At the sound of the soft, hesitating voice of his son, Vejiita withdrew his hands from his head, where they had been so staunchly holding it up for the past� he wasn't sure how long. It couldn't have been all that long� could it? For some reason his sense of time's passage was somewhat off. Perhaps the pills were finally beginning to work. Thank Kami.
"Are you all right?"
The question disturbed the prince just enough to break him out of his benumbed trance. His head went up and his back straight, and he met his son's inspecting gaze as squarely as he could manage. Trunks was standing before him wearing a frown of concern.
"Of course I'm all right!" Vejiita snapped in abrupt irritation. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well� after what happened between you and Goku�"
Suddenly, Vejiita found himself on his feet, glaring furiously into the boy's startled eyes. "What do you mean?! Nothing happened between Kakarotto and me!" he denied with a fierce snarl, his fists clenched tightly.
Trunks was taken aback. "Uh� Goten said that you two had a falling out of some kind."
The Saiyan prince blinked, and felt his muscles relax slightly. "A falling out?" he echoed sharply. "Hn. Yes, I suppose you could call it that� though I would call it a severing of all ties."
There was a silent pause. "What did Goku do to deserve that, Papa?" Trunks asked quietly.
"Hn. I do not wish to remember," he muttered in reply, folding his arms across his chest. The prince turned from him to gaze absently at the water spurting out of the large fountain.
"Are you coming back inside?" Trunks inquired.
Vejiita's eyes fell closed and an almost imperceptible sigh was expelled from his lungs. He knew how important this night was to his son, but� he shook his head. "No," he said. Kami, he'd had more than enough.
"All right, Papa," he said, his voice low; yet Vejiita could still detect the disappointment interwoven within. "I�" Trunks hesitated. "I'll see you at home," he said finally, though the prince was certain that was not what the boy had originally intended to say. He did not, however, pursue the matter; he merely nodded, and then listened as the boy's footsteps faded into the distance.
Kuso�
His vision blurred, and he drew himself away from the timeless, rhythmic dance of the water. His feet started moving, away from the fountain, from the building that housed the dining hall, from his son and his silly childhood friend�and that silly boy's father. Especially from him. Where his feet were taking him, he did not know, and he did not care�away was all that mattered.
Aimlessly, he wandered, his mind clouded with thoughts and images that were jumbled, disjointed, and yet were of all the same thing, the same troubling individual. Time passed, but the prince was hardly aware of it; he could not focus on anything other than the turbulent emotions roiling around inside of him. They were too strong, and the images too enticing, and yet� and yet as he continued to walk further and further away, they began to lessen.
Yes� they were actually beginning to wane. The ache of need that suffused his entire being slowly melted into the background of his mind, as a strange feeling of warmth pushed its way through to the forefront to take its place. It was a lightness, a warm, fuzzy dizziness, in his head that spread down through his body into every molecule, soothing the ache, easing the tension, giving him a most welcome feeling of peace and blessed relief.
Thank Kami�
The prince soundlessly repeated the words over and over as the thick, tranquilizing sensation increased, oozing across his mind, seeping into his bones, stealing every disturbing thought, every painful emotion, and replacing them all with a single, uncomplicated feeling of warm, wonderful bliss. Vejiita paused for a moment in his movements to lean heavily against a lamppost as another wave of splendid vertigo washed over him. Oh, Kami, yes�
This was what he needed. Nothing else had been able to quell the infernal cravings that had relentlessly besieged him, and this was also kind and benevolent enough to wipe away his mournful suffering, as well. His eyes rolled back into his head as the prince breathed a deep sigh of gratified relief. He would definitely have to get more of those pills�
"Well, look what we have here," an unfamiliar voice said from somewhere nearby. "Look what's traveled all the way from uptown just for a visit!"
Vejiita forced his eyelids open, and saw five young men come to a halt before him. They were all dressed in a motley array of dark clothing that projected menace and intimidation by their very design, yet their apparel was of no real interest to the Saiyajin prince. It was the predatory gleam in their eyes that instantly informed Vejiita just what type of human scum he was dealing with. A grin slowly stretched across his features. The drug had already put him in a hell of a good mood� it just couldn't get any better than this.
"Oh, I think he's glad to see us," another one said with a laugh.
"Naw," the first chimed in again. "Look at his eyes. This guy's flying so high, he probably can't even see straight! Probably thinks he knows us or something."
"Oh, but I do," Vejiita declared softly, wickedly. "I know you all very, very well."
"Ha! Is that so?" the first, the apparent leader of the group, returned with a snort. "Funny, I'm pretty damn sure I'd remember that hair!" They all snickered at that.
"You were a low-level soldier who laughed once at one of Dodoria's little monkey jokes," the prince began, pointing randomly at one of the young punks. "I blew a hole through your heart the second that fat, pink blob of lard left the room. You�" He pointed to another. "You were in command of a sanitizing raid on the planet Kelchi, but you bungled it so badly with your rampaging hormones that I had to make a bloody example of you in front of everyone. And you� I vaporized you completely because you dared to poke your finger in my face one day. And you," he said, pointing to yet another, "were stupid enough to think that Saiyans were highly overrated in their fighting abilities. Well, I showed you just how wrong you were� even Frieza laughed aloud when I finally ripped your arms out of their sockets. And you." He indicated the leader last of all. "Well, you were just a poor, ugly bastard, so I melted your face off just for the hell of it."
By now, all five of them were gaping at him openly, wide-eyed, mouths ajar, and utterly dumbfounded in their expressions.
"Of course, that certainly was a long time ago," Vejiita went on, his grin turning sinister. "I suppose if you walked away right now, I might just forget the past and actually let you live this time around. The choice is all yours." His arms crossed in front of him.
The leader of the small gang was the first to recover. "Man, you really took some strong stuff, didn't you?" he said, still incredulous. "And you know what they say about doing drugs� it'll kill you in the end." With that, the young punk stepped toward him, his hand balling into a fist.
