The Universes Where You Exist
Trunks returns to the past to see his family and friends, six months after defeating Cell and the androids. But something feels different in this world… and a mysterious young woman is about to turn his life upside down in ways he could never have imagined.
English is not my first language.
After rewatching Dragon Ball, I fell back into my obsession with Future Trunks. So I couldn’t resist writing a little oneshot about him.
This story is based on Mirai Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, not Dragon Ball Super.
As he walked through the halls of Capsule Corp, Trunks observed his surroundings, a place both familiar and strangely unfamiliar.
The corridors were empty, yet one could admire the richness and cleanliness that emanated from the place. Trunks had no memory of a Capsule Corp so well maintained.
In his mind remained only debris, cracked walls worn down by time.
As he made his way toward Bulma’s laboratory, his mother’s, memories resurfaced.
It had only been six months since he’d returned to the past and defeated Cell alongside his father and friends.
Since then, everything had finally returned to normal; even in his own future.
The androids were no longer a threat, and peace had returned to his world.
Trunks had decided to return to the past to deliver the good news in person and to see again those he considered almost like family.
He was particularly excited at the thought of seeing his mother again, even though a certain nervousness lingered at the idea of facing his father, Vegeta.
Despite the respect and admiration he felt for him, Trunks still felt intimidated by him; even after fighting side by side. He hoped their reunion would go well.
Although he shared the same blood as his father, Trunks had never had the chance to grow up by his side.
In truth, he had never known a normal life; a life without battles, without fear, without constant survival.
He was grateful to have had his mother to support him and give him the strength to keep moving forward.
He stopped for a moment, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
“I’m worrying for nothing,” he thought, loosening his grip on the hilt of his sword.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell upon the large bay window overlooking the illuminated city.
Night had fallen, but the city shone with a thousand lights.
A faint, melancholic smile appeared on his face.
“It’s so beautiful…” he murmured dreamily.
He continued to watch the city in silence, lost in thought, until a familiar voice echoed behind him.
“Trunks? Is that you?” asked a voice full of curiosity. Surprised, he turned around and saw a young woman about his age staring at him with a wide smile.
Trunks looked at her, bewildered. He had no idea who she could be; or how she knew his name.He searched his memory, in vain. Nothing.
“Who could this girl be?” he thought, on his guard.
But before he had the chance to say a word, the young woman suddenly started running toward him.
He braced himself, thinking she was about to throw herself at him; maybe to attack him, or simply to hug him.
But what she did instead left him completely frozen.
Without warning, the girl pressed her lips against his.
Trunks’s eyes widened in shock.
His mind went completely blank.
He couldn’t make sense of anything, his brain was mush.
He stood still, unable to move a single muscle.
The young woman slowly pulled away, though she kept her arms around him, a radiant smile on her face.
“You’re back early from your seminar! You told me on the phone yesterday you wouldn’t be home for another two weeks!” she said cheerfully, not noticing his bewildered expression.
Trunks stared at her, his face flushed red, unable to form a single word.
His mouth opened to answer, but no sound came out.
He tried to gather his thoughts, but it was useless.
And why was she talking to him as if they were… close?
Even more troubling, she was talking about a seminar… and about him coming back; but he was supposed to have returned to the past, six months after defeating Cell.
At this point in time, he should only be a baby.
None of this made any sense.
The young woman eventually stepped back slightly, eyeing him from head to toe before placing a hand on his chest.
“Wow… you’ve gotten really muscular!” she laughed.
“Don’t tell me that with all your CEO stuff, you still found time to training?”
“CEO?” Trunks repeated inwardly, his breath catching.
He felt his heart start to race.
The young woman stepped even closer, a charming smile on her lips.
She brushed her hand lightly against Trunks’s arm in a familiar gesture, not noticing his discomfort.
“Honestly, I’m not complaining…” she said playfully.
“This new look really suits you.”
Trunks felt his cheeks flush. He took a step back, raising his hands to keep some distance.
“W–wait! You… you’ve got the wrong person!” he stammered, struggling to find his words.
She stopped, staring at him a little puzzled. Then an amused smile slowly returned to her face.
“Playing shy now? That’s new. Usually, you don’t hesitate to grab my ass or drag me to your room the moment we see each other.”
The Saiyan warrior couldn’t believe his ears.He didn’t know what shocked him more; the fact that another version of himself, in some parallel universe, could behave so shamelessly… or that the girl standing before him could be so utterly lacking in tact.
The young woman took advantage of his confusion to lean in and wrap an arm around his neck, pulling him into a deeper kiss.
The tension in the hallway became almost tangible; only the soft sounds of their movement broke the silence, which made Trunks even more embarrassed.
He had to stop this before he… lost control.
“Listen, miss, you’re making a mistake! I’m not your boyfriend…” he tried to explain, but was immediately interrupted.
“Miss?!” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
“Is that your new nickname for me? I don’t know what happened at that seminar, but I’ve gotta say, I really like this new Trunks.” she added, clearly smitten.
