"How Did I Fall In Love With You?" © The Backstreet Boys

How Did I Fall In Love With You?

Trunks sighed as he looked out at the ocean. Inside the Kame house, people were dancing and music was blasting loudly. They were on a remote island, so none of the noise would bother anyone. Marron was celebrating her 25th birthday, and everyone they knew had come, except Goku, who was still gone.

A cold wind blew by, but it didn't matter to Trunks. 'How fast all these years went by', he thought. It seemed like only yesterday that they were little kids. Trunks, Goten, and Marron were really close friends, but Trunks and Marron always gave each other a hard time. Marron would annoy Trunks, and he would tease her.

Things didn't stay that way for long, though. As they grew, Trunks and Marron became close friends, and were there for each other. When Marron broke up with her first boyfriend, Trunks was there to comfort her. When Trunks first became the president of his family's business, Marron helped him get organized and calm to actually do the job. For as long as he could remember, Marron was there for him, whether he wanted her to be or not.

Remember when we never needed each other.
The best of friends, like sister and brother.
We understood, we'd never be alone

Somehow, things just seemed to change overnight. One day, Trunks was looking at Marron as one of his best friends. Now, he saw Marron as a beautiful woman, someone he would like to get to know, more than just friends. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Marron's imaged haunted him at night, never leaving him alone.

Trunks place his hand on his cheek, where Marron had kissed him after he gave her his present. It was a pink pearl necklace, with a pure gold chain. The biggest pearl on the necklace was shaped like a heart, and Marron had found the gift very extraordinary. She thanked him for it by kissing him on the cheek. No matter how much Trunks didn't want to admit it, he had enjoyed that little kiss, and he wanted more.

Those days are gone.
Now I want you so much.
The night is long,
and I need your touch

Trunks shook his head slightly as he let his hands slide into his pocket. How was it that he could fall for one of his best friends? Had their friendship changed so much as to cause him to fall in love with Marron? Or was it he who had changed? He cared for Marron, that much he knew, but how deep was he willing to fall? Trunks knew, though, that if something wasn't done, Marron would once again haunt his dreams that night.

Don't know what to say,
never meant to feel this way.
Don't wanna be alone tonight

Trunks pulled out something from his pocket. As he looked at it, he realized what it was, and he had forgotten to give to Marron with the other present. He guessed that when Marron had received the necklace and kissed him, it threw him off track and he forgot to give her this. He felt the small velvet box, fingering the shape of it. He wanted to go in there and give it to Marron, but he wasn't sure if he were up to it. He was still a little shook up from the kiss that she had given him before.

Besides, he was kind of scared that he would blurt out how he felt. He wanted Marron to know that he loved her, sure, but he wasn't sure how to tell her, and he would feel embarrassed about it if everyone happened to hear him.

"How did this get complicated so fast?" he asked himself. "What happened to just being friends?"

What can I do to make you mine?
Fallen so hard, so fast, this time.
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?

"Trunks?" a female voice said softly. Trunks nearly jumped when he heard her, but he spun around to see if it was really she.

"Marron?" he said nervously, as he shakily slipped the velvet box into his pocket. "What are you doing out here?"

Marron walked up to him, her blonde pigtails following the direction of the wind. "I saw you standing out here," she said, "and I thought it was kind of cold, so I brought you your jacket."

Trunks gently took the jacket from her. "Thanks Marron," he said, putting it on.

Marron smiled. "That's what friends are for, right?"

I hear your voice,
and I start to tremble.
Brings back the child
that I resemble.

"Um…right." Trunks looked at the ocean, then turned his back to Marron. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with "just friends" anymore.

"Trunks?" Marron asked, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a little time to think about something, that's all."

I cannot pretend
that we can still be friends.
Don't wanna be alone tonight

Trunks once again pulled out the little velvet box from his pocket. This time, he opened it, and revealed a gold ring with a diamond embedded in the center. He fingered the diamond, unsure of how he would present it to Marron. What did he want to? How would he give it to her and tell her how he felt. Could he do both?