The Saiyajin prince chuckled with evil delight. "I was hoping you'd decide that." He drew upon his ki�
�and instantly faltered. Vejiita's eyes went wide in surprise. He could not feel it! He could not feel�
The fist hammered into his face, knocking him backward against the lamppost, where he banged his head with bruising force. Shimatta! Where was his power? Where�
This time, his body reacted to the attack the way it should, and his arm reflexively blocked the incoming blow. Then the Saiyan warrior quickly counter punched with the other, ramming it brutally into the man's soft, unprotected gut. However, there was no force behind the blow other than pure muscle�the power of his ki was gallingly out of reach�yet the physical strength of his body was still more than a match for any weak human. The leader dropped to his knees, pale-faced and winded. The four other youths were already closing in. Vejiita prepared for them as best he could.
It was not as effortless as it should have been. Even without his ki he should have been able to take them all down without a hitch� yet that was not what occurred. His mind was not as sharp as it usually was; in fact, it was downright muddled in its current thinking capacity, the drug he had taken hazing over his command of focus and concentration. That's what probably happened to his ki, as well; he could not concentrate clearly enough to focus it. By ingesting those damned pills, the prince had all but cut himself off from his own power. It took everything Vejiita had left just to keep them off of him. And then, even that failed him.
The fog that was slowly eclipsing his mind grew more and more dense, and his reflexes more and more laggard. Still, he moved smoothly, cursively, through the fluid rhythm of the dance, his remaining wits immersed deep in the fervor of combat�so it came as a complete surprise to the Saiyan warrior when the sharp prick of a blade pierced his flesh. Where the skinny punk pulled the knife from was a total mystery to the prince; all of a sudden it was just there, sliding with grisly ease into his body just below his ribcage. His eyes went wide with shock, and then froze as they met those of the young man who shoved the blade into his side as deeply as he could.
Kuso� he knew that look, that feral glint in his attacker's eye. How many times had he worn that very expression? How many times had he smirked in triumph as this punk was now smirking at him? Frieza had worn such a distorted, jubilant expression, just before the malicious lunatic had pummeled him and his pride into the dust�just before the sadistic bastard had killed him. But this punk, this boy, was little older than Bura, and had a power level of�what?�five at the most. He could not sense it either way, but he knew it was definitely a far cry below his own. He was Vejiita, Saiyajin no Ouji� Super Saiyajin� Kami, this could not be happening�
The blade retracted with a rough yank, and then was rammed once again into the soft tissue of his belly, much more central and severe this time. It was strange though, there was little, if any, pain. Another effect of the tiny white pills, no doubt. The boy was saying something� a cruel, mocking taunt, probably. Vejiita could see his mouth moving, yet could no longer hear any sound at all. It was just as well.
The fist with the knife retreated once more, covered with dark, red blood, and that was when the Saiyan's knees gave out on him. One minute he was on his feet, cold, numb and bleeding, and the next he was staring up at the black, star-less sky, unable to move, barely able to breathe. He could taste his death, warm and metallic, in the back of his throat. It was all-too familiar, and yet utterly different�for this time he was alone. There was no Kakarotto standing there, gazing down at him with anxiety and concern engraved on his fair Saiyajin features.
Kakarotto�
The prince scarcely took note of the young men as their hands dispassionately searched his pockets, taking his wallet and whatever else of monetary value that he had on him. His eyes remained fixed on the dark sky, on the stars he could not discern for the bright lights of the city. Out there, that was where he had come from, where he had been born, among the stars, where he had been forged and refined by the brutal, pounding hammer of tyrants. Once, he had sorely endeavored to become like them, to beat them at their own game; now� now he was glad he had not. Frieza and his father would have sneered at the life he had lead since the maniac's gruesome death. Vejiita did not care in the slightest. It had been his life and his choice. He had become more powerful than the two of them could have ever dreamed possible; what he had done with that power was no one's business but his own. He was a prince without a kingdom, yet he had not sought to build or conquer a new one; that was not what he'd wanted. Vejiita had grown to cherish the life he had chosen, but he had really only wanted one thing�
Damn, he had still not defeated Kakarotto. However, after what had occurred during their last engagement, the prince knew that was no longer even an option. Goku had literally refused to fight him; the bond that lay vexingly between them had stripped the large Saiyajin of any remaining possibility of a true, all-out, cutthroat battle�and the man had already been as good as hopeless in that regard. Kami, what he'd had to do to get him to fight for real the last time�
Ah well, there was no hope for it now� there was no hope for anything now�
The sky grew darker, more obscure� had somebody called the dragon? Ah, no� no one knew where he was, nor what had happened� and there would be no more magical resurrections for him. Not that he would wish for such a thing. Hn� nor anyone else. Of course, knowing that low-class fool, he would probably try anyway.
Kakarotto�
It was funny how he'd never realized before how beautiful the man was� when he wasn't acting like an idiot, of course. Too bad that wasn't very often� like in battle� Kakarotto was absolutely magnificent when he was fighting� he had always known that� he just hadn't known� his face� his body� his eyes� his� his�
Kami� it was insane� but� he didn't want to die alone� he� he wanted� he� wanted�
His fading awareness skimmed along the edges of the bond, tentatively gliding across the bright, silky warmth that was Kakarotto, brushing against his goodness, feeling the gentle peacefulness of his soul, not enough to draw attention to himself, but just enough to allow the other Saiyan's brilliant heat to warm the ever-darkening chill of solitude.
Kakarotto�
Vejiita released a soft sigh, and then let the darkness claim him.
* * * * *
"Dad?"
At the sound of the bright, inquiring tone of his son, Goku blinked, startled out of his private reflections.
"Are you going to eat that?"
The question surprised the large Saiyajin, for he had totally forgotten about the food stacked right in front of him. That was not like him. He glanced over to see Goten eyeing the last remaining plateful with undisguised yearning. Goku shook his head negatively. That was not like him, either, but he could not seem to help it. His mind was too preoccupied to contend even with much-beloved nourishment. Goten, however, didn't seem to notice, and merely grinned as he snagged hold of the plate and happily settled it in place before him. Goku smiled faintly, and then fell back into his inward musings.
Vejiita�
The Saiyan prince was all he could think about. It was strangely unsettling, for he had never been so� obsessed with anyone before. Goku could not remember a time where he had just sat and fretted over someone. Bulma, perhaps, when he had been fruitlessly seeking a cure for her illness, or Chichi, after her sudden, unexpected death one winter's morning. Yet even those unhappy days had been nothing when compared to the all-consuming obsession he now felt for Vejiita; he thought about the man all the time, and it was beginning to affect every aspect of his existence.
