"Are you merely being persistent or do my words simply pass through that brainless head of yours?" he flipped back with a pointed stare. "I have already stated my intention�several times."
"Ah� I know," Goku said, the insult sliding harmlessly down his back. That divine mouth had exalted his name and consumed his skin far too many times now for such casual words to hold any real meaning. "I was just hoping you'd change your mind."
"They are your friends, Kakarotto. They have never been mine."
"That's not true, Vejiita. You have been coming to Master Roshi's barbecues for years."
"Hn. Did you think I would allow my mate to go anywhere near that old pervert and his depraved cronies alone?"
Goku tried not to let the implications of that statement affect him, but the offhanded inference of Vejiita's current view of their relationship�or the lack thereof�hurt far more deeply than all of the man's insults put together. No amount of impassioned whispers or searing kisses could assuage the underlying feeling of impermanence that ceaselessly nettled his insides. "Then what are you going to do?" he asked softly, his gaze dropping to the floor.
"That is none of your concern," the prince replied tersely. There was brief pause and then he heard the man release a sigh. "Go to your party, Kakarotto, eat, drink, play with your friends� I will be here when you return."
Goku's eyes rose at that. "Yeah?" He had hardly left Vejiita's side these past two weeks for fear of the man leaving.
Hard onyx burned with veracity, without flinching. "Yes. Now go."
A small grin curved its way across the tall Saiyan's features. "Okay� see you later, then!" He cast the prince a quick, exuberant wave and then vanished from the room.
"Baka," Vejiita muttered with a frown and a shake of his head. The frown deepened as the realization set in that he wasn't sure which of them he was referring to. Kakarotto didn't appear to be the one totally and completely confused. No, the fool seemed to know exactly what he wanted, and was trying everything in his power to convince his prince of the same. And though loathe to admit it, Vejiita found himself responding to the man's interminable efforts, each and every time.
How could he not? The man was an oozing bundle of warmth and love, endlessly patient, eternally giving, and all wrapped up in a breathtaking package of physical perfection. He had never seen such selfless devotion in a lover before� and certainly not directed toward himself! Bulma had loved him, but Kakarotto appeared to worship him with every fiber of his being. How was he supposed to withstand such an overwhelming manifestation of love? Kami� he didn't want to. On the contrary. He found himself wanting to wallow in that warm, inundating love forever. And yet�
Kami-sama� actually accepting it was a whole other matter.
A growl churned deep in his throat as he angrily pushed himself out of bed. It was time to deal with that matter. Hn, all of them. There would be no more craven avoidance.
He bathed quickly; Kakarotto had graciously left the tub filled for him. Then he dressed with similar determination, and yet carefully; he wanted to look his best for some altogether illogical reason. With deliberate intention, the prince donned his blue dress shirt and black slacks; a gift from Bulma and one of her favorite outfits on him. He was through evading recollections of her, pain or no. Time to confront them head on.
He arrived at Capsule Corporation with resolution intact, though his stomach was coiled into a zillion anguishing knots. No one was there to greet nor disturb him. Trunks was in all likelihood at that old man's barbecue along with everyone else. Yet the main house was not his intended destination. Mentally reinforcing his resolve, Vejiita slipped quietly down into the garden.
Silently, solemnly, he made his way past the wide variety of exotic flora and fauna that adorned the landscape, heading without vacillation toward the lone willow tree standing just through the large, flower-covered archway. There was a small, ornate bench strategically situated beneath its long, drooping branches, yet the prince chose to ignore it, coming to a halt beside it instead. Then his gaze fell to the ground, to the elegant marble stone marker that held few words, yet each one was a knife twisting painfully into his gut.
Bulma Briefs
Loving Wife and Mother
And below that the date he had lost her.
A frown tightened his mouth, furrowing his brow, for the marker was incomplete. Damn� he should have paid more attention, but he had been too aggrieved and had carelessly allowed others to take care of the details. The prince doubted he'd had the presence of mind to even make his wishes known. A sigh escaped him as he slowly eased his body down to his knees, his hand rising to lightly finger the engraved lettering.
I'm sorry, onna�
Dark lashes closed over hot, stinging eyes. Their whole time together, even after the bonding, he had called her that, as if she meant nothing to him, as if she was just some woman without name or proper title. Indeed, that had been the purpose of the derogatory address in the first place. Nevertheless, though annoyed by it, Bulma had finally seen through the belittling and deliberately distancing word�as she had seen through much of his angry, cold-hearted veneer. His mate had known how he felt, had known the word had become nothing more than a teasing habit. Still�
She had deserved far more.
