Pandora's Box
Chapter 10

Goku stared at the lithe figure of the Saijin prince, diffused light cast down upon them, dimmer than candle light, and dimmer than moon light, that is, when the moon had been around. Vegeta's deep, even breaths were relaxing to the black-haired man, and Goku released a large sigh. The brunette that lay beside him looked, for once, truly calm; having cried himself to sleep in Goku's arms, the earth-raised Saijin had gently put him down. The pale skin looked smooth in the dim lighting, flawless except for the blood that had dried on his face and neck. Goku found he couldn't tear his gaze away, and didn't even bother attempting because he didn't wish to. Vegeta's words echoed through his mind, 'I hate you..because you make me happy.' Goku's lips upturned into a content, warm smile, his eyes closing as he unconsciously let his throat rumble with a purr, 'I make Vegeta happy.' Inhaling deeply Goku thought about how this was a dream come true. He wasn't sure what he would do if Vegeta truly hated him, but he was certain that he'd never be able to get over it. But Vegeta didn't actually hate him.

His eyes opened to look at the prone prince once more, feeling his stomach quiver with a surge of emotion. His purr voiced the warmth he felt when looking at the older Saijin. God, he never felt as incredible as he did now! Sighing silently, Goku's thoughts took a turn, 'I've never felt more alive..never felt so happy..than when I'm with Vegeta.' The brunette was like a wild creature, untameable and fascinating, though deadly if provoked. On the other hand, deeper than the outer skin of bare instincts and old habits, Goku sensed the complete opposite one would expect from the prince: compassion, understanding, shyness, common sense stronger than most that matched a high intelligence, and lonliness. Vegeta's character seemed to lack depth, but that was merely all it did..seem. Goku knew better from the countless times he had the privalege to enjoy the prince's company. He knew before Vegeta had first attempted to take his life that those dark eyes held a vastness that he couldn't even comprehend and expect to fully discover. He knew after each action that Vegeta spent most of his time making sure no one saw him as he "truly" was. Brutal. Cold. Saijin. Goku's purr rumbled lighter in his throat, expressing his content. Who Vegeta thought he was and who he actually was, was surprisingly dramatic in concerns to contrast, the major difference was Vegeta's out-going character. Sarcastic, bold, and uncaring, the small spikey-haired man didn't appear to be anything but these things. But Goku knew better. Knew that Vegeta was just as bashful, secluded, and careful as everyone else. He was just better at hiding it than the rest.

A soft dark tail twitched back and forth, its tip gliding over the top of Goku's hand. The gentle caress drew Goku's gaze away from Vegeta's face down towards the furry appendage. Vegeta's words firmly shouted across his memory, 'Nobody...NOBODY TOUCHES MY GODDAMN TAIL!!' Regardless, Goku's hand carefully pulled back for a moment before reaching down and lightly - oh so lightly - caressing the tip of the tail in mute curiosity and wonder. Though he himself had had a tail, it had been years since he last had one, and he forgot what it was like to have it, only remembering that it was quite useful though it caused a great amount of pain when touched. Goku's purr magnified as his fingertips glided across the smooth fur, 'It's so soft!' More adjusted, the tall Saijin ran his fingers through the sensitive appendage, marveling at the feel of the brown strands of hair. Vegeta's breath hitched for a moment, and so entranced, the slight disruption went unnoticed by Goku. Running his hand across and around the tail, Goku idly toyed with the brown fuzz, his purr becoming deeper once more. He curled his hand and gently pulled on the silky tail, his hand easily gliding to the tip, and so he continued to repeat the process. Goku, however, could not ignore the quiet moan which spilled across Vegeta's lips a moment later. Confused, he looked up at the prince, whose face was contorted in an emotion that Goku couldn't clearly make out. Blinking, Goku stroked the tail again, earning a louder cry from Vegeta's sleeping form. It was then the earth-raised Saijin noticed the bulge in the prince's pants. A blush spread hotly across Goku's cheeks and he let go of Vegeta's tail, but the velvety appendage would have none of it, and wrapped itself around Goku's wrist and forearm as if pleading for more. Swallowing, Goku decided to hold still and let things be, realizing fully that he had meddled enough with things he was not only not supposed to touch, but hadn't been given permission to touch either. Watching the brunette intently, he noticed that Vegeta calmed after a few minutes, his tail's grip loosening itself to thump against the ground in a quiet rhythm. Goku gave a sigh of relief and sat back, still blushing from the little incident that had just occured. Piccolo's voice haunted him again, 'Well, for one who's denying attraction I find it interesting how one will blush at the notion, yet not at the fact of being naked in front of others.'