The house seemed terribly empty again, and sadness and loneliness would besiege him every time he walked through the door. His once overly-healthy appetite was now sporadic at best, for sometimes he would simply forget to eat. Sleeping was becoming more and more difficult, as well; the dreams that haunted him through the night would evaporate upon waking, yet Goku knew they were almost always about the prince. And training� Kami, that was a complete joke. Vejiita dominated every single second he tried to do that. His powers of concentration were at absolute nil; all thoughts were wholly engrossed with a longing for the prince to be there with him. Training was boring without Vejiita. Everything was boring without Vejiita�
That was because Vejiita was so wonderfully exciting. Sparring with the smaller Saiyajin had become the high point of his day�that had been true for years now. No one else could surprise him, could force him to be always on his guard, could give him that thrilling rush of adrenaline that he needed to make life fun and worthwhile. Vejiita constantly challenged him to be better, faster, stronger, and smarter. The prince's lightning-quick mind was a fascinating puzzle he was continually trying to figure out, to understand�Kami, just to keep up with! And since the bond�
Goku involuntarily breathed a sigh. In the beginning, he had scarcely noticed the bond that had formed between them. No. That wasn't exactly true. He had actually been very aware of it, aware of Vejiita and everything the grieving man had been feeling, to the point of distraction. What he had not been aware of was how unusual such a thing was�he had thought nothing out of the ordinary after the bonding had taken place. Although, now that the bond had been practically silenced�
Oh, Kami� he felt as if someone had cut off a limb or something. It was almost like after his tail had been removed; his balance had been off for a long while afterward, and he had kept trying to move it, only to look and remember it was no longer there. Yet with Vejiita it was far, far worse; it was as if a vital part of his being had been severed, and he kept looking, feeling, around for his presence, for that missing part of himself that he needed to simply exist. Only Vejiita refused to have anything at all to do with him. Nothing else in his life had ever wounded him so deeply. The pain, the knowledge that the one person in the entire universe he needed, not only did not want him, but truly despised him, slashed him clear to the bone. Vejiita's hatred was like a toxic poison in his blood, burning, scorching, searing through his veins with excruciating agony, then circling through his system to burn through him all over again�it was an endless loop of sheer, blistering hell. And by coming here tonight, he had just dumped both salt and vinegar on the open, bleeding wound.
Vejiita�
Kami, he had looked so good! There had always been this current of energy charging the air between them whenever the two Saiyajin came into close proximity of each other, but tonight� he had felt the electricity sizzle through to his very toes! Seeing the man again had been like taking a senzu after being utterly drained of all strength. His arms had wanted to reach for him almost unthinkingly, reach for him and draw him close, to embrace him and, somehow, to reconnect that which had gone missing. Only Vejiita could do that, but once again the prince had coldly and ruthlessly shunned him. There had been just that one time that the angry Saiyajin had even acknowledged him after their initial encounter, and that bizarre confrontation was still revolving confoundedly through his mind. Some of it, though, he had already puzzled out.
That woman� Vejiita had slept with that red-haired woman� and very recently. The heavy scent of that was unmistakable; it had simply taken him a minute to register the fact. Or had it? He still didn't understand his own reaction to her, or, rather, his reaction to the scent of Vejiita all over her. Kami, he could have killed the woman�
But Vejiita had stopped him, the grip on his arm strong and demanding, the glare in his eyes harsh and rebuking.
Kakarotto no baka!
Vejiita had known.
Don't think to blame this on me. You have no say in what I do, and no right to whine after the fact.
Vejiita had understood exactly what Goku was doing, and why he was doing it. Which could only mean it had something to do with the bond, or it was something Saiyajin�perhaps it was both. Even now the thought that Vejiita had� had�
His face went completely scarlet, but the emotions behind the flush were so jumbled, he couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or angry or merely flustered at the images that popped so vividly into his brain. Oh, Kami, what�
Kakarotto�
His head snapped up in sudden startlement, and his eyes immediately darted around the room. What? Goku could see nothing, so he rose from his seat to continue his visual survey.
"Dad?" Goten questioned beside him. But the older Saiyan could not spare a moment to reply. His senses spiraled outward.
Kakarotto�
Goku stopped breathing. Then he quickly turned his search inward, and there, came to an abrupt halt. He felt it, the barest trace of a probe flickering against his soul, touching him briefly, gently, like a kiss as soft as a butterfly's wing�
Kakarotto�
�and then it quietly slipped away.
Goku blinked, and then sucked in a much-needed breath of air. Vejiita�
The prince had felt so strange, so� lost. No. It was� he was� Kuso! He could not put a label on it; whatever it was, it had simply felt wrong. Not like Vejiita at all. Kami, why had the man�
A cry was torn brutally from his throat, and Goku found himself on his knees, shaking almost uncontrollably.
"Dad!" Goten was there in an instant, his hand grasping his shoulder in concern. "What's the matter?"
This time, the large Saiyan could not reply; he was too shaken, too thoroughly horrorstruck. The feeling rocked him again, more terrible than before, and his soul began to shriek in response, to negate the horrifying realization that was now quaking through every iota of his being.
Vejiita was dying.
Goku shook his head in swift, violent reaction, affirming his soul's inward scream of denial. Without ceremony, he pushed his son away, then pressed his fingers desperately to his forehead. VejiitaVejiitaVejiitaVejiitaVejiita�
The man's ki felt odd, and was practically nonexistent, but he found it anyway. There simply was no other option. The dining hall vanished� and was instantly replaced with a dark, narrow alleyway.
A group of young men were laughing amongst themselves and walking away, nearing a street in the distance. They suddenly halted, jerking their attention toward him, and then froze a moment in astonishment. Then, as a unified whole, they turned to flee. Goku paid them no mind whatsoever. His eyes were already scanning through the dark shadows of the alley, urgently seeking any visible sign of the Saiyajin prince.