His eyes opened and his fingers drifted upward from her name, to an empty space right above and directly center. A small charge of ki ignited his finger, which dipped into the hard marble as if carving in wet sand. His memory traced the lines, long unseen in this cold, cruel universe, but never forgotten. No, never that. Then his hand drew back and his breath blew away the lingering dust�and the symbol remained. The symbol of her true rank and title. The symbol of the Royal House of Vejiita.
"Forgive me," he murmured softly. "Forgive me for failing you� for always failing you. For being too weak to save you, and too weak to follow you. Forgive me for� for Kakarotto. Hn, though I know for a fact that if you are watching, you are currently laughing your ass off.
"Don't think I am unaware of your feelings regarding him. If he had shown even the slightest interest in you, you would have had him in your bed faster than even he could run. You worshipped him like a god, just like everyone else� and you wondered why I would sell my soul to defeat him.
"Well, now here I am. By some ironic twist of fate, I find I am bound to him by psychic chains I cannot break, addicted to his flesh like a dog in perpetual heat. Hn. Are you jealous, onna? And, dare I ask, of him or of me?" A wry smirk distorted his features. "No. Don't ever answer that. I truly do not want to know."
He paused for a moment, bowing his head as he gathered his thoughts. "Well, what should I do, Bulma?" he went on with a sigh. "Your opinion on the matter would be most helpful. Would you condemn me if I took another mate? Or would you merely continue laughing, shamelessly amused that I, of all people, now had� had� feelings for Kakarotto." Kami, he could barely speak the words. "Perhaps you would simply say 'I told you so', and rub it in my face how I hated him all these years. I may have had a change of heart, onna, but don't expect me to worship the man like all the rest of your pathetic friends. I am still his prince. But he� he is not what I thought at all.
"Perhaps I finally begin to understand who he is� something you've known all along, I'd wager. No wonder you would explode whenever I said something against him. He is�" Vejiita let his eyes dance absently over the dangling green leaves, as his mind sought the words to describe the complex, yet simple being that was Kakarotto. "He is flawless� well, in an altogether crude fashion. Still, when I peer into his heart, all I see is a blinding magnificence that defies everything I have ever known. He cannot be genuine� yet if he is, he cannot possibly love me.
"What could someone like that ever see in me? You, at least, understand me, because our flaws are so curiously similar. Kakarotto, however� how can he love me? Nevertheless, I see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, and feel it in his brilliant soul whenever he's with me. I do not comprehend it, yet I cannot seem to resist it, either. I want it� I want him."
There. He had said it aloud. Finally.
"I want him."
Vejiita's eyes fell shut once again, as the heartfelt declaration slowly settled in around his motionless, kneeling form.
"Well, I am sure that if you truly disapproved, onna, you'd find some way to come back and give me an earful." A small, almost wistful smirk touched his lips. "You've never had any trouble making your wishes known, and you've never let anything stand in your way of getting them. Which makes me wonder that you've left me at all," he added softly.
"I� I miss you, Bulma� and no matter what happens, I will always love you."
His hand traced over the indented letters one final time, and then the prince rubbed his burning eyes and slowly climbed to his feet. He tarried a moment longer, gazing wordlessly down at her grave�and then a sudden feeling of peace eased into his soul, gentle and soothing, as it tenderly caressed him with a soft, velvety touch like the lightest of feathers.
Vejiita blinked, and then a small smile lightly softened his features. It was smile that stayed with him long after he'd left the garden, and lingered still as he streaked off into the sky, heading with unwavering decisiveness toward a tiny island in the middle of the sea.
His heart was pounding erratically in a swift, impetuous rhythm as he landed on the shore. Stepping through the doorway of the small, pink beach house, the prince ignored all sets of curious eyes that instantly latched on to his regal form, as his own searched eagerly for the familiar figure of his cheery, high-spirited lover. He found him almost immediately, just where he had supposed, at the table with a heap of food stacked high before him.
"Hey, Vejiita!" Goku called out in warm greeting, a smile bright as sunshine lighting his countenance. The prince felt his skin prickle in heated response. "I'm glad you changed your mind. Come on over and dig in�everything tastes great!"