A bead of sweat ran down Trunks’s face.
He realized he was going to have a hard time dealing with this woman.In his own world, war had ravaged everything.
He had never had the chance or even the time to have a girlfriend.
Before he could react, the young woman grabbed his hand and pulled him toward a room.
When the light flicked on, Trunks stared in disbelief.It was a bedroom, spacious, elegant… and clearly lived in.
Trunks looked around the room. Everything was spotless, neatly arranged... almost too perfect.
But before he could take another step, the young woman suddenly turned around, pressing her body against the door before kissing him passionately.
His eyes widened, completely stunned by how fast she moved.
“Good grief! She never stops!” he thought, gently pushing her back.
“Wait!” he shouted louder than he had intended.
The young woman froze instantly, startled by his tone.
“Hey, no need to yell… What’s gotten into you?” she asked, confused.
“You need to listen to me. I’m serious,” he said, his face set.
She stared at him for a moment, intrigued, before nodding, her expression calmer.
Trunks let out a small sigh of relief, seeing that she seemed willing to finally listen.
He looked at her carefully, noticing her pretty face, still slightly creased with worry.
His expression softened. He took her hand gently, with a natural tenderness, and invited her to sit beside him on the bed.
“Are you ready to listen to me now?” he asked in a calmer voice.
She blinked slightly at the feel of his hand in hers. After a brief silence, she nodded, though her mind seemed elsewhere.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Trunks apologized, noticing her troubled expression.
“No, it’s not that… It’s just that this is the first time you’ve been this gentle. It’s a little unsettling,” she replied with a small smile.
Silence fell over the room.Trunks could never have imagined finding himself in a situation like this.
He wondered what the other him in this world must be like.
Everything indicated that this woman and his counterpart shared a relationship that was both intense and very close.
A part of him couldn’t help but envy that connection.
He envied the calm, the tenderness, and perhaps even the love that his other self seemed to have found here.
He looked up at the young woman. She was beautiful, a rare, natural beauty that made his heart beat a little faster.
She noticed his gaze and a playful smile appeared on her lips.
“So… did you come here to talk, or just to stare at me like that?” she teased.
Trunks felt his cheeks flush instantly and looked away.
“S–sorry,” he stammered, sitting up abruptly on the bed.
“Well… what I’m about to say will probably sound crazy, but…”
He paused for a moment, searching for the right words, before turning his head toward the young woman.
She watched him intently, without interrupting. Her expression, a mix of curiosity and concern, encouraged him to continue.
“Actually… I’m from the future,” he finally said.
“I went back to the past, about six months after Cell was defeated.”
He paused briefly to catch his breath.
“I’m not exactly sure what happened, but… I think I accidentally ended up in another universe. Or maybe an alternate future… a world where I would have grown up,” he explained, furrowing his brows, his gaze serious.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, almost suffocating.
Trunks’s revelation had made the young woman frown, but she remained silent for a long moment.
“I’m sorry for all this confusion, but… I’m not the Trunks you know,” he said in a calm voice, giving her a cautious look.
She didn’t answer immediately. Her eyes drifted into the distance, as if trying to make sense of what she had just heard.
Then, slowly, she turned her head toward him.
“How am I supposed to believe you?” she asked in a low, wary voice.
“Who’s to say you’re not lying to me?”
Trunks remained silent for a moment. He lowered his eyes, then took a deep breath before looking back at her.
“I understand your doubts,” he said calmly.
“If I were in your place, I wouldn’t believe me either.”
He paused, then continued in a softer voice.
“But I swear I’m not lying to you. In my world, things are different… completely different. Earth was devastated... the androids destroyed everything. I grew up in a future where there was no hope, no peace… only survival.”
His gaze drifted for a moment, heavy with painful memories.
“My mother… Bulma… she devoted her life to building a time machine, so I could go back to the past and stop that tragedy. And it worked. We defeated Cell, and everything was finally over.”
He lifted his eyes to her again, his expression sincere.
“But when I came back here… I realized something was wrong. This world isn’t the past. Everything is just… too different.”
She remained silent for a long moment, her gaze lost in the distance, before letting out a small sigh.
“This might sound strange… but I believe you,” she said simply.
Trunks’s eyes widened, surprised. He hadn’t expected her to believe him so easily.
“Y‑you believe me?” he asked, incredulous.She nodded with a small smile.
“Yeah. My Trunks would never make something this huge up, even to tease me,” she replied in a light, almost casual tone.
Trunks stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then a gentle smile appeared on his face.
“So… you must be really close, then,” he murmured.
“You could say that, yes…” she replied, with a hint of melancholy and a softness that Trunks immediately felt.
His heart began to beat faster. A strange warmth rose in him, and he felt his stomach twist.
“What is this feeling…?” he thought, clenching his fist on the bed sheet.
She looked up at him, curiosity in her eyes.
“By the way, if you say you come from some kind of future… how come you don’t know me?” she asked, intrigued.
Trunks remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
“Well… that’s exactly one of the problems I don’t have an answer to,” he said gravely.