'How much longer can I deny it?' Goku thought to himself, drawing his knees up to his chest, hooping his arms around his legs. He gave a sigh, closing his eyes, 'Well, I suppose since I know I'm denying it now, I can't anymore.' The truth tightened Goku's stomach muscles, making him quiver slightly, 'Oh Vegeta...you make me happy. Vegeta, I wish I could tell you..I think I'm in love with you.' The black-haired man bowed his head, his face flushing thoroughly as he tried to come to terms with this new realization. He understood now why Vegeta could never fully upset him, why he didn't mind spending all his money on the older man, and why it didn't bother him the time Vegeta accidentally touched him in the crotch with his tail when the prince's intention was actually to hurt him. Oh what he'd give for Vegeta's tail just to wander up and... 'What the hell am I thinking!?' Goku mentally shrieked at himself, amazed that he'd be so lustful, 'I'm practically fantasizing about the man and here he lies before me, broken and miserable and all I want to do is con him into bed!?' Grinding his teeth, Goku looked away from Vegeta as if he wasn't allowed, 'I don't want to do that with Vegeta! At least...not..right now...I just want to make him happy! If I can continue to make him happy than nothing else matters.' He finally dared to gaze at his prince again, finding he could not resist a smile. Reaching out, the taller Saijin lightly brushed the back of his hand against Vegeta's temple, his purr returning as he noted how smooth Vegeta's skin was. It was as if Vegeta himself was spun of satin, which was odd for a warrior. A warrior...Goku's memory returned fully to him, and he remembered his confusion which still plagued him.

'I TRUSTED YOU!' Vegeta's voice echoed within Goku's skull. It was then that the man's ki skyrocketed, burning higher and higher. His aura had changed in that instant, leaving the ordinary white behind. Goku closed his eyes at the recollection, visualizing it all in his head. The way the dark brown spikes bled a new color, not simply flashing all at once like his own did. From the roots to the tips, pure gold colored the prince's strands, even his tail underwent the same change. Super Saijin. Vegeta was now a Super Saijin like himself. Goku smiled wide at the thought, 'We're equals.' But the overwhelming energy took it's toll on the prince, the internal fire of ki burning itself out. Even still, Vegeta had achieved so much over a short period of time. It was amazing, a miracle almost, but one that Goku would gladly accept any day of the week. Vegeta was so much of a mystery to him, but Goku didn't mind.. he loved mysteries, even though he was never able to really figure them out all to well.

Releasing a deep sigh Goku wondered where to go from his current position. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to act? Shaking his head slightly, Goku decided to just let things continue on as they had before. He wanted to spend more time with Vegeta. He wanted..He wasn't sure what he wanted. The little voice in the back of his head taunted, 'You know what you want..You want Vegeta.' Goku growled at himself, closing his eyes. 'Stop thinking like that,' he commanded himself; feeling uncertain as he had never had to deal with some of these emotions before. That was another thing that made him like Vegeta so: the emotions he felt when he was around him. They were new and wonderful, making him feel like he was truly alive. It made him believe that before Vegeta he was missing something very important out of his life. It was so odd to think about his life before he had let Vegeta into it. In comparison...it seemed rather dull. Pleasant..sometimes..but dull.

The prince's eyes fluttered open, and he stared at Goku's face for a moment. "You...stayed," he said simply, blinking on occasion. "Of course," the younger Saijin replied softly, giving Vegeta a smile. Goku moved himself around and stood, walking over to a nearby sink. Vegeta propped himself up onto his elbows, giving a quick glance around, "Where are we..?" Goku ran some water, his back facing Vegeta, "A little place I know about." Vegeta thought it best not to ask more on the subject. Goku turned around after shutting off the water; he approached and then knelt next to Vegeta, "Here." His hand offered a washcloth though his gaze didn't leave Vegeta's face. Nodding, the brunette took the cloth and began to wash off the blood that tarnished his skin, "I'm sorry, Kakkarot." Goku raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming very solemn, especially at the tone in Vegeta's voice, "Why, Vegeta? Because you've had many horrific things happen to you that was beyond your control?" The prince looked up at him and into his eyes, but Goku's expression did not change. "I..do not expect you to understand," Vegeta hesistantly said, handing the washcloth back to Goku once he was through. Goku tossed the miniature towl into the sink before turning his attention back to Vegeta, "And I do not expect you to understand." There was a moment of silence as Vegeta seemed to be thinking about his next words. Goku, however, broke the uneasy pause first, "Have you ever played laser tag, Vegeta?" The question wasn't necessay - Goku already knew the answer. "No, I have not, Kakkarot," the prince replied, a small smirk trying to curve his lips, "Why do you ask?" Goku resisted a grin, giving off a toothy smile instead, "Why, my prince, I believe it is because I wish to take you laser tagging."

***

Vegeta hesistantly stepped through the door which Goku held open for him. The main lobby area seemed quite small, and so the prince had many doubts about what he was about to do. Goku would occasionally catch a worried glance and say something positive and reassuring. They approached the main desk and Goku asked for a game for two. After paying, the employee handed him two plastic cards. "What the hell are you supposed to do with this?" Vegeta asked, looking at the card which only had the company's logo on it. "You hold onto it until they call us to get an activation arrow," Goku instructed, leaning against a nearby air hockey table. "And what the hell is an activation arrow??" Vegeta snapped, more embarrassed than irritated. "It's an arrow that will activate your pack," Goku said simply, trying to keep the atmosphere light, "Now no more questions. They'll be answered later, alright?" Vegeta mumbled under his breath and crossed his arms, his gaze focusing on the ground. After a few minutes of just standing around Vegeta proclaimed, "This is so stupid." Goku had to laugh, though he tried to resist the urge, "Give it a chance, Vegeta! You haven't even played yet..." The prince sighed and shifted his weight, muttering, "Fine." Within the next minute or so they were called up to get activation arrows.