He could not see him, but he could still feel him. Vejiita was here, somewhere�
A groan of frustration rumbled out through gritted teeth, and he fought a wave of panic that threatened to incapacitate. He could not stop. If he even hesitated, Vejiita would die. Like an obstinate bloodhound, Goku followed the faint signature of ki, so weak in its power that he feared himself already too late. No. He could not think that. Vejiita was alive, and he was�
Goku blinked. Kuso!! A second later he was ripping the lid off the hinges of a large trash bin situated near the end of the long alleyway. He peered anxiously inside�
A soft, strangled sound warbled anguishingly within his throat.
The Prince of the Saiyans had been tossed thoughtlessly inside like so much garbage, his limbs strewn carelessly about, his angular face bled white, and the front of his shirt soaked dark crimson, through and through, with blood. Too much blood. Oh, Kami�
He had to act. NOW.
In less than a second, he was inside, gently lifting the injured man into his arms. Vejiita�
Think. He needed� he needed� senzu! Of course! Senzu beans� he had some at home. No, wait� Kuso! He had used the last one himself when Vejiita had beaten him so badly. Goku growled aloud. Selfish bastard! He hadn't had to use it, but Gohan had been so insistent! He�
No. Stop. Think.
Karin. Karin could give him more� No. He had already tried to get some more last week. The new crop wasn't ready yet. Kuso! Vejiita felt so light in his arms, and so horribly limp. The bond quivered grievously, once again, ominously threatening to snap at any given second.
Baka! He instantly sent a surge of ki streaming into the motionless form of the prince.
Now, think, damn it!
Senzu� senzu� Kuririn? No, he didn't have any either� senzu� He glanced down at the smaller Saiyajin's still, bloodless features. Of course! A second later the two men faded out� and then reappeared in the dark sky above Capsule Corp.
Goku quickly landed on the upper balcony and kicked his way through the double doors into the bedroom beyond. With careful ease he laid Vejiita on the bed, and then flicked on the nearest light. It had to be here somewhere�
The prince always kept a spare senzu tucked away in his glove, and Goku had always made sure that Vejiita had that spare whenever it was needed. It was just something the larger Saiyan had been doing for years. And the spare senzu was certainly needed now. Goku's eyes leapt around the room in search of the white gloves. Not on the dresser, nor in the dresser. Not in the closet. Not� not anywhere! Kuso! Where could they be? The house was huge! He didn't have time to search the whole damned thing! Oh, Kami�
Goku blinked. Kami. Baka! Dende! Dende could heal him! He growled angrily at his unforgivable stupidity, and then turned back toward�
Hold it! There. Just inside the bathroom, beside the sink�a pair of white gloves! They were in his trembling fingers a heartbeat later, and he shook the gloves rapidly over his palm, first the right, and then the�
A single bean tumbled out, and in his haste, Goku nearly dropped it. Then it was clenched tightly within his fist, and he let out a small sigh of relief before tossing the gloves aside and hurrying back to the man on the bed.
Upon reaching Vejiita's side, Goku sat down on the edge and gently scooped him halfway into his arms, cradling the smaller Saiyan tenderly. Then he gingerly tilted the man's head back and inserted the senzu into his mouth, using his index finger to shove the tiny thing as far back into Vejiita's throat as he could manage. From there, he had to outwardly massage his throat in order to physically coax the bean the rest of the way down. Then he let his hand move to cup the other Saiyan's cheek, and silently prayed for the senzu to work, otherwise he'd be speaking directly to Dende's face very, very soon. And then he felt it� he felt the magic of the bean work.
Vejiita's energy level spiked dramatically upward, carrying him well out of the range of danger, though Goku double-checked just to make sure. He peeled open the blood-soaked shirt to examine the skin beneath, and observed, to his increasing relief, the last vestiges of the prince's injuries knit themselves together once more into a flawless whole. His fingers traced lightly over the now unblemished skin of Vejiita's abdomen, and the force of the larger Saiyan's relief became overwhelming.
Goku hugged the prince closely to his chest, and submerged his face in the warm, wondrous crook of his neck. With a tremulous sigh, he breathed in and out the splendid scent that was Vejiita, and wordlessly blinked away a few hot tears that had gathered in heartfelt gratitude. Thank you, Kami�
"Vejiita," he murmured aloud, his voice low and thick with emotion. His head lifted and his eyes swept over the man's now healthy-looking visage. His fingers rose to gently caress the dark line of Vejiita's eyebrow and then trail down his soft, smooth cheek. "Vejiita," he called to him again.
The prince, however, did not reply, nor did he move. Goku's brow furrowed.
"Vejiita!" he tried again, louder this time, and more insistent. When there was still no reaction whatsoever, the large Saiyajin gently shook the man and called his name yet again. But he received no response from the silent figure in his arms.
Goku stared down at him in utter bewilderment and mounting anxiety. What was wrong? The senzu had worked, he saw it, he felt it, so why hadn't the prince regained consciousness? What had happened to the man? With the possible exception of himself, Vejiita was the most powerful person that he knew. Who could have done this to him? And how? He had not felt any high ki surges, not Vejiita's nor anyone else's. So what had happened? He had to know�
His hand slid automatically to the prince's forehead.
You don't go mucking around in another Saiyan's mind! Not without their permission! Not ever!!
Vejiita's words leapt out from his memory with blaring clarity.
What was I supposed to do? Just let you die?
Yes!! You should have let me die!
Goku hesitated for just a second longer, and then he swiftly banished the remembrance and proceeded with a fierce look of determination. Death was not an option, no matter the consequence. With veritable ease, his mind sank into Vejiita's most recent memories.
They came to him in quick flashes, mostly just images accompanied by a few lingering traces of emotion. He saw bits of a fight with five young men, and felt Vejiita's surprise at his apparent inability to hold them off. The large Saiyan cringed in horror when he vicariously experienced the knife stabbing into Vejiita's body. Why? What had happened to the man's power? Goku sifted backward, searching for an answer. Murky flashes of the prince walking alone. Talking to Trunks outside the party. Swallowing a handful of pills. A picture of himself with a pleading expression on his�
Swallowing a handful of pills. That was it. Whatever those pills were, they were the reason he had not been able to power-up, and they were also the reason he was not waking now. If the drug was strong enough, it would distort the mind's ability to center and focus the power of ki, and the senzu bean healed wounds and restored energy; it did not clear the body of contaminates, whether a drug or a disease, as Goku well knew. But why had Vejiita taken them? The only answer he got for that was a vague flicker of despair. Oh, Vejiita�
His hand fell away to encircle the prince once again, drawing his unconscious form snugly against him. He bowed his head until his lips came to a warm rest against the smaller Saiyan's temple. Kami, how could Vejiita do that to himself? Didn't he know that he was here for him? That he would do anything to help him? Didn't he know how much he was loved?