“In my future, I don’t know you. Or at least… I’ve never met you, nor even heard you mentioned by my mother.”
His gaze darkened slightly at the thought.She nodded slowly, understanding that there was a world where she didn’t exist.
Her heart tightened at the idea.
She lifted her head toward Trunks, a veil of sadness in her eyes but a faint smile on her lips.
“Well… maybe in the future you come from, I was killed by the cyborgs before we even met,” she said calmly.
Trunks’s face darkened at the thought, and he sprang up from the bed.
“It’s impossible! By eliminating the cyborgs and Cell, everything became normal in my world!” he shouted, turning his back to the young woman, fists clenched, fury rising within him.
She looked at him, surprised by his outburst.
“Hey, calm down… I was just saying that. There must be another explanation. No need to get yourself all worked up…” she tried to soothe him.
But Trunks turned back toward her, his gaze burning with determination.
“No matter the explanation. When I return… I will find you. You can be sure of that!” he declared firmly, as if making a promise.
Silence fell over the room. Then a burst of laughter rang out, surprising the young Saiyan.
He looked up at the woman, who was wearing a wide smile.
“Wow… we’ve barely met and you’re already hooked on me! I didn’t know I had such an effect!” she teased, a mischievous look on her face.
Trunks’s cheeks turned bright red at her words.
“Th‑that’s not it at all! It’s just that… I…,” he stammered, searching for a suitable excuse.
She straightened up, standing right in front of him.
“You know, even if you come from another future, you’re exactly like my Trunks,” she said softly, making the young man’s heart beat a little faster.
“We only look alike, that’s all. I’m not your boyfriend,” Trunks replied, looking away.
“On the contrary, you’re exactly like him. And do you want to know how I know?” she asked, moving even closer, leaving him almost no personal space.
Trunks swallowed, confronted with her proximity, but he didn’t move.
“You look at me exactly the same way he does…” she continued in a low voice, her gaze drifting from his lips to his striking blue eyes.
The room fell silent after her declaration.
Only the sound of two hearts beating could be heard, resonating in the air.
An inexplicable connection enveloped them, like a bubble neither of them wanted to break.
Trunks’s breathing became ragged, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
He was mesmerized by the young woman. Her sweet scent lingered around him, intoxicating his senses.
He wished he could stay like this for hours.His gaze drifted toward her lips. He felt his heart race, and slowly, he leaned toward her.
She closed her eyes, patiently waiting for his lips to meet hers… but Trunks stopped just a few centimeters away.
He pulled back slightly, which surprised her.
“We can’t do this,” he said calmly, catching his breath.
“Like I told you, I’m not your boyfriend. And it would be wrong, toward him, for us to act this way.”
She let out a small, amused laugh at his gentlemanly behavior.
“You know that, technically, you’re my boyfriend, right? I’d never cheat on Trunks… with anyone other than another Trunks,” she said playfully.
Trunks’s face turned bright red at her words.
He really needed to get used to this girl’s very particular sense of tact.
“I am Trunks, that’s true… but not the one you love,” he replied, a hint of regret in his voice.
She straightened up to look at him, silent, before letting out a soft sigh, “Hey, Trunks?” she asked, looking up at him.
Trunks lowered his gaze, attentive.
“Do you think… there’s a universe where I don’t exist?”
Her question caught him off guard. For a moment, he stood silent, surprised by the depth of her words.
He studied her closely, searching her eyes to see if she was joking, but the sincerity he found there left no room for doubt.
He took a slow, deep breath before answering, his voice calm but resolute, “I don’t really know where we are, or in what space or time all this is happening. But one thing I’m sure of… is that fate brought me here for a reason.”
He stepped closer, gently resting his hands on her shoulders.
Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, time itself seemed to stop.
“And I promise you… I’ll move heaven and earth to find you again, no matter the universe.”
The young woman gave him a tender smile.
She rose onto her tiptoes, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him passionately.
Trunks’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t pull away.
On the contrary, he allowed himself to be carried away by the kiss, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist.
The kiss deepened, blending softness, passion, and a silent longing that no words could express.
When they finally parted, breathless, their eyes remained locked.
Trunks tilted his head, gently pressing his forehead against hers.
In his eyes shone a newfound tenderness… and something else he couldn’t quite name.
“That’s all I needed to know… thank you,” the young woman whispered before slowly stepping back.
“I’ll leave you alone,” she added, heading toward the door.
“Wait!” shouted the young lavender-haired man.
She froze and turned back toward him.
“You didn’t tell me your name,” he said, his voice softer this time.
A slight smile curved her lips.
“Y/N,” she replied simply.
Trunks nodded, a genuine smile forming on his face.
“I’ll find you, Y/N,” he promised with conviction.
She gave a small, teasing smile, almost touched.
“You better, Trunks,” she said before leaving the room and gently closing the door behind her.
Trunks stood there, motionless, his heart pounding wildly…The name Y/N still echoed in his mind, like a promise etched across time and universes.