Hn. It was not the food that he wanted.
Kakarotto�
Goku blinked, his smile evaporating into oblivion as the sending hit him, strong, powerful, and suffused with voracious need. His eyes went wide as his body rose in instantaneous reaction to the telepathic call. In seconds the handsome Saiyan was standing before his prince, the food all-but-forgotten behind him.
Vejiita�
An echoing wave of desire vibrated through the prince as dark, ebony eyes shimmered questioningly into his own. Vejiita merely returned that gaze, silently, ignoring all else but the man before him, letting him read the hunger and want in his eyes.
Goku's eyebrows rose to the ceiling, yet he did not protest. Instead, his hand grabbed hold of the prince's arm, as the other leapt to his own forehead. The room shifted�
�and then they were both outside, standing on a small, grassy hillock overlooking a deep emerald lake. The scenery was like a vast, multicolored oil painting that had captured all of nature's wild resplendence, yet Vejiita took scarcely a glance. His eyes were securely bound to the tall Saiyajin before him. A moment later, his hands were reaching for him.
Soft, fluid warmth pervaded his mouth, deftly teasing, sensually stroking, arousing his taste buds with the sweet, tantalizing flavor of candied spice. His fingers curled into velvet spikes, gripping tightly, pulling fiercely, endlessly drawing their bodies closer together. Kakarotto's hard, muscled flesh melded against him, his burly arms wrapping wondrously around his torso.
Yes�
Vejiita let his hands slip down, his palms gliding with cherishing relish down Goku's face, down his thick, corded neck and broad chest, slowly forging a path between them until they reached his waist. From there, they slid under his orange shirt and the blue beneath it, his fingers skimming across the warm skin of the man's abdomen before tightening around the impeding materials and tugging upward. In a quick flurry of movement, the double shirts were gone, and then, subsequently, Goku's pants and shoes. The earth-raised Saiyajin was not to be outdone; the prince's clothing was swift to follow.
Vejiita's covetous eyes beheld the sculpted work of art before him, his fingers rising to trail over the exquisite lines of power and definition, basking in the man's Saiyan beauty, reveling in his physical perfection. His mouth went dry. His eyelids drooped to half-mast. His breathing grew short and painfully shallow�and a profound trembling began to quake deep within the center of his being.
Mine�
Not to rule. Not to use.
To love.
Kakarotto was perfect, inside as well as out.
A worthy mate for the Prince of the Saiyajin.
Exhaling a breath in a quiet sigh, Vejiita closed his eyes� and then surrendered himself into the tender embrace of Son Goku.
His face pressed deep into the warm flesh of the man's chest, taking in his rich, marvelous scent, as Goku's powerful arms enveloped him completely, almost crushing in their devotion. His tongue flicked out to taste him, to glissade over smooth, silken skin, to lick and lap at the distinctive flavor that was purely Kakarotto. Large, dexterous hands painted slow, intricate circles across his back, and then began to venture lazily down his spine.
Vejiita merely stood there in his arms, inclining his head to leisurely nip and suck at one budding nipple, excitement and expectation mounting as the artful fingers swirled down and down toward his erogenous tail zone. Typically, he would be winding his arms around the taller man to beat him to the punch, to playfully vie for dominance�but not today. He was not in a playful mood, and he could care less about his supremacy at the moment. This was not about that. That had already been decided. Instead of validation through combat, Kakarotto had simply granted him the honor. However, as the prince was now beginning to realize, Kakarotto never had any intention of asserting dominance. The man had lived on this planet far too long. He was like Bulma in this.
He and his mate had had many an argument over this human vs. Saiyajin concept. She had always insisted that they were equals, whereas it had always been quite plain to Vejiita that he was the dominant one in the relationship because he was the stronger. Bulma had screeched about it for years, and then had finally just decided to prove it to him. Heh, and she had. Bulma had been his equal; her strengths had merely been in different areas than his. It had taken him years to recognize this simple truth, and more years to convey that truth to her. Well, he'd never actually admitted such aloud, but Bulma had known anyway, as she always seemed to know. Kakarotto, on the other hand, was not quite as insightful.
These last few weeks spent exclusively in his company� Kami! The man gave and gave and gave! Continually! His love. His body. His attention. Himself. He was so open, so honest, and so genuinely sincere in everything that he did. In return, he asked for nothing.