"I love you, Vejiita," he whispered, and pressed his lips more firmly to his skin. Then he withdrew slightly only to press them once more against his brow, and then his nose, and then his cheekbone, his cheek, and then finally upon the man's lips. A shiver ran up his spine at the soft contact, and he had to mentally force his mouth away from them as he recalled the prince's severe admonition. The desire to taste Vejiita once again was unbelievably powerful, and his tongue slicked over his own lips just thinking about it. He would not be able to sit here holding the man and continue to resist. He had to think of something else to do�
But Goku could not help himself; his eyes grazed over the prince hungrily, adoringly, devouring his features, taking in his appearance�
The tall Saiyajin blinked. Kami, the man was a mess� His clothing was literally drenched with blood, and he had been found lying on a heap of garbage. Neither the sight nor smell of either really bothered Goku now that Vejiita was out of danger, however, he knew that the typically immaculate prince would be outraged. His pride had already taken a serious blow the second that knife had pierced his flesh, yet Goku knew from the mind scan that the man was quite unaware that the damned punks had dumped his body in a filthy trash bin. Hopefully, he would never find out. Goku instantly resolved to make sure of it.
"Which means I'd better get you cleaned up," he murmured softly to the oblivious man. Goku heaved a sigh, and then forcibly compelled himself to release the delectable figure and lay him back down on the bed. Then he set about removing Vejiita's bloodstained clothing.
Goku pulled the dark jacket off his shoulders, and down each arm, lifting Vejiita's back slightly to tug it free. The once pale-colored shirt beneath was a complete loss, so the large Saiyan merely ripped the blood-soaked garment from his body with ease. The pants came off next, followed by the man's socks and shoes, leaving the prince totally bare for the task at hand.
Without another thought, Goku lifted his motionless form into his arms and carried him into the bathroom. He paused for only a moment, taking in the sight of both the oval bathtub and the large shower beside it, and immediately decided that the shower would be quicker and easier for him to manage. It was only after he'd opened the shower door and moved to carry Vejiita inside that he realized his predicament. A frown creased his forehead as he swiftly contemplated his options. Then he gave a tiny shrug and lowered the prince to the tiled floor of the shower, propping him up in the corner. Then he proceeded to take off his own clothing.
He noted absently that his clothes were also smeared with Vejiita's blood, and recognized that the old brown suit was probably ruined forever, as well. But it was hardly the first time he'd ruined an outfit with blood. Probably wouldn't be the last, either. A wistful smile touched his lips for a second as a mental image of Chichi leapt to his mind, his wife madly waving a finger at him, scolding him harshly for his perpetual carelessness. The careless incidents had only increased without her there to watch out for him. Goku sighed, shaking his head, and then he stepped into the shower and closed the door behind him.
It took him a few moments to properly adjust the water temperature of the unfamiliar controls, but soon he had a nice warm stream trickling down his body. Then he turned to regard the silent, bloodstained prince. After a considering pause, he reached down to lift him up, hoisting him up under the arms, and then curled his own arm around the smaller Saiyan's torso, drawing his back against his own chest. In effect, it allowed him to hold the unconscious man and still have a free hand to wash him. Bringing them both under the steaming water, Goku grabbed the bar of soap and began lathering up. Then he brought his soapy hand to Vejiita's abdomen and gently started to spread it over his skin.
From his position, Goku could not really see what he was doing, so he merely felt his way across the man's body as he cleansed him, hoping he was doing a decent job of it. His fingers slid over the wet, slippery surface of Vejiita's stomach, then moved up to wash his chest, where he had to adjust his hold to get as much of him as he could. Then he paused to gather more suds to smooth them across his shoulders, up and down his neck, and then finally over the flesh and muscle of his arms. Goku's eyelids drooped and then fell closed as his palms glided over the soft skin of Vejiita's body, his mind growing somewhat hazy, becoming mesmerized by the feel of the muscular prince beneath his touch, his fingers glissading in an almost circular pattern as they memorized the various lines, scars and imperfections that characterized him here and there. They spoke of the man's life, hard and exacting, and of his great love for battle, as potent and predominate as his own, if not more so. Vejiita was a supreme warrior, a prince among a warrior race of beings whose fierceness and fury would never be seen again; Goku's own race, though he had repudiated the fact often enough. That was out of reaction to Raditz, he knew.
That one day, so long ago� the day he had lost nearly everything. First his self-assurance, as he'd been confronted by a warrior with, at that time, an unimaginably powerful ki. Then his humanity, as the large man with the familiar tail had proceeded to inform him of his alien heritage. And then his son, as the man who claimed to be his brother had kidnapped Gohan and sent Goku reeling into the ground, helpless to do anything to stop him. Then, finally, his very life. After that, he'd wanted no part of being Saiyajin. The battle against Nappa and Vejiita had only deepened that resolve�until that moment when he'd needed it. That moment he'd had nothing left, when he had failed to destroy the monster that intended to kill his son and his friends. Kuririn's death had been the final straw. At that moment, he had embraced that violent heritage, had embraced every word Vejiita had spoken of pride and power and retribution. The human Goku had not been able to defeat Frieza; the Super Saiyajin Kakarotto had had to emerge to do it for him.