"Name?" a young girl questioned Goku, who was first. "Kakkarot," Goku said, flashing Vegeta a grin, "K. A. K. K. A. R. O. T." She handed him an arrow and said, "Next?" Vegeta stepped up, speaking before he was asked, "Vegeta. V. E. G. E. T. A." The lady gave him his arrow and the two Saijins proceeded to stand by the air hockey table once more. A few more minutes passed and finally they were called into a small room that was used for briefing. One of the employees gave a general breakdown of how the game was played before they were allowed into the next room with all the laser packs. Goku slipped on a pack and activated it, passing up his arrow. Vegeta followed Goku's example, but abruptly got stuck on trying to complete the process. "Where the hell is that stupid strap!?" the prince growled, looking for it in agitation. "Here," Goku said, spotting the buckle tangled around the other side of the pack; he unwound it and proceeded to buckle the pack for Vegeta, "There you go." Vegeta glared at the younger Saijin, but both of them seemed to know that is was only in a teasing manner. A moment later the employee, or the "marshall" of the game, began to review a code of conduct. After this was completed and all arrows were taken up, a large door opened and the players were allowed out into the arena. Vegeta fanned out and headed for the back corner, not paying the least bit attention to where Goku was going, though he was curious as to where he would go. It was a solo game, and Vegeta knew how to play those type of games the best.

Thirty seconds quickly passed and the game officially began. Being in the back corner, Vegeta had to wait a few moments before anyone passed by. The first person that passed by didn't even see Vegeta, as they were some twenty feet away, but the Saijin successfully hit them regardless. Bored with his current position the prince headed up a nearby ramp and onto the top floor of a tower. Above everyone else he found it easy to shoot them all. Vegeta chuckled to himself - the game was relatively easy, but was a bit fun nonetheless. A group of fed up players snuck up behind Vegeta, but not only could the prince sense them, but hear them as well. Leaping into the air, Vegeta did a back flip over the edge of the tower and out into the air. He flew backwards, getting a shot in all of this attackers who were now staring in complete shock. A second later, however, a figure gripped his arm. "Vegeta!" Goku whispered harshly, tugging him towards the ground though the prince would not move, "Don't fly!" The brunette chuckled and got in a shot against Goku, "Why not? They didn't say you couldn't in the rules." Goku stared at the prince whose eyes were, for once, full of mischief. A grin slowly spread across Goku's face, "Alright then, Vegeta." Swiftly Goku shot Vegeta's pack, laughing light-heartedly before flickering out. Vegeta cursed and went back to tagging all the people that dared come into his vision, and on more than one occasion he zoomed out of the way and behind the person. Within a minute or so every normal human within the game was thoroughly scared or awestruck by the prince. Standing in various places, the humans watched the Saijins duke it out in the most hardcore laser tag game ever played. Fifteen minutes were soon up.

Walking into the main lobby laughing, Goku turned to look at Vegeta who was smirking at him. "Let's see our scores!" Goku said, taking a seat and patting the ground next to him. Shaking his head, the prince sat down next to the third-class, folding his legs indian style. A group of men, women, and children followed after them, tripping in stumbling in shock, still. The scores came up on a screen nearby and Goku released a cheer, "Damn! Way to go, Vegeta! You got first!" The prince couldn't help but grin, the absurdity of it all was amusing, "Kakkarot, that was not challenging in the slightest." Goku playfully punched his arm in response, "Aw, c'mon...having a score of roughly five thousand is more than triple the norm. And besides, I came in second only a hundred points behind you. So at least I was challenging..right?" Vegeta stood up and put his hands in his pockets, "Hn...right." The sudden mood swing made Goku hasten their exit, "Let's go, Vegeta. I'm hungry and I think you could use a meal too." The prince nodded and followed Goku out the doors and into the sky. A few miles passed before the black-haired man dropped down to the ground. "Is this okay, Vegeta?" Goku questioned, raising an eyebrow as he looked over his shoulder. Vegeta gave a shrug, looking off into nothing, "Yeah, whatever." Goku mentally frowned at the withdrawl the brunette was currenly making, 'Did I say something to upset him..?' Vegeta walked by Goku and towards the front entrance.

"You know, Kakkarot," Vegeta said, immediatly halting their progress, "I'm not hungry right now." Goku let his lips fall into a frown, "Ah...okay. I'll be fine until later. ..What would you like to do?" The prince looked down and away, giving a shrug. "Alright," Goku said with a sigh, putting his hand on Vegeta's shoulder, taking them elsewhere. As they reappeared Vegeta knew right away they were in a department store. "I thought you wouldn't like to wear those hawaiin print shorts," Goku said as they approached the swim suits. "I don't wish to go to the beach," Vegeta said, his tone almost dangerous. "We're not going to the beach," the taller Saijin declared with a playful smirk. Without saying anything more he turned and began to look through the rack. Vegeta seemed to give up and began looking as well. Within seconds, the prince had decided on a pair of plain black swimming trunks. Goku took just a few moments longer, taking up a navy pair with yellow stitching. After paying for their selected items, Goku, ignoring the people around them, placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder and transmitted them out. Again, they appeared in the dim room which Vegeta hadn't gotten quite a good look at. Instantly, Goku began to strip in his natural manner, slipping on the swimming trunks. He turned to Vegeta when he was done to notice that the man hadn't moved an inch. "What?" the prince growled as Goku stared at him. "Uh..aren't you going to change?" the younger Saijin asked innocently, raising one eyebrow. Vegeta seemed to almost fidget for a moment before, with reluctance, he began to pull off his shirt. Goku took a deep breath and turned around, understanding that the brunette needed his privacy.