Stay with me, Vejiita�
Well, almost nothing. The man's deep, black eyes would often meet his, a question glimmering silently, anxiously, in their pleading depths, always left unspoken, always suppressed by his fear. Vejiita had never known Goku to be afraid of anything before, let alone himself, but now the other warrior tiptoed around his prince as if he would attack him should he say or do the wrong thing. Hn. That was not what Vejiita wanted� at least, it was no longer. What he wanted now� what he wanted was�
An equal.
Yes� he wanted Kakarotto confident and strong, just as he had always been, to be free to say or do whatever pleased him. He wanted to see the unnatural fear gone from his eyes, and the playful, sometimes mischievous, smirk return for good. He wanted Kakarotto to be happy, for that was the way Kakarotto should be. He did not want a subservient devotee. He wanted a challenge. He wanted a mate. And as he had already learned from his first mate, it was far more exciting, far more enriching, to be an equal than to be a dictator. On this, the human concept had been proven incontrovertibly superior.
The fingers swept skillfully over the sensitive remnant of his tail, making his slighter form rock wantonly against the large Saiyajin, a gasp of pleasure bursting through his lips that immediately transmuted into a growl churning low in his throat. Goku was quick to use his sudden euphoria against him, and Vejiita soon found himself being pressed deep into the soft cushion of grass. The man was still unaware that his prince was no longer playing. Time to inform him otherwise.
Bright eyes of glittering onyx gazed down at him, a gleam of merry desire ablaze in their veracious depths, holding the prince in place far more securely than the man's warm, encompassing body. A smile curved those full, delectable lips, which promptly descended to sweep over his own, gently teasing, sweetly tormenting, as the larger man silently taunted him to take back control of the situation�to take him.
Hn. Not this time. Not today.
One of Goku's hands relaxed its confining hold, moving from Vejiita's pinned arm to tenderly cup his cheek, as his mouth continued its leisurely persecution of the smaller Saiyan's lips.
Today you truly become mine, Kakarotto�
The man's head lifted, his mouth momentarily retreating, yet the hand remained, nimble fingers running softly over the planes of his face. Then they paused to slowly trace around his mouth.
And I shall become yours�
Vejiita parted his lips, allowing one adventurous digit to proceed inside, where it was promptly ensnared by a set of sharp, wily teeth. Another omnivorous growl rumbled soft and savage in his throat. Then his tongue curled around the tip, tickling lightly, suckling suggestively, and drawing it further and further in. The prince wriggled beneath the solid weight of the muscular Saiyajin, brushing provocatively against his delightful body as he purposely disentangled his legs. Then, with calm and deliberate measure, Vejiita wreathed them around the man's brawny hips, his heels coming to a rest on the soft pads of Kakarotto's backside, his gaze never deviating from the sparkling windows of star-less midnight, and his tongue never faltering in its slow, amorous ministration of his index finger.
Goku blinked, his expression plainly surprised, and yet not entirely comprehending. With a sure and swift flex of his calves, the prince pulled their hips together, their groins clashing sensually in a mutual caress of wild, electrical pleasure. Not even the perpetually naive Son Goku could mistake that signal for anything other than the blatantly erotic invitation it was. His round, black eyes went very, very wide.
"Vejiita�?" he murmured in astonished inquiry, a rather amusing blend of passion and disbelief in his tone.
Vejiita responded with a deep, throaty purr, as well as an attack and subsequent capture of a second, proximate digit.
Goku stared wordlessly down at the beautiful prince beneath him in unbounded awe, as the smaller Saiyan's masterful tongue waltzed with baiting relish over his fingers. His lithe, nude form was coiled like a sizzling live wire around his own, excruciatingly hot and surging with a fierce, galvanizing energy. It was not so much the incredible gift he had just been granted, but the wide range of emotions streaming out of the man's dark, obsidian eyes. Warmth, desire, excitement, anticipation, need�trust. Trust, ardently ablaze with all the lush, lapping flames of a blistering wildfire. Kami, no hint of doubt or apprehension at all! Vejiita trusted him. A thrill of giddy delight coursed through his being, for that was something he'd been actively seeking for so many frustrating years.
The entwining legs abruptly went lax and slid gracefully off his back, and then that lovely, sorcerous mouth slowly released his fingers, leaving them slick and wet and marvelously prepared. Goku drew them downward, slipping them between parted thighs, till they were pressed firmly against the silken aperture of Vejiita's body. Then, one by one, he eased them inside, gliding softly, stroking gently, carefully priming the prince's taut, muscled flesh.