A smile curved his mouth as his fingers continued their venerating massage of the sublime body pressing against him. Kakarotto. It had really irritated him, at first, that Vejiita only addressed him by his Saiyan name�until he'd finally realized that the prince was actually honoring him by acknowledging him as a member of his proud race. He wasn't sure if Vejiita really intended it that way, but that was how Goku chose to take it. For all the numerous insults of his third-class standing and low-level birthright, Vejiita looked down his nose at humans even more. Then again, Goku would be the first to admit that he never understood the prince's tiered view of the universe. Well, whatever the intention, he had learned to love the deep, husky sound of the name rolling off Vejiita's tongue. Now he wouldn't have the man call him anything else. The smile lingered on his face as he slowly lowered it to warmly nuzzle Vejiita's ear. Kami, he smelled so good� and he felt� hnnnnnnnn� even better�
His hand traveled once more over the smooth contours of Vejiita's skin, gently rinsing away any lingering soap, and silently reveling in the sensational feel of the man. Almost instinctively, Goku tightened his grip, pulling his body closer, clasping his own seamlessly against the solid, naked flesh of the prince. The wild, electric tremor that shuddered through the larger Saiyan's body was divine, was too frightfully delicious, and it made him gasp aloud with shock intermingled profusely with mounting desire. Oh, Kami�
He felt his body respond to the heavenly contact as it had once responded to the intimate embrace of his lovely Chichi, only� Kami! This was so much more! The thick, musky scent pervading his nostrils cast a spicy flavor of passion to the hot, tightening sensation in his loins, and it was threatening to overwhelm him completely! He wanted�needed�to touch the man. To touch him, to taste him, to devour him�and not just his mouth this time, but the unequivocal whole of him�and, Kami, to receive his touch in return! His hand skimmed spontaneously across the bare, wet flesh yet again, roaming freely up Vejiita's muscular torso, basking shamelessly in the fiery reaction of his own body that had not felt such a marvelous feeling in well-over three long years. With near reckless abandon he caressed the prince's shoulder, then lightly dragged his fingers across his collarbone; then up the soft neck to tilt his chin back so he could better view the man's temporarily peaceful-looking features. Goku cupped Vejiita's cheek, and softly brushed his sensuous lips with his thumb.
No, we can't eat yet, not until you promise never to� taste me again. Understood?
A groan of frustration that was half whimper and half growl rumbled in the back of his throat, where a lump of hard, aching emotion gathered just moments later. Tears of bitter longing pricked his eyes, even as his fingers lovingly kissed the man's beautiful face. Vejiita�
And that was when his mind finally registered the sound. The noise of the shower had muffled it greatly; either that or his mind had been befogged even more than he'd thought. But now, with the prince's face being held so painfully near, he was able to make it out quite clearly. Goku's eyes went wide in utter astonishment, and he had to slide his hand down to the man's throat to verify his own auditory senses. The faint vibration was unmistakable�the Prince of all Saiyajin was purring.
For a moment, Goku could only stare at him, absolutely stunned, and then, "Vejiita?" Kami, was the man actually awake? Or could he do that while still sleeping? He tried to recall if Chichi had ever mentioned whether he had purred in his sleep or not; he knew he sometimes did it when awake�whenever he was feeling really, really good, that is. His head cocked to the side. Did that mean Vejiita was feeling really, really good right now? "Vejiita?" he called to him again, patting his cheek to try to bring him around.
A soft moan broke through the steady rhythm of the purr for just a second, but then that quiet, contented sound resumed�and was starting to give the larger Saiyan goose bumps. "Vejiita, can you hear me?"
Another small moan escaped through the low, throaty vibration that was performing exquisite pirouettes around Goku's eardrums; his whole body began to shiver in reaction, despite the steaming heat of the water. And then he saw the man's lashes flutter, then slowly attempt to open a moment later. It took him a little while, his eyelids sluggishly rising and falling several times before managing the customarily simple feat, and then a while after that for his dark, glazed eyes to focus in on Goku's features. The smile that eased over the larger man's countenance was bright and warm and chock-full of relief.
"Vejiita," he greeted him warmly, gently stroking his cheek in delighted affection. The prince, however, merely blinked up at him, slowly, in response, as if still not quite cognizant. Goku's smile faded. "Are you all right? he asked him, concern tingeing his inflection. Again, Vejiita just stared, his black eyes glassy and unfathomable as they seemingly bore through him, straight into his soul. And then he moved.
Slowly, lethargically, the smaller Saiyan's hand drifted upward, feeble and unsteady under the influence of the drug, until the tips of his fingers reached the vicinity of Goku's face, and, having achieved the approximate destination, began to graze lightly over the planes of his visage. Goku's breath caught in his throat at the soft, examining touch; Vejiita's probing hand was unusually gentle as he fingered his brow, his eye, his cheek, and then brushed faintly, softly, across his lips. The prince blinked a few more times as Goku gazed down at him in breathless wonder, and then Vejiita's hand swept upward once again to thread his fingers deep into the unruly spikes of his hair. The hand tightened into a fist, gripping the raven locks tightly, and then the smaller Saiyajin pulled, not hard, just adamantly firm, drawing his head downward to where his mouth finally clashed, somewhat clumsily, against that of the prince.
It startled him, so much so that he gasped sharply as his lips slid warmly, unexpectedly, against Vejiita's, giving the other Saiyan the perfect opportunity to thrust his tongue deep into his mouth, which Vejiita did with a low, growling purr. For one long, glorious moment, Goku found himself unable to think, unable to move, as that warm, wet tongue leisurely explored, slipping over his teeth, gliding across his tongue, teasing the roof of his mouth, and then slowly winding to engage his tongue more directly, more thoroughly. The sensation was splendid, electrifying, and instantly jolted the larger Saiyan into action.
His tongue entered the marvelous melee with unbridled relish, besieging the prince's own with deft, passionate strokes that instantly left him wanting more, painfully rekindling the inner cravings of his soul to consume the man in every way possible. Vejiita's movements, although intense and passionate, were still slow and dilatory, so Goku's quicker, more aggressive fervor overpowered him easily.
With a deep, impassioned growl that was almost animalistic in nature, Goku had Vejiita's hard, muscular body held firmly against the tiled wall of the shower, his own pressing closely, deliciously, against him, the slick, nude form of the prince a treasure he wished to wholly devour. His mouth moved ardently against Vejiita's, his tongue delving inside the ambrosial warmth, partaking of the sweetness, cherishing his unique flavor, and all the while wanting, needing, more. His lips broke free of the warm, delectable bounds, and the large Saiyan sent them outward to fulfill his quest, stealing across the beautiful face, leaving a hot, wet, savoring trail of kisses. The trail blazed down the man's neck, Goku's tongue flicking out to lick and taste and torment as he went, the soft, unintelligible noises rumbling out from the prince's throat spurring him on zealously.
