"Jesus Christ, it's hot!" exclaimed Eighteen, who was strolling beside her brother. The shade from the surrounding woods wasn't enough to keep out the heat. "You shouldn't say that name in vain, sis," teased Seventeen. Eighteen smirked at him as she pulled off her black gloves and vest. Normally she would have told him to shut up, but it's different now. She had seen her little brother get consumed by an overgrown grasshopper. Eighteen thought she would never see him again- her only family! After witnessing that wish those Z fighters had made, she knew exactly what she was going to do. She searched for her sibling around the area he died. The reunion wasn't exactly teary, but Eighteen privately vowed not to take her twin for granted this time.

It's been three months since then. During which they had played a "game" where they had to build a house for themselves in the fastest amount of time. Sure, they travel around all they want, but it is pretty nice to come back to a home. The siblings had built the cabin near a meadow, because Sixteen would've liked that. Sentimentality was another notable change for them. The biggest change for them, however, was the experience of love. Not that Eighteen was seeing anyone, but she had been "visiting" a certain shorty rather often lately. As for her brother…

Eighteen examined her brother closely. He had on his simple black t-shirt with which he rolled up the sleeves so now it was temporarily a tank top. His jeans were practically capris at the length of which they were rolled up, and his silky black hair was pulled back into a tiny ponytail (with Eighteen's help), leaving bangs that framed his feminine face well. To girls, he definitely seemed the type that was either taken, or gay. Coincidently, he was both.

"Judging from the fact that you have no socks on I'm assuming that you're leading me to a source of water," noted Eighteen.

Seventeen smiled at her. His smiles seemed so warm lately. "You'll see! It's coming up right about…"

Before he could say "now," Eighteen spotted the shining blue water from beyond the foliage. "A beach?"

Seventeen nodded. "Since you're complaining so much about the heat lately I thought I'd share this spot with you! I found it a while back…"

Eighteen remarked how his voice softened at the last sentence. It wasn't in a grim tone though. Just the pleasant kind someone uses when reminiscing a blissful memory.

Eighteen grinned. "With your boyfriend?"

Seventeen blushed lightly. "Yeah…"

Eighteen really had no clue how he could be so content with a time traveler for a boyfriend. That's one long distance relationship. It started during one of Eighteen's visits to Krillen at Kame House. His tall, intimidating friend was there, and he definitely wasn't pleased to see her. When he mentioned her younger sibling in the rudest tone, Eighteen was ready to slap him.

She knew for a fact that her twin was not evil. He always looked out for her in his own caring way. He even warned the Z fighters not to interrupt Eighteen's fight with Vegeta because he didn't want to risk her being overwhelmed. Of course his future boyfriend would be the first to do so.

Fortunately for him, Krillen calmed down Eighteen and scolded Trunks for her. "Maybe you should get him to know him better before throwing insults, Trunks. Eighteen and Seventeen aren't the same as the ones from your world, remember?"

Trunks had scoffed. "I'll believe it when I see it." He turned to Eighteen with an annoyed look on his face. "Where is Seventeen?"

Eighteen glared at him. "As if I'd tell you! Krillen told me all about your hatred for us, so selling out my brother to you is the last thing I'd ever do!"

She really went preachy on him. "I already lost him once! If you put one hand on him I won't hesitate to become the scary android you want me to be!"

At this point Trunks was trapped against the wall, Krillen and Roshi pitying him as Eighteen continued to shout in his face in defense of her twin.

As Eighteen finally calmed herself down, she finished her lecture with, "If your still mad about how he knocked you out with one easy hit, know that he only did it to help me out. I'm his sister. Of course he'd hit you if you're coming at me with a blade."

She turned around and was about to leave him there when suddenly Trunk's sputtered, "Wait!"

Eighteen shot another icy glare at him. Trunks sighed in defeat. "I get it now, ok? I'm sorry for my previous statement. I just want to see Seventeen for myself. I need to be sure! But I promise not to hurt him, alright? I'll do as Krillen said, ok? Let me see this 'caring' brother for just a little bit, and if I'm satisfied, I'll leave him alone."

He did see him. And now, he's literally seeing him.

