a crucial, life-changing decision.

Only she didn't know just how life-changing it would be. Not yet.

"If it happens, it happens. We'll just have to trust in luck. Or the gods. Because I know I don't have the willpower, Trunks. I simply don't… and you don't, either."

That pure, raw honesty of hers was rolling through the bond, and Trunks had to admit that she was right—he didn't have the willpower. He'd hold out for a week, maybe two at the very most, but no matter how they played it, it would happen sooner or later. Sooner would be better, he decided. A birth in the late summer if his seed caught, giving them several months to make sure they had enough supplies to see them all through the winter in case of a storm. Hopefully rescue would come sooner than that, though. He could only hope.

"Alright, then," he whispered, nodding slightly in agreement as he pushed into her, purring at the ripple of pleasure he was instantly rewarded with when she squeezed him. "If it happens, it happens."

Wooo! How's THAT for a going away party of a chapter! R&R yall, I'm going to finish updating the stories I started loading last February on AO3, and then start in on uploading some others!

Shi: Like I promised, ignored. I didn't even read it. I left it up as a reference so I could look back to it for things you've said if you decide to PM me, though. Kind of wish I hadn't deleted the one before that, since I can't remember all of it. And if you want to talk to me like you're grown and debate canon lore with me, my promise stands not to give your username to my badass fanfiction posse, even if they offer me cartons of Marlboros and Girl Scout Cookies. Though I think it hardly matters since I'm moving. Hope you follow me on there and enjoy the rest of this story!