Vejiita's hand, still entwined within Goku's hair, suddenly let go to slip down to the large Saiyan's shoulders, where his fingers abruptly dug themselves in as he let his head loll to the side, granting Goku more access to his smooth bronze skin. Goku thanked him with a groan of pure pleasure, and then resumed his assault on the man's collarbone, his tongue dipping into the soft hollow that rested at its center. Then the smaller Saiyan's hand moved again, this time to slide down Goku's wide back, even as his other arm rose to join it, encircling him from the opposite side, his palms gliding over his skin, his arms tugging him closer. Goku was swift to oblige, rocking his hips against smaller man, rubbing his straining arousal against his slippery wet abdomen, and then moaning aloud at the divine surge of pleasure that suddenly darted through his body. Oh, Kami, Vejiita�
The prince's hands slithered further downward to clench his buttocks and drag him forward again, this time pressing his own obvious arousal into Goku's muscular thigh. The large Saiyajin moaned again, the low, guttural sound mirroring Vejiita's as he lowered his head to reclaim the man's mouth. His tongue swirled into the heated warmth, twining about Vejiita's own, as their bodies slid against each other once more with slick, glorious friction. Then the smaller Saiyan's fingers advanced upward, dancing little circles over the soft, padded flesh of his buttocks, dancing, whirling, twirling, up and up, toward the base of his spine�
The cry that burst forth from his throat was feral, savage, and echoed deafeningly through the shower chamber. His head tossed back involuntarily, his vision dissolving into bright, gyrating speckles of white and grey. An overpowering rush of sheer, torturous delight quaked through his body, firing through his bloodstream, tingling through his every nerve, and shearing the strength from his limbs. His knees hit the shower floor with a dull thud. His arms were shaking, but were still wreathed around Vejiita's waist. The prince was still propped with his back to the wall and somehow managed to keep his feet; Goku's face leaning closely against his chest was probably a large part of the reason.
Vejiita's fingers sank deep into the dark spikes of Goku's hair, clasping his head to him tightly for several lengthy moments, and then they wordlessly tipped his head back. His body trembling, Goku lifted his eyes to the other Saiyajin, peering up into his face, falling hopelessly into the dark, shimmering depths of liquid onyx. A smile quirked the corner of the man's mouth, yet it was utterly different from the cruel, mocking smirk that usually adorned the prince's familiar visage. It was� softer, warmer, and his black eyes shone down on him with a bright, scintillating gleam that Goku had never seen in them before. It was an expression that made the large Saiyan tremble even more; the look in Vejiita's eyes shooting giddy darts of pleasure throughout his already overly-aroused body. And then, with his hands still coiled within Goku's hair, the prince slowly lowered his face until it was mere inches from the kneeling Saiyajin.
"Beautiful," he whispered softly, reverently, and then dipped his chin to lightly graze his tongue over Goku's lips, once� twice� oh, Kami�
And then the prince withdrew, the glimmering spark in his eyes remaining, the peculiar smirk growing slightly wider. Goku gazed up at him in silent wonder for a brief minute, and then he felt the hands holding his head begin to gently exert a subtle pressure. Downward. Vejiita was pushing his head downward; his gaze followed. Toward his�
Goku's eyes flashed back upward in surprise. Vejiita returned the look unflinchingly, the smirk affixed and his eyes now burning with� lust. Yes, that was it. That bright, intensive gleam in his eyes was pure, unadulterated lust. Kami� and the smaller Saiyajin was telling him, not so subtly, that he wanted him to satisfy that intense desire. Goku dropped his gaze once more, and allowed the prince to lower his head further. Chichi had done this to him a few times, so he knew what was expected, what Vejiita wanted of him. It had just surprised him that the prince wanted him to do it, that that look of desire was directed at himself. Kami, this whole night felt completely unreal! It had gone from horrific nightmare to unimaginable dream in mere minutes! And now, the thought of pleasuring Vejiita, of truly tasting him, in this manner�
A shudder of anticipation shimmied up his spine, and Goku realized that this was what he'd been avidly thirsting for, for weeks! His arms drew back to grant his hands access to the man's hips, to continue to hold him up and to give himself more room to maneuver. Then his tongue emerged to lightly, experimentally, brush against the long, silky shaft of Vejiita's erection.
Oh, Kami�
A small noise sounded in the prince's throat, part sigh and part moan of gratified bliss. The sound penetrated deep into Goku's soul, even as the taste and feel of the man glided wondrously over his hungering taste buds. He licked him again, his tongue running over the entire length of him this time, tasting him fully, reveling in the thick hardness and in the soft, smooth texture, and instantly craving more. His mouth closed over the tip, his tongue circling slowly, his lips caressing luxuriously� and Vejiita moaned again, deeper, louder, and in unrestrained enjoyment. Goku glanced up at his face as he swirled his tongue around, again and again, delighting in the sight of the prince, his lashes now closed, his head thrown back, his mouth parted and moaning every so often in absolute ecstasy.
The large Saiyajin nudged his chin forward, taking more of him into his mouth, then slowly retracted and repeated the movement, forward and backward, drawing the prince deeper and deeper into throat as his did so. Vejiita's fingers clawed at his wet, straggly hair, his moans increasing in length and volume as the rhythm increased within Goku's warm, relishing mouth. His hips struggled to move, to instinctively thrust deeper into his mouth, but Goku held them firm and still, keeping full control over both the depth and measure of the sensual motion. Vejiita's moans grew wild and frenzied, like that of a rabid beast entangled with another in a fierce, chaotic battle, and then his back arched against the shower wall, and hot, fiery liquid burst into Goku's mouth. For a moment, the larger man savored the sweet, salty flavor, and then he swallowed, just in time to catch the prince as his legs gave out.
Goku released his confining hold to allow the smaller man to fall into arms, which he folded around his well-sculptured shoulders immediately and drew him close. Vejiita clung to him wearily, his arms looping under Goku's, as he panted warmly, heavily, into curve of the larger Saiyan's neck. Then Goku felt the heat of his mouth on his skin, his tongue licking the sensitive area just below his jaw line in tender affection, and then the prince nuzzled himself comfortably into place against him and began to quietly purr once more. Goku just sat there and held him for several long moments, his eyes blinking widely in sudden disconcertion.
It was� over?