A low moan sounded through sensuous lips, which Goku quickly covered with his own, his tongue darting out to partake deep of the divine sugar known only as Vejiita. His knowing fingers caressed that special place again, eliciting another splendid moan from the royal throat, which was instantly lost within the muffled softness of his own questing mouth. Oh, Kami� Vejiita�
When their kiss finally ceased, Vejiita's expression had altered into one of dazed intoxication and feral hunger. Fire burned wild and ferocious in his eyes, heavy with desire, delirious with need.
"Kakarotto�" he breathed in fervent whisper; not quite a plea, but as close to it as the proud Saiyajin prince would ever get.
Goku responded instantly, shifting with mounting eagerness, moving into position above the sleek, sinewy form of his prince. He had envisioned this moment so many times� and now fantasy would finally become glorious reality. His fingers abruptly withdrew, only to curl around the swollen testament of his own near-overwhelming desire, to guide it carefully into place. Trembling with avid anticipation, the large warrior slowly began to press into the awaiting heat. The smaller Saiyajin immediately tensed beneath him.
Coming to an instantaneous halt, Goku peered anxiously down into Vejiita's handsome features, taking rapid note of the pinched expression and the tiny glimmer of pain flashing behind his eyes. He froze with indecision, remembering Chichi's pain, and his own.
"Vejiita," he began softly, hesitantly, "are you sure�"
The prince growled, low and furious, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. His powerful legs snaked around his body once again, quickly, purposefully, trapping him securely in place.
"Baka!" he hissed in rage. Then he dug his heels into Goku's rump, dragging his hips forward as he had done before, drawing the large Saiyajin deep into his own body in one swift jerk. A small grunt was the only sound that escaped him, Vejiita's eyes, alone, reflecting the acute pain brought on by the sudden, self-engendered invasion.
His mind wholly suffused with wonder and surprise, Goku could only stare into the man's tightly-controlled visage, his exquisite warmth enveloping him utterly.
"Never forget who I am," Vejiita said tersely, his inflection harsh, his gaze hard and piercing.
The Prince of the Saiyajin. Strong. Proud. Magnificent.
Held totally, breathlessly, enthralled, Goku simply nodded his head.
Then silence descended�a silence that was strained and nervous and painfully disconcerting. Icy shards of impenetrable black glared steadily up at him, no longer burning with anything other than severe disapproval. All signs of enjoyment and desire had completely evaporated from the prince's countenance. And here he was, nothing more than a frozen lump of bewildered confusion, a fool gaping helplessly down into those dark, unfathomable voids, fully sheathed within the glorious heat of the man's body. Vejiita's frown intensified. Shimatta�
"Baka," he repeated, his tone more subdued this time. Yet the intensity of the prince's gaze never wavered as his strong hand seized hold of Goku's chin. "Never forget who you are," he growled softly, and then his satin lips rose to lay claim once again.
The tension instantly dissolved, the awkwardness dispersing entirely, and Goku sank gratefully down into the mighty arms of his prince, into the lustrous warmth of his soft skin and heavenly flesh. His tongue dipped deeply, ravenously, into the sacred hollow of ambrosial pleasure, relishing the scrumptious banquet of touch, taste and scent besetting all senses. Then he carefully drew his hips back, his length gliding slowly, deliciously, against the scorching inner walls of the alluring Saiyajin. With a full, grand thrust he slid forward again, plunging deeper into the resplendent prince, an echoing moan of gratified bliss vibrating through their frolicking tongues.
The pace he set was slow at first, slow and savoring, as his mouth passionately rediscovered the spellbinding wonders of Vejiita's lips, of his exotic flavor and adept tongue. Another low moan warbled like thunder in his throat as the rhythm began to increase. Their kiss was finally broken in favor of quick, heaving gasps for air, and then Goku latched onto the smooth, bronzed throat to lick and suckle lightly.