What can I do to make you mine?
Fallen so hard, so fast, this time.
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?

Suddenly, he turned around, facing Marron. He combed his fingers through his hair as he tried to think of the words to say, and how he wanted to do this. He wasn't sure of anything at the moment, but he knew that he had to tell Marron somehow. He had to tell her how he felt, though he didn't know how she would take it. But she had to know.

Oh, I wanna say this right,
and it has to be tonight.
Just need you to know

"Marron?" Trunks asked, his voice quavering slightly. "Um… I…"

"What is it, Trunks?" she asked gently, taking a step closer.

Trunks swallowed hard. 'Now or never I guess', he thought. "We've been friends a long time, haven't we Marron?"

"For as long as I can remember."

"Yes, well, I'm not sure if I can handle that anymore."

"Handle what anymore, Trunks?"

"Just being friends."

Marron tilted her head slightly and gave Trunks a questioning smile. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Trunks inhaled deeply, then bended on one knee, presenting Marron the ring. "Marron, will you marry me?"

I don't wanna live this life,
I don't wanna say goodbye.
With you I wanna spend the rest of my life

Marron gasped quietly as she looked at the ring. She and Trunks had been friends for so long, of course, but this was unexpected of him. He never showed any interest n her that way, and all of a sudden, he was asking her to marry him?

Marron looked down at the ground, trying to hide the tears. She wanted to accept, more than anything, for she had loved Trunks at one point, but she wasn't sure if those feelings were that strong anymore.

"I'm sorry, Trunks," she said, shaking her head. Trunks stood up as she began to walk away, still trying to hide the tears.

Trunks grabbed Marron's arm and turned her towards him. "Wait, Marron. Why not?"

"Trunks, I'm not sure it'll work between us. We've been friends too long to go anywhere beyond that. And besides," she said, wiping away a single tear, "over the years, I have finally gotten over those kind of feelings about you. I don't think that I could handle it anymore."

What can I do to make you mine?
Fallen so hard, so fast, this time.
What did I say, what did you do?
How did I fall in love with you?

Trunks was taken aback. How was it that he had never noticed when Marron loved him? How could he not have seen? Maybe it was because he was too busy to see what she felt for him. He never knew that Marron felt that way about him, but now he was sure that he knew how she had felt before.

"If what you say is true, Marron," Trunks said, "then you'll know how I feel now."

"Well, I guess, but…"

"The long, sleepless nights, tossing and turning because the person you love is haunting your dreams?"

"Yes."

"The seemingly endless days that go by knowing that the one you love is somewhere else, not by your side?"

"Yes."

"Please, Marron, you understand how much pain I feel when I'm not with you. I need you."

"But, I just don't know, Trunks. I mean, what would everyone else say?"

"I don't care what everyone else thinks. I just know that I can't go on without you."

"But Trunks…" Trunks cut Marron off by showing her the ring once more. "Please, Marron," he said.

Marron took the ring from him and looked at it, then at Trunks. Tears began to fall as she closed the box. The she smiled as she nodded her head. "Yes," she said, embracing Trunks. "I will."

Trunks, surprised at first, hugged Marron back as he gently stroked her hair. Looking into the ocean, Trunks saw the reflection of the two of them. The wind blew suddenly, and the image in the water seemed to change. The image was still the two of them, but younger, the two of them in the same position. The memory was when Marron broke up with her boyfriend. He noticed how similar they were then and now, and he knew that they were meant to be.

Trunks suddenly pushed Marron away, and she looked at him with quizzical eyes. Taking the small box from her, Trunks opened it and freed the ring from its encasement, slipping it on Marron's finger. Then, Marron looked up at Trunks, and their blue eyes met as their lips leaned closer and closer, until they touched, ending what seemed to be the best birthday of them all.

What can I do to make you mine?
Fallen so hard, so fast, this time.
Everything's changed, we never knew. . .
How did I fall in love with you?

The End