The prince had seemed so hesitant to undress in front of him, nervous as well. 'My god, it's so cute when he's shy,' Goku thought with a blush, biting his tongue to force his mind to not wander. There was the ruffling of clothes for a minute or so before Vegeta finally walked into view, decked out in his new wardrobe. "This way," Goku allowed himself to breathe, taking them towards a sliding door. The black-haired youth slid it open, letting humidity that was trapped inside go free and cover their skin. A bead curtain hung in the door frame just behind the door, and inside the ornate room which held no windows, sat a single object in the center of the room - a hot tub. Vegeta stepped inside, eyeing the tub warily as he walked on the tile floor. Goku slid the door shut and casually walked over the the tub and stepped in. "Hm," the taller Saijin purred, "It's really hot. Great for relaxing." He stepped down again so the water came up to his waist, then after pausing there for a moment he sat down and leaned back, releasing a deep, satisfied sigh. Vegeta seemed skeptical, but allowed himself to dare into the tub, following suit to Goku's actions, minus the satisfactory sounds. After sitting for a minute however, Vegeta leaned back, letting his elbows rest on the tile side of the tub, his hands hanging limply, the fingers just centimeters about the water's surface. The prince tipped his head back and made a small noise, his eyes closing. Goku watched him, a smile breaking out across his face, 'Thank the heavens, he seems to be enjoying it!' He felt his stomach do a backflip as he examined the older Saijin.

The dim light did nothing for eradicating the romanticness of the situation, at least, the romanticness in Goku's eyes. Water splashed and played against Vegeta's wonderfully toned chest, leaving behind glistening skin in it's wake. Even more tantalizing was the prince's tail, which only let it's tip venture out of the water, twitching back and forth, submerging and surfacing again and again, as if beckoning. An image of Vegeta's tail caressing his thighs softly invaded Goku's mind, the brown fuzz moving upwards, closer and closer... "Are you blushing?" Vegeta abruptly asked. Goku flushed a darker color as he realized that he hadn't even noticed the prince looking at him. 'Stop daydreaming you pervert!' he mentally slapped himself; he shrugged to Vegeta, trying to act nonchalant, "Must be the heat." A part of his mind taunted, 'Yeah, the heat in your groin...pervert.' Goku coughed and slipped deeper into the water for a moment, his eyes level with Vegeta's chest. There was a long scar and a few other random scars about the skin, the only true imperfections, or any noticeable to Goku. The black-haired man sat up and quietly asked, "Hey, Vegeta?" The prince regarded him for a moment before replying, "Yes, Kakkarot?" Goku cleared his throat, moving around nervously, "Uh...you don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but-" He paused for a second, watching the brunette's eyes narrow. "-um...Why did you...stop talking? You know, when you were young..." Goku spoke softly, only glancing up at Vegeta every few seconds. An uncomfortable silence ensued. Goku broke it before it went on even longer, "You don't have to answer me, it's okay, I understand." Vegeta sat up, running a hand through his hair, "No. I was thinking you'd really want to know why I started speaking again." Goku slowly raised his eyebrows, "Um...I..."

Vegeta shook his head, looking down for a moment, "Stop fretting." The prince looked up once more, his voice dangerously low, "When I learned of my planet getting destroyed..When I heard my father was dead..That's when I stopped." The dark orbs of Vegeta's eyes bore into Goku's, "I started again when..." He shifted uncomfortably, sighing silently as he glared at nothing. "It's okay," Goku insisted, not wanting to press the matter. "No," the prince said firmly, the black depths once again connecting with Goku's, "I just returned from purging a planet when an elite soldier grabbed a hold of me." Vegeta's skin lost it's color, (or the rest of the little color he had), giving the effect that a ghost was reciting the story, "He took me to a room where there was four other elites inside. They pinned me down and began to, erh..touch me and take off my clothes." Goku felt his insides twist and revolt against his body, wishing to escape, dread poisoning his bloodstream. Vegeta's face contorted to anger and shame, "So I..called for help. Frieza and Dodoria had been nearby and heard me. They said if I didn't tell them what happened they'd let them go, so I, uh...told them." Goku's eyes flashed with emotions and questions left unanswered. "No," Vegeta said before the young man could actually vocalize any of it, "Nothing really happened." A wave of relief overcame Goku's features, or at least, partial relief. The prince sighed, letting his head roll back so he'd look up at the ceiling. The tip of the tail submerged only to not surface again.