A dart of dismay abruptly lanced through him. But� he wasn't� he wanted� oh, Kami! His entire body was still screaming with want, with need, for� for� His eyes raked hungrily over the purring figure of bare perfection nestled snugly within his embrace. It didn't look like Vejiita was going to be moving anytime soon� let alone to give him anything that resembled what he'd just given the smaller man. Goku groaned aloud in sheer frustration, his body still quivering in the frenzied state of arousal Vejiita had so effectively propelled him to.
His eyelids fell closed as he lowered his face to the prince's flame of ebony hair and inhaled the damp, musky scent deep into his nostrils. Then he shifted his beautiful, muscular form in his arms, giving himself plenty of room, and then slipped a hand down to clasp his own swollen member. Breathing in the heady, masculine fragrance once again, Goku slowly began to stroke himself.
It was not something he did often, but there had been a few other times where he'd gotten himself all worked up, only to have Chichi throw him out of the bedroom for doing something wrong. He never did understand what. Chichi always seemed to be mad at him for some reason or another. And now that he thought about it, so did Vejiita. But Vejiita was� was�
He muffled a groan into the damp spikes of his hair, his hand moving faster and faster toward completion and relief. And then strong fingers clamped over his wrist, halting all movement. Goku jerked his head back in surprise to peer down into Vejiita's eyes, which were again open and now searing into his own with a steady blaze of bold possessiveness.
"Mine�" he purred softly, wickedly, the smirk curving the corner of his mouth once again. Then he firmly tugged Goku's hand away, and immediately replaced it with his own.
Goku sucked his breath through his teeth at the sudden contact of Vejiita's hot, groping hand. Then the prince's lips were on his, fierce and demanding, as he deftly twisted his body out of Goku's restricting embrace, only to attach himself once more to the larger Saiyajin on his own, more dominating terms.
His arm pushed Goku down roughly to the shower floor, unmindful of the warm droplets of water raining endlessly down upon them, his other hand never faltering from its sweet, caressing position around his erection. Then Vejiita's tantalizing mouth was on him again, licking, sucking, nipping at his lips, his fingers stroking in a marvelous steady cadence that had him instantly writhing with unbounded pleasure.
"Oh, Kami, Vejiita�" he groaned softly, when the man finally released his mouth to go lightly nipping down his throat. The smaller Saiyan's tongue was a phenomenal wonder that licked and danced and swirled its way down his body, lingering for a moment at his nipples to pay them both warm, glorious homage. Goku cried out at the splendid, favoring gesture, his back arching in response, his hips bucking wildly into the prince's hand. A low chuckle vibrated against his torso as Vejiita's talented mouth wandered farther down his body, gallivanting delightfully across his skin, lapping at the collecting droplets of water in the hollows and grooves of his abdomen. And then the rhythmic pressure gliding up and down his groin vanished, only to be instantly supplanted by the magical, scorching heat that was Vejiita's mouth.
Goku's eyes rolled back in his head as his moan of crazed, wanton rapture reverberated through the steam-filled chamber, and the Prince of all Saiyajin was only getting started. His masterful tongue danced divine miracles over the sensitive skin of his arousal, his hot, scalding mouth�oh, Kami, was he in love with that!�slid with excruciating ease down the hardened shaft, tearing shuddering gasps and barbarous moans from the larger man's throat. Goku had moved well beyond the range of rational thought and was now utterly lost in the abysmal realm of pure, primeval ecstasy. His head thrashed from side to side in quick, uncontrollable jerks, as his pelvis rose in avid offering to the prince who was slowly devouring him inch by wondrous inch. Vejiita's hands curled around his buttocks, accepting the offering without question, lifting his hips even higher to consume him more fully, his mouth gliding sensually, thoroughly, over the entire length of him. Goku gasped and grunted and groaned, and howled the man's name to the heavens like a fell, delirious lunatic, as the pleasure steadily mounted, growing, magnifying, surging deliciously throughout his entire being. Nothing human remained as the savage Saiyajin that dwelt deep within engulfed all senses, growling with feral delight as the heightening pleasure soared to all corners of his mind, body, and spirit, high� higher� higher�
The world went black� then exploded into a million colors that spun brilliantly, chaotically, behind hid eyelids, as his body violently spasmed with an aggrandized euphoria that, all at once, churned and melted and transported his every awareness to a whole new dimension of heaven. It was an eternity of moments spent basking in that bedazzling celestial realm before the mortal world, once again, came slowly into being around him.
He became aware of his own breathing first, great gulps of air heaving into his lungs, and then the gentle splatter of the water that still sprinkled warmly down upon him. His eyes fluttered open to gaze dazedly up at the ceiling, and then they widened and shot immediately to the figure kneeling wordlessly back on his haunches between his thighs. Vejiita's dark, obsidian eyes glistened with satisfaction and bright, exultant mirth, his lips curved in a knowing smirk as he silently returned his stare.
A rush of emotion, vast and all-encompassing, instantly flooded through every particle of Goku's soul. A short, strangled sob sounded agonizingly in the back of his throat, and then his arms were enveloping the strong, beautiful Saiyan prince, crushing his hard, muscular body tautly against him, his face submerging deep within the warm concave of his neck as several hot tears overwhelmed and overpowered him, only to be lost immediately amid the falling drops of water. His mouth nuzzled him fiercely, worshipping the soft skin of his neck, of his cheek, and then sliding to gently nibble on his lips.
"Vejiita," he breathed softly, adoringly, against his mouth. "I love you, Vejiita!"
Though he had said as much earlier, when holding the unconscious prince on the bed, it was nothing at all compared to the deep, intense feeling of love that virtually sought to burst out his chest. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. Though he loved Chichi, and he loved his children, even combined, it could not even come close to the staggering force of emotion that keenly jackhammered through him now. Vejiita was more. Vejiita was sheer perfection itself. Vejiita was everything.
"I love you, Vejiita," he fervently declared again, cradling the man against him, embracing his body lovingly. The prince, however, did not reply, at least not verbally. Instead, the smaller Saiyajin settled comfortably once more against his shoulder, and quietly began to purr. A smile of pure joy eased over Goku's features, as he lowered his head to snuggle affectionately against him, and then he picked up the sound himself, a contented purr vibrating soft and low in his chest.