Eighteen didn't see much of her brother during Trunk's visits. When she did, though, Seventeen was always smiling blissfully and blushing lightly like he did now whenever she mentioned Trunks in any way. Eighteen still doesn't know how those two got so intimate so quickly. In two weeks they were close friends, in two months they were a couple.

Eighteen sighed. It difficult enough trying not to fall in love for Krillen's sake. As immortal androids a "Happily ever after" doesn't last "ever after". Eighteen was glad to see her little brother in high spirits, but how long will it last? This was Seventeen's first three months without Trunks, and he was being more silent than ever before. How long will her relationship with Krillen last, too?

Eighteen was so lost in thought that she bumped into Seventeen, who had stopped on the shoreline. He grinned at her.

"What's up with you? How could you not bump into me," he giggled as he said so, "I was right in front of you!"

Brought out from her daze Eighteen scowled playfully at Seventeen. "Oh, shut up, I was distracted, ok!"

Placing her items on the sand Eighteen hurriedly removed her shoes and socks and ran for the water, leaving her brother curious as to what she meant by "distracted".

"Finally some refreshment!" exclaimed Eighteen. When she turned to her brother she was greeted with a blast of water aimed at her face. "Hey! Oh, you're gonna get it now!" Seventeen laughed as his slightly older sibling chased after him with large splashes of water.

When the sun began to set, Seventeen and Eighteen relaxed on the shore as their soaked clothing dried out. Eighteen leaned back on her arms and ran her fingers and toes through the sand as Seventeen rested his chin on a knee, arms wrapped around it. Eighteen turned to him and smiled at the cute sight. His dark hair was spotted with bits of sand everywhere, and he was staring at the sky as though he was expecting someone to appear from it.

Eighteen's eyes widened as she remembered something important to him. "Hey that's right! Seventeen, isn't your boyfriend supposed to back any day now?"

Seventeen sat up quickly and turned to her, blushing again. "Yeah… He is," he replied softly.

"Well then, what's with the sudden gloomy attitude?! Shouldn't you be giddy like crazy, jumping up and down with excitement?"

Seventeen smiled at his twin, and looked back up at the sky. "Yeah, right. You make me sound like a puppy." His smile slowly died as his eyes focused on the sunrise. "It's just… How will he behave towards me after killing… me?"

Eighteen grimaced. "You mean the evil you from his world. I'm sure it'll be fine. I mean, you two probably look a bit different if the other you makes that ugly sneer of yours all the time-"

"Eighteen!" Seventeen scowled at her and she chuckled. "I'm just worried about him, ok…"

Eighteen observed him closely. "Because you love him, right?"

Seventeen blushed scarlet. "I didn't think I could love anyone besides you… but apparently I can. I love him so much, sis…" He pulled up both his knees and buried his face in them. "What if he didn't show? What if something happened to him? I've never felt more concerned for anything else in my entire life, albeit it's been short so far. Anything could happen to him, and I wouldn't know."

Eighteen continued to watch him. So he had been thinking about it after all. Eighteen crawled behind Seventeen and began to play with his hair. She couldn't think of anything right to say to him. After several moments Seventeen spoke again.

"Eighteen?"

"Hmm?"

"What was it that was distracting you earlier?"

Eighteen exhaled. "I was just thinking…"

"About?"

"About our future."

"….Oh..."

"We're not going to be with them forever, Seventeen." Eighteen could feel her brother tense up immediately.

"…Maybe. But I want to make every second count… I want to at least… make him happy."

Eighteen's hand stilled. Make him happy? She thought of Krillen, and how content she felt when she was with him. He won't live forever, but she could at least… make him happy too.

Eighteen smiled sadly and went back to pulling Seventeen's hair. "Yeah, you're right. I just don't want to see your heart broken is all. I care about you a lot, little brother."

"…I care about you, too…."

Then the sun disappeared, and the temporary beauty of the colorful sky followed soon after.

*Author's note: I found it rather easy writing this chapter through Eighteen's perspective since I myself am an older sister, so it wasn't hard to imagine her feelings. I'll probably keep adding chapters since practicing my writing skills through fan fiction seems to be a fulfilling way to pass the summer.