"I didn't want to make you upset or anything," Goku admitted, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You didn't," Vegeta said blandly, his throat contracting with a swallow, "It isn't you. It's those dead, long-gone soldiers." A deep sigh emitted from the brunette as he muttered, "Fuckin' pedophiles..." Shaking his head, Vegeta sat up again, his tail once again appearing. "Yeah, well, I'm sure they wouldn't have done anything if they knew they were messing with a Super Saijin," Goku said, sporting a shy grin. The prince stared with an odd, confused expression across his face. It was then that Goku realized Vegeta wasn't aware of his own transformation. "You don't know," Goku stated in shock, "You really don't know." The brunette's tail began to twitch faster as adrenaline started to run, "Know..what...exactly?" Goku ran his hand over his face, rubbing his forehead. He looked up at Vegeta and smiled, "Vegeta..." He didn't know how to explain this to him. The prince allowed one eyebrow to raise, though he didn't say anything else. "Vegeta," Goku informed, his eyes glittering with something akin to mischief, "You're a Super Saijin." Vegeta merely stared for a moment, his eyes drilling deep into Goku as if to see if he was lying or not. And then he closed his eyes, gathering his energy, as if to prove the third-class wrong.

An explosion of ki erupted throughout the prince, Vegeta himself surprised at the raw surge he hadn't noticed over the extreme emotional adrenaline rush of when he had first transformed. The room glowed golden at his presence, the water hissing, announcing its evaporation when the aura had suddenly flickered to life. Vegeta stared in awe as the energy tingled him, coursing through every fiber of his being. "My god..." he breathed, looking at his hands as he flexed them. He felt so..light! It was like being on a natural high! A shimmer underwater refocused his attention, and he brought up his tail which proudly modeled for fur spun of pure gold. The dim light danced across the strands, and he grasped a hold of his own locks, pulling them down in front of his face to see the new color for himself. He laughed lightly, "I'm a Super Saijin." A more joyous cry, "I'm a Super Saijin!" He flexxed his ki, letting it sky-rocket higher, "I AM A SUPER SAIJIN!" His throat rumbled rapidly with an enthusiastic purr, "Kakkarot, I'm a Super Saijin!" The black-haired man chuckled at the prince, "Yes, Vegeta, you are." Vegeta finally settled down somewhat, still staring at his golden tail, "I would have never...I mean, I had certain potentials, but never would have thought......me, a Super Saijin! Father would be so proud..." Vegeta smiled weakly, embarrassment coming over him when he realized he was acting rather childish.

"I'm proud of you," Goku suddenly declared, a warm smile on his face, his mind trying to stay on target. He knew how important this moment was, but he couldn't help but thinking how wonderful it would be to have a tail caressing his thighs softly, golden fuzz moving upwards, closer and closer... "You..are?" the prince questioned, his tail fluffing for a second as Vegeta stretched it. Goku's eyes could barely keep themselves away from the appendage, "Yes, of course. You've accomplished many great things, Vegeta. Not to mention the many horrific things you've overcome. I don't see anything to be not proud of.." The prince seemed to ponder this for a moment before replying, "I suppose so, Kakkarot, but I think you neglect the fact that I too did many horrific things." Goku's smile faded into a more solemn expression, "Vegeta, didn't you once tell me that Frieza made you who you were?" He was careful in saying "were" and not "are". Vegeta's eyes darkened, his eyebrows drawing together as he tipped his head downwards, his eyes not leaving Goku's, "In essence he made me do what he wanted me to do, but that does not mean I didn't enjoy it in the meantime. Just because I had to accept the fact that I was weaker doesn't mean that I didn't delight in causing pain." Goku closed his eyes, breaking free of the brunette's odd gaze, "Vegeta...It doesn't matter. What matters to me is you, not your previous actions. All that was such a long time ago, Vegeta.." The prince scoffed, letting his form drop out of Super Saijin, "Well, that's a pretty dangerous move considering, Kakkarot. Times have changed, but I have not." It was Goku's turn to scoff, "You kid yourself." Vegeta gave time to let that thought simmer, "You do as well." Goku nodded and shrugged, "I suppose I do. But at least I do it about all the right things." Vegeta released a half-sigh half-growl, when suddenly a small smirk crept across Goku's face. The smaller man knew instantly it was related to the last thing that Goku said, though he wasn't sure exactly how.

"Uh..I think we better get out," Goku said, chuckling, "You know, before we turn into prunes." Vegeta gave a small nod, climbing out and flinging his tail to remove most of the water, dropping his Super Saijin form at the same time. Goku disappeared for a moment, returning with two towels. Vegeta quickly dried himself and Goku followed suit, taking the damp towel from the prince once he was finished. They stepped out into the main room, Goku dropping his shorts and kicking them away. He grabbed his pants and quickly pulled them on, glancing over at Vegeta. What he saw he didn't expect - he expected to see Vegeta looking off, waiting - but instead he saw a nice view of the prince's back side. Eyes took it in as a whole before looking down at the feet, slowly following the curves of the ankles, then the legs, up the thighs, all the way to... 'What am I doing!?' Goku blinked hard, trying to tell himself to stop, but something caught his interest. The tail swung slowly back and forth, he followed it up from the tip to the base, then followed the indent of the spine to the neck and then the hair. His gaze refocused when Vegeta promptly bent over to pick up his clothes. 'Oh god,' Goku felt his head spin and his stomach muscles clench insanely hard. The butterflies in his stomach tickled him mercilessly, an odd, nervous smile breaking across his face as he turned a bright shade of red. He swore he was going to either pass out or vomit, or both, though in what order he wasn't sure. Vegeta stoicly dressed, but it wasn't fast-paced or abrupt - it seemed that the prince's mind was focusing on other thoughts besides getting clothes on.