Vejiita's lashes fluttered rapidly out of sheer, unrestrained pleasure. Good Kami! By word of mouth and from his own intimate observations, he had believed the experience to be an enjoyable one�but he had not expected this. The decision to grant Kakarotto the dominant position at this juncture had not been an arbitrary one�nor at all easy. What it had been was necessary�at least to his way of thinking. To truly accept the large Saiyajin as his own, and vice versa, he had to willingly give himself to the man, all of himself, without holding anything back. Another life lesson learned the hard and painful way from Bulma. And now Kakarotto was teaching him something warm and wondrously new�
Oh, Kami, it felt so good� he felt so phenomenally good gliding in and out of his body, his thick, muscular arms holding him snugly against bare flesh, his hot mouth devouring his skin with near-scalding fervor. Vejiita's fingers clutched frenziedly at the wide, sweat-dampened back, clinging tightly to the brawny warrior in complete, perfervid abandon. Ah� he could definitely get used to this�
"Vejiita�" Murmured half under the man's breath and half moaned aloud, his name was strummed gently against his eardrum, sounding breathless and reverent, like a prayer born of eternal hope.
Yes, Kakarotto� he mutely replied. Oh, yes�
The prince let his palms slip down the broad expanse of soft, tender skin, prowling with unerring direction toward the scarred flesh of Goku's tail spot. The man's back arched wildly, his head tossing gracefully, as Vejiita lightly stroked the sensitive area�just as he had anticipated. His lips clamped onto the large warrior's warm, burly neck, his teeth scraping gently over rippling flesh, his tongue lavishly hunting the raised muscle where neck ended and shoulder began.
Excitement churned kinetically in his stomach as his teeth settled over the appropriate area, an eager purr rumbling deep in his throat. Groaning feverishly, Kakarotto was moving faster and faster within him; the combined assault of the inner friction and the outer, caused by the delightful rubbing of his arousal against the sleek heat of the man's sculpted abdomen, was making Vejiita's whole body writhe with inordinate pleasure. Oh, Kami, never let it end�
His teeth sank with unbounded glee into the tough, yet yielding tissue of flesh and muscle, making the warrior above him momentarily flinch. Then hot, honeyed blood surged into his mouth, flowing over his tongue with all the arousing flavor of a full-blooded Saiyajin, liberally laced with raw power and the sweetest purity. His pleasure instantly multiplied a hundred-fold as he drank in the warm, metallic tang of his chosen mate.
Kakarotto� Kakarotto� you are mine�
His whole body pulsated under the reverberating force of physical pleasure, his mind lost in a haze of bright, shimmering bliss, as his spirit was gently lifted upward on the diaphanous wings of effulgent joy.
Oh, Kami� make me yours� make me yours�
With a moan of enraptured delirium, the prince released the exquisite delicacy and arched upward into the strong, sultry warmth that was ceaselessly pounding into him with a sure and zealous passion. Vejiita deliberately tilted his head, baring his throat to the man in an act of absolute faith and trust. That was the meaning behind the ritual, to offer one's life and protection, to demonstrate trust and fidelity�to give oneself fully to the other as mate and companion.
Goku's mouth came down on his neck with a swirl of tantalizing heat, his tongue blazing a trail of liquid fire across his skin. Vejiita let his eyes fall shut as the pleasure grew acutely torturous, swelling to a marvelous crescendo that pushed him closer and closer toward the brink. The fiery mouth slowly, sensually, maneuvered into position�
A primal cry of ecstatic, barbaric euphoria burst out of his throat as the prince's shrouded vision was suddenly blasted into a thousand shards of gyrating color. His body rocked and convulsed with the frenzied throes of excruciating ecstasy, transporting his spirit to a realm of infinite joy and overwhelming pleasure. He lingered there, exulting in the splendid sensation for as long as possible, but eventually it began to fade, melting back into the warm, contented plane of reality.
When his senses finally returned, all he could feel was a heavy blanket of perfect heat completely covering his immobile form. Goku was lying just as motionless atop him, the sound of his breathing deep and fatigued as his chest quietly vibrated with a low, resonant purr. A small, lazy smile curved the prince's lips as his hands smoothed over the broad back, gently kneading the fine, damp skin. He heard a soft, happy sigh ease out of his satisfied mate, and Vejiita felt his smile grow involuntarily wider. They remained that way for several long, blissful minutes, until a loud rumbling abruptly invaded the tranquil serenity.
Vejiita blinked in momentary startlement, and then softly began to chuckle. Goku joined him a second later.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, his voice muted against his shoulder. "Your fault for whisking me away before I had a chance to eat."
"As if that would make any difference," Vejiita returned with a snort of amusement, his fingers still lightly caressing.
