The Bonded
Part Two



"With Goten… I can't believe it."

Goku stopped in his tracks, whatever he had been in the process of doing forgotten. Before him was a doorway, almost but not quite shut. He could hear a conversation going on in the hidden room. /That was Bulma's voice … she must be talking to Vegeta./ Normally, Goku would not have listened in on a private conversation…

"Was that all you saw?"

…but he was curious. Goku stood in the doorway, telling himself that he was simply overhearing, not eavesdropping. Again, his son's name was mentioned.

"Goten and Trunks … what do you mean, all?!"

"Woman…" Vegeta growled warningly.

"Shouldn't that be enough? They were, they were… Kami-sama, Vegeta. Goten and my, /our/ son. Trunks!" She quieted down and mumbled something, her voice fading into a nervous, somewhat insane laugh. Goku tried to peek through the crack in the door unsuccessfully, puzzled.

"I fail to see the problem." Vegeta sounded unconcerned and Goku could hear him lean back in his chair followed by the familiar sound of rustling fabric as he crossed his arms.

"What?!" The reply was shrill, and Bulma rushed on unchecked. "I can't believe you, Vegeta! What Trunks is doing is wrong … we both know that. Can't you say something to him, tell him… Kami, just /do/ something! How -"

Vegeta cut her off harshly. "It is perfectly normal for a saiya-jin and he knows. If you must, then talk to him. I can't stand for any more of your senseless panicking."

"But Vegeta, what do you mean he knows? Did he tell you already? Vegeta!"

He gave no response, but there was the mechanical beep of the vidscreen being turned off. Goku hurried back, leaning nonchalantly on a table and trying to look as if he had not been listening in. Vegeta emerged from the room and leaned against the doorway, the black of his hair and tank contrasting sharply with the white, his arms crossed and gaze fixed on the undecorated far wall.

"That woman is brainless."

Feinting ignorance, Goku looked up from the paper he had randomly grabbed. "What, Vegeta?"

He looked towards Goku, eyebrows furrowed as usual. There was a pause, and Goku was about to ask again, but then the monotone answer came. "She walked in on my son and your Goten having sex in a Capsule Corporation office."

He had only heard the end of the conversation. The words, coming so plainly from Vegeta's mouth, made Goku's eyes widen and he took a step towards the other man. "What?"

Vegeta sighed and uncrossed his arms. "Bulma walked in on -"

"I heard. But … shimatta, that's impossible! Aren't you shocked?"

Vegeta's contempt for being interrupted flashed across his features and when he replied, it was sharp. "Why would I be, Kakarotto? I already knew. I'm only surprised you were blind enough not to notice."

Ignoring the insult, Goku stuttered, "Oh. But, that's… I mean… Trunks is…"

"Homosexual."

"…yeah. Um, isn't that just /wrong/?"

"No."

Goku shook his head is disbelief. "Really," he murmured, and then began his questioning again. "If he is, who'll carry on your blood?"

"I have two children."

"Um, but…" Goku was at a loss for words, and he fidgeted, opening his mouth and closing it. Vegeta waited impatiently. "Homosexual?" Goku finally asked, doubt in his voice.

"Your idiocy amazes me. I simply can not believe that you are a saiya-jin." Vegeta moved to sit on the red leather couch, arms back in their customary crossed position. Goku sat as well, but crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. "It's normal for a saiya-jin." Vegeta's attitude changed completely for a brief moment and he laughed dryly. "Either way, if they've chosen then the opinion of others is meaningless."

Goku interrupted again. "What do you mean?"

With a tone that conveyed quite clearly that he could not believe he had to go through with this, Vegeta answered. "A saiya-jin mating is for life, Kakarotto. One the mates choose each other, it is permanent, even in homosexual relationships. The saiya-jin are a warrior people, and so the race developed a short pregnancy period, rapid childhood, and extended prime. However, as we progressed and became stronger, the death rate decreased. Thus, the population grew." He saw the confused look on the second man's face and simplified it, exasperated. "We stopped dying and the planet became crowded, quickly. Understand?" /The man is a genius on the battlefield, but a complete idiot in life./ Vegeta laughed mentally, bittersweet.

Somewhat hurt, Goku nodded. /I'm not stupid, Vegeta. I just didn't know./

"In order to decrease the birth rate, we began to form permanent mates and homosexual pairings became common. To ensure that the mating was life long, a link was formed between the mates."

"Huh?"

Vegeta was silent for a moment, thoughts turned inwards. Goku regarded the pensive look on his face, unsure of what to do, then the Prince snapped back to reality. "A mental connection. I cannot describe it to you, Kakarotto, because I have never experienced it. The bond is very strong, and will stand against all odds."

"If Goten and Trunks…" Goku slowed and stumbled on the words, but continued with his revelation, "if they form that bond, no one will be able to force them apart."