Goku quickly pulled his on however, trying his best to distract himself as well. Soon, but not soon enough for Goku, the prince finished dressing and regarded the black-haired man. "It's getting late," the prince mentioned, "You ought to go home." Goku gave a sort of forced smile, "I guess you're right..." His smile altered into a real one, "But only if you accompany me the way there." The brunette looked at him in a mixture of confusion and skepticalism before giving a small nod. Goku's smile widened, and placing his hand on Vegeta's shoulder; they were instantly outside. The two Saijins took off into the sky, the sun falling towards the horizon, bringing about twilight slowly, gradually. The rays cast themselves upon the clouds, splattering brilliant hues of gold into the sky. Goku flew higher, and naturally, Vegeta followed. "What are you doing?" the prince called through the mass of water vapor. Goku did all sorts of flips and spins, giving out a laugh, "C'mon, Vegeta! Loosen up a bit!" The brunette said nothing, merely following the younger Saijin, but not in the same manner. They burst through the edge of the cloud, and Goku slowed down to let Vegeta catch up. "Lord.." Goku paused, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, the fresh cool air invaded his lungs, sending a sensation down his back, and in return, a shiver ran up his spine. "Are you okay?" Vegeta asked, sounding not at all worried, but more curious. "I just..." Goku began, his eyes opening. He looked at Vegeta and smiled warmly - happily. He stared at the prince, his smile growing wider, joy pumping from his heart and down through his veins, "I'm just so...happy, and everything just looks..." He glanced around at the shimmering sky in approval before looking back at Vegeta, "It's all just so beautiful." He whispered now, hoping he wasn't blushing. "It does look..." Vegeta trailed off, searching for the word he'd like to use, "...nice."

Goku twirled around, giving out a short laugh, "I feel so alive!" He flew up in an arc, and then dropped his ki, letting himself fall through the clouds, wind curving around his body, hair wild, clothes flapping, flowing. He could sense Vegeta following him as he neared the earth. 'Catch me,' Goku whispered in his mind, begging silenly, 'Catch me, Vegeta. Don't let me fall.' His heart pounded in his chest, rapidly, excitedly. He knew if Vegeta did not catch him, he would fall, and he would die. Still, it was thrilling in a fun sort of way. It was a buzz, a joyous one. He felt so alive now, that death didn't even bother him. 'Catch me,' he thought again, smiling. The prince at first thought it was another strange game that the black-haired Saijin wished to play, but soon enough there was only a few hundred feet to go, and Goku was making no indication that he was going to move. Still, Vegeta had no doubt that the man would move. They neared the ground - the rolling plains of green grass. 'Catch me,' Goku whispered again, having no idea how high or low he was in the air. The ground was almost upon them, Vegeta still following. A voice whispered in the back of the brunette's mind, 'Catch me.' He didn't question the request, but instead he instantly reacted. His body burst into a golden shower as he dove faster, carefully and swiftly hooking his arms around the taller man's body. They slowed to a halt, Vegeta laying the man down on the green grass, the golden aura disappearing. Rolling plains encompassed them in every direction, to every horizon. They were alone. Goku's eyes opened, his smile never once fading in the slightest, "You caught me." His breath was nearly gone, however, and his voice was soft.

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows, and looked away. Something about the situatin seemed a bit odd, and Vegeta wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Goku sighed, stretching his body, spreading himself out across the grass. "Vegeta?" Goku quietly asked, "When I go home, where will you go?" The prince sighed silently and replied flatly, "I don't know." Goku closed his eyes, wallowing in the perfection of the moment. Just being there without a care. Just lying down. Just being with Vegeta. "It's getting dark, Kakkarot," Vegeta mentioned, his gaze moving down to the prone man. Goku sighed, sitting up and stretching, sadly agreeing, "Yeah..." He leapt into the air easily and they continued on their way, minus Goku's previous bubbling attitude. He seemed quiet, almost solemn now, and this made Vegeta wonder just a bit. "Are you feeling alright?" the prince asked nonchalantly. Goku looked at him and a smile came to his face, "Just fine." Yes, everytime he was around Vegeta he was fine. He was better than fine. He was happy. The smile widened, becoming perfectly genuine, nothing forced behind it at all. Vegeta gave a nervous little smile in response before focusing his attention on the direction they were heading in.

The gold had faded into orange and red; and farther from the western horizon it bled to purple, and then navy which was becoming the night sky. Both Saijins landed on the doorstep of Goku's small secluded home. "Thanks for joining me, Vegeta," Goku said, his smile content as he gazed at the brunette. Vegeta gave a small nod in response. They stood for a few moments, just staring at each other, Vegeta's tail swinging in an extremely slow fashion. 'My god, he's so handsome,' Goku thought, his entire body growing warm - he hoped his cheeks weren't blushing as he thought, 'I just want to..God, I just want to kiss him right now...' He shifted, ready to take a step toward Vegeta when the older man turned, "Well...I'll see you..around, Kakkarot." Goku wished for a fleeting instant to just grab Vegeta by the wrist. He wanted so badly to pull that small compact body against his own and hold it close. He just desired to press his mouth against those forbidden lips and forget all the consequences. He wanted to show every amazing emotion he felt in a single soft kiss goodnight. He wanted Vegeta to pull back and whipser, "Kakkarot..." He wanted....