"You surprised me," he said, then nuzzled the prince's neck and cheek. His head lifted a moment later. "You always surprise me," he added with an affectionate smile, his lips descending to tenderly brush his own.
"Hn," he grunted in reply, his face flushing with warm heat.
"Are you hungry?" Goku asked, as he rolled to the side and pushed himself up to a sitting position. His head tilted down to regard him. "Why don't you come back to the party with me? There's plenty of food, and everyone would be glad to see you. Trunks is there."
"I figured that," the prince said, gazing up at him in momentary reflection. "Perhaps I will a bit later. I'm feeling far too good right now to have the mood spoiled by those absurd freaks."
"Vejiita�" he chided softly, shaking his head in mild exasperation. The prince laughed aloud at the gentle rebuke.
"Oh, please, Kakarotto, spare me your lecture on the many virtues of those pathetic losers. The words would merely be wasted on me. I have known them all far too long." A wicked smirk twisted his mouth. "I said I might show up later. I would like to see how Trunks is faring."
"Ah, all right," he said, graciously conceding the argument before it truly began. Then he rose to feet and started gathering his scattered clothing.
Vejiita eyed his nude form with open admiration until the lovely Saiyan began to systematically cover it. Then he sat up, himself, when Goku thoughtfully tossed him his own clothes, and moved to pull them on. The feeling of rightness, of warm, blissful contentment, remained. He had made the correct decision.
Rising to his own feet, the prince fastened his pants, and then tugged on the blue shirt. It was only when his fingers went to button it that he finally noticed something wrong�something curiously missing. He paused for a moment in blank disbelief, at first not fully grasping what he was seeing�or rather, not seeing. Then his hand moved to glide over the smooth, unblemished skin of his shoulder, that held no new mark nor trickle of blood running tellingly down it. His eyes lifted slowly, questioningly, to the tall Saiyajin.
"Kakarotto�" he began in puzzled confusion, "you did not bite me."
The man had just finished stepping into one of his boots when he glanced over at him. "Ah, no," he returned matter-of-factly, then reached for the second one.
The prince frowned. "You do intend to." It was not a question.
Goku slipped his foot into the other boot, oblivious to the sudden change in the atmosphere. "Not really, no," he repeated, casting half a shrug.
Vejiita's eyebrows slanted downward. "You do know what just happened here, don't you?" he inquired carefully. "What I have offered you?"
At that, Goku turned toward him, a smile brightening his winsome features, making his black eyes sparkle brilliantly with effervescent light. "Of course," he replied, his inflection transfused with happiness. The smile never dimmed as the man steadily approached, until he was standing tall before his prince. "I can't tell you how much that meant to me," he said softly, planting a firm kiss on Vejiita's mouth. He drew back a moment later to gaze merrily into his eyes. "I have been waiting so long for you to trust me�and for you to want me like that. I can't believe your feelings for me have changed so much."
Vejiita's frown grew darker. "Then I do not understand. What do you intend? Have your feelings changed?"
"My feelings? For you? Heck, no!" he declared with a grin, his palm lifting to caress the prince's cheek. "I love you, Vejiita, and that won't ever change."
"Then what?" he asked, jerking back from his touch to shoot forth an exacting glare. "Do not toy with me, Kakarotto. You were the one who instigated this. You were the one whining and begging at my feet. Is this not what you wanted?"
The large Saiyajin blinked, mildly taken aback. "Well, of course I wanted it, Vejiita. Isn't that what I just said?"
"Yes, you have said it," he bit out gruffly. "You have said much these last few weeks. What you have not said is what you intend to do now."
"About what?"
The prince growled aloud in exasperation. "Baka! About us! You don't think I'm just going to continue on like this, do you? My intentions are clear. What are yours?"
Goku's eyes, so vibrantly close, appeared to be enormously round, and were abruptly inundated with such an overwhelming rush of alarm that it nearly swallowed the man whole. "Why can't we just go on as we have been?" the panic-stricken warrior questioned hastily. "It's been fun, hasn't it? We've had such a good time together�" His impassioned plea ended just as quickly as it began.
Vejiita's eyes narrowed to mere slits. "A good time," he repeated softly, his tone waxing numb. "So, it is your wish to continue on just as we have been�"
Goku gave a swift nod, his guileless eyes open wide and clear for the world to see.
The prince could only stare at him as the words sank slowly, agonizingly, to the core.