"Exactly. What they share, as bonded, is virtually impossible to destroy and no outsider can force it to break." Vegeta ended the learning session with an abrupt rise from the couch. He muttered something about incompetence and then turned sharply, piercing Goku with a gaze. "Homosexuality is normal, Kakarotto." With a smirk, he turned to leave in the direction of the training rooms, calling out quietly over his shoulder. "As you know very well."



Goku nodded absently as Vegeta left, his boot-padded steps fading down the hall. Yeah, it made sense…

Homosexual.

The word ran through his head, sounding alien and incomprehensible. /I knew that Trunks and Goten were good friends, but…/ best friends was not the same as lovers. Especially not the way that Vegeta had described it. He couldn't fit his mind around the implications. His son…

No one had ever told him it was wrong, but it was abnormal. What if the others found out? Goku's train of thought continued. /Vegeta's explanation makes sense, but … but Goten and Trunks are boys. And everyone knows that boys don't…/

Abruptly, Goku glanced down at his lap. Tented in the loose fabric of his gi was an unmistakable erection. He blushed hotly, and a vision flitted across his mind. But it was not a picture of the demi-saiya-jin. He imagined himself, impaled by Vegeta at the edge of a blue pond…

Vegeta was right; he knew. He was just as guilty as his son. It had felt right then; Vegeta told him it was normal. /But this isn't Vegeta-sei. Males don't, he stumbled, tried again, and finally omitted the phrase. Males just don't./

The erection did not fade and Goku began to be distracted by its stubborn pressure. In his mind's eye he saw Vegeta, leaning down and taking a proud erection deep into his mouth … how it felt when he was forced to surrender to that heat… Absently, a hand trailed down, pulling at the sash of his gi as Goku's head lolled back, eyes closed while he relived the moment. How his vision had disappeared, rushing blood had filled his hearing, how Vegeta had sucked him dry -

"Ah - No!" Goku stopped, his hand just millimeters away from his erection, and jumped from the couch, holding up his pants with one hand. His cheeks burned and he roughly retied the blue sash, moving towards his room. Cold shower. He needed a cold shower.



Halfway down the hall, Goku slumped to the wall, his brain still overwhelmed by memories and so hard it hurt. Before he could think rationally a hand had released from its tight fist and untied the sash, dropping his pants to pool over his boots. He gripped his erection, pumping roughly, mimicking the movements that Vegeta has used on him years ago. His hand was calloused, making his length burn. Changing positions slightly, he began to thrust into the tight tunnel of his fingers and palm, thumb running though the dew at the head. His body threatened to give in as time passed and the movements became even more frenzied.

Sliding down the wall to a crouching position, Goku slowed his hand and reached down with his free one, between his legs. Guiltily, he stroked over the tight ring of muscle he found there, and with a sudden jerk pushed in partially with one finger. Images of Vegeta wavered before him as he pushed it in further, impaling himself on his own finger. The digit rotated within him, an unfamiliar pleasure. When the tight muscle loosened he paused, moving a second finger up beside the first, and then slowly forced down onto both. The speed of the hand that held and stroked his erection increased again and he had to push down his ki as he approached climax. The fingers in his ass pumped a final time and came into his hand, biting back the howl that pushed against his throat. "Vegeta…" he whispered into the suddenly chill air and then stood jerkily, pulling up his clothing with his cleaner hand. Again, he moved down the hall, to wash and change, his head hung with shame.



Rubbing his hair with a towel, Goku emerged from the shower. He pulled on a clean gi that did not smell of sweat and sex, and then looked at himself in a mirror. He met his own eyes in a guilty but determined gaze.

"Go find Goten and talk to him." His voice was low and clear. "Let him explain it. And maybe … maybe he can help me." Goku's voice faded off thoughtfully. He was a saiya-jin, both of them were, maybe he knew something more.

On autopilot, Goku levitated and moved towards the open window, flying out. As he passed the sparring enclosure he stopped, watching quietly. Vegeta was there, floating just above the ground and practicing complicated flips and turns. He had powered up to Super Saiya-jin, and a yellow afterglow tailed him. Goku watch the body move gracefully, skin covered with a sheen of sweat and muscles flexing. Completing a routine with a backwards flip and a revert into an offensive ready position, hands in fist and arms slightly bent, Vegeta looked up.

"Kakarotto." Vegeta watched Goku start slightly and look away.

"Hey. Um, Vegeta, I'm gonna go see Goten. I'll be back soon!" In a spark of light he was gone, ki trail blazing in the sky. Vegeta watched him leave, head upturned and a restrained but unusual look on his face, and then closed his eyes tightly. His brow furrowed as he concentrated. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he let out a harsh yell, power level jumping up. Vegeta's aura burned as he repeated the routine at a furious speed, once, twice, over and over again.

Something had begun.

^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~^~~

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