"Kakkarot..."

Goku's eyes fluttered as he came out of his daydream, "Huh? What?" Vegeta's voice was firm, but full of confusion, "Is there something you need? Because if not, I'd like for you to release my wrist now." Goku looked down to see his hand encircling the small wrist, thumb and middle finger easily touching each other. He knew that his face had for certain changed color this time, and he let go of the prince while speaking, "Uh...I wanted to say that I'd like to see you tomorrow..perhaps.." Vegeta nodded, saying quietly, "Okay." Awkward silence. Nothing more to say, but hundreds of thousands unspoken words. "Good night, Vegeta," Goku finally said, trying to sound as comforting as possible, though he didn't understand why he wanted to sound so..sweet. "'Night, Kakkarot," Vegeta replied, holding his hand up in a parting gesture before he took off into the sky.

The taller Saijin watched him go, and stared off in the general direction for a few moments after he was gone from sight. He then sighed, feeling suddenly very tired as he opened the door and stepped inside. "Goku! Where have you been all day!" Chi-chi ran over to her husband, "Krillin said there was an awful fight with Cell and at the end of it all you just left with Vegeta! You could have at least said where you were going instead of running off like always!" Goku sighed again, rubbing his temples, "Chi-chi...I swear there are just some things you won't understand, and I am one of those things." She placed her hands on her hips, giving him "the look", "Oh no, mister! Don't try to pull this off as some sort of Saijin thing or another because I-" He interrupted her for the first time either of them could recell, "It's not a Saijin thing! Chi-chi...! You don't even know half of the story." She frowned, letting her arms come up to her chest and fold; her face was serious, but not stern, "Alright then. Explain." Goku's gaze moved upward until their eyes met. Something was gone from this moment, something Goku couldn't directly place. It just didn't feel the same, and somehow he knew it would never be that way again. "Vegeta's my friend, and I'm Vegeta's friend," he stated strongly, "And I'm possibly his only friend. Ever. Vegeta has had many..bad things happen to him in his life, and for this he hasn't been the best of people, or had the best of..mind sets. With all that's been happening he's almost lost it, I swear...And he has every right to just give up, and become insane. But because I've been there for him, it hasn't happened. Because I cared and enjoyed spending time with him, he's actually improving. Vegeta nearly lost it today, and I don't blame him."

His wife turned it over in her mind a few times, "Well I don't understand why he can't deal with his issue like a normal person. It sounds like a personal problem to me." Goku blinked hard as if he wasn't able to fathom the idea that Chi-chi's words produced. Finally his voice found him and his thoughts were vocalized, "Chi-chi..that's absoluetely correct. You don't understand-" She opened her mouth to speak but Goku put up his hand, silencing her. He continued, "-and I believe it's because of your sheltered life. Let's pretend for a minute, shall we? Let's pretend you're living your normal life here on Earth, and one day a big bad man, like..oh, Hitler for example, comes up and just takes you from your home. He takes you, kills your family, destroys your home and forces you to obey his every command. Under his rule you are either obeying him or beaten. You go into a period of time where you don't speak for years. Nothing will get you to speak because your loss and your grief has overwhelmed you. You kill for a living. You wipe out entire races. Destroy all types of creatures, and you have no choice. In fact, you learn to enjoy it. It's a sport. One day you get jumped. You get taken into a room where five men start to touch you in ways they shouldn't. You cry for help, and lucky you, you are saved. You begin to talk again, but you're scared out of your wits for the rest of your days. You've learned that contact is bad. You know already to hate people. Then, when you think you're finally able to be free from all of it, you lose. All your hopes and dreams are crushed right before your very eyes. You lose everything, and no one is willing to lend a hand. Everyone turns the other cheek, some will even spit in your face. No one cares, and so, you don't care. Your life runs on, but you refuse to actually live. You drink to drown out your sorrows. Your greatest rival then becomes your best friend. At his party you're insulted in such a terrible way you lose it. You wish to die because you just want it to end. You believe it's better for everyone that way. You almost succeed. Your rival saves you. You fight your rival and you lose. You lose hope, but not..will. Finally you fight a battle, and finally, you win. You almost die. When you awaken you get in a fight. Your rival says something they shouldn't and you lose it. Your rival then says things no one's ever told you before. Things you don't believe are real because no one has ever actually cared about you. You break down and admit how you feel. You hate someone because they make you happy. You actually believe you hate someone, and it's because they make you happy..Now, if all that happened to you, where do you think you'd be?"

Chi-chi made several attempts to speak, but Goku decided to go on. "Chi-chi...look, that's not even the whole story, but do you sort of know what I'm getting at now?" he asked, wanting nothing more than to go to bed and get some sleep. She closed her mouth, sighed, and shook her head. Some how he found this rather predictable. It'd take a miracle for his wife to understand a single word he said...And people called him simple-minded... "I'm really tired," Goku stated flatly, "I'm going to bed." He turned around, not waiting for a response, and went to the bedroom. He didn't bother switching his clothes, he merely fell onto the bed with a deep sigh, and almost immediately he was out.

Vegeta had been flying aimlessly for the past few minutes, trying to decide where he would go. He had stopped by to pick up his things and was unpleasently surprised when all his beverages were wasted. He forgot that liquid expanded when frozen, and the bottles had shattered. So instead he took the small amount of clothes that he had and headed back towards civilization. He was currently debating his current situation on where he would stay. He had no money and no form of identification, and so he couldn't rent a hotel room. He doubted anyone would take a stranger in at random, and anyone who did was likely to want something in return. Inhaling deeply he let out a sigh, closing his eyes and trying to clear his mind. He opened his eyes and tilted his head to one side, slowly moving so that he viewed the world upside down. Things just looked so much more interesting upside down rather than rightside up. His gaze focused on the night sky, the tiny dots of light in the vast darkness, some twinkling, some not. He thought about how just now, some light was reaching the Earth, and that the star he looked at now, might not even exist. A ghost - visible but nothing more. Perhaps he could even see Namek still, and perhaps maybe sometime astronomers would be able to watch its death. He shook his head, closing his eyes again, 'What am I doing?' He felt so little at the moment, just sort of a bland tranquility. His eyebrows furrowed in thought, 'Something's bothering me.' He didn't have a clue what could be irritating him, or perhaps whatever it was wasn't even irritating him at all, just causing him to get this slight quesy feeling in the back of his mind as if he'd forgotten something or he was missing something.

He watched the constellations as he flew, as if expecting something to happen. Then suddenly, a large portion of the sky instantly blotted out and he realized he was below something. Curious he moved upward to see where exactly he was. 'Maybe it's Kakkarot,' Vegeta thought grimly, 'Maybe I'll never get used to his ways.' A part of him argued, telling him that he was just afraid. 'What's there to be afaid of?' he questioned himself, but took his thoughts in a different direction - for he feared the answer. Irony at its best. He finally floated above a ledge, dim light spilling out into the night. He blinked, eyes instantly adjusting. A quiet, but deep voice spoke through the shadows, "Hello, Vegeta." The prince blinked again, not moving, not really thinking or feeling anything. "Do you normally fly upside down?" the gruff voice continued, no hostility at all present. The tone sounded rather...respectful. "No," Vegeta merely replied, turning himself around and landing on the tiled flooring. Seeing him upside down made it appear that his hair was obeying gravity so that when he flipped around the shadowed figure almost expected to see the hair fall down - though it didn't. It was a bit unnerving, but easy to ignore since he had seen too many unnerving things in his day to be unnerved by this. Vegeta gave a quick glance over his current surroundings, recognizing it with only a few moments time. "So where are you headed to?" Piccolo asked, not moving from his meditating position. "Why do you ask?" Vegeta replied shortly, tail twitching with mixed signals.

"No ill intentions," Piccolo answered honestly, "but I'm aware you don't have shelter at the moment. I was curious if you dare call it that." Vegeta examined him for at least a minute, "Are you..attempting to look out for my..health?" Piccolo smirked, one eye opening to regard the Saijin prince, "Perhaps. What would you say if I was?" Vegeta picked up on the playfulness in the voice, his tail starting to swing rather than just twitch - he was skeptical, but relaxing. "I'd probably ask why," the brunette said with honesty. Piccolo paused before letting his legs unfold from their indian style position, and let his feet touch the ground. "I'll take your clothes and show you to your room," the Namek spoke almost as if it was a statement. As Vegeta had said he would, he asked, "Why?" Piccolo smirked again, arms folding, "You really want to know why?" Vegeta's tail stopped its motions and slowly curled around his waist. He wasn't going to trust the Namek easily, but that was predicted. Piccolo almost chuckled at his actions, but decided against it, "Because I know you on a type of level I don't think anyone else around here can relate to. I was like how you were once like." Vegeta's gaze moved into the depths of Piccolo's eyes, not challenging, but searching, scutinizing. His voice was nearly a whisper when he spoke, "You enjoy killing?" Piccolo gave a small nod, "I did, yes." Vegeta huffed slightly, clutching his clothes a bit more, his tail visably tightening around his waist, "I still do." Piccolo's smirk faded to a supportive smile. "That's okay," the Namek said, "I'll still understand." Green arms extended outward, palms up, "Now if I can take your clothes..?" Vegeta wasn't too sure why, but he handed the small pile to the taller man.

Piccolo turned, cape billowing in the sudden movement, the Namek leading him inside the lookout. Vegeta's tail uncurled, swinging behind him once more. A question burned in his mind and he finally gave up and asked it, "Don't you hate me?" Piccolo abruptly turned to him, "Why would I?" Vegeta looked up into the black eyes of the Namek again. His eyes moved a bit from side to side - searching the depths in confusion, "I don't understand." Piccolo gave a small nod, "I didn't expect you to." He motioned for him to follow him again, and five doors down from where they stood was where Piccolo said he'd be staying. "Piccolo," Vegeta addressed him by his name, "I...would you....." He looked down, as if trying to figure out exactly what he wanted to say, if anything at all. "Yes, Vegeta?" the elder questioned, waiting patiently. Vegeta growled lowly towards himself, not able to look at the Namek as he spoke, "I'd..like for you to stay with me for awhile so we can discuss some things." Silence came about the peaceful lookout and Vegeta prepared to close the door when Piccolo spoke. "I'd be more than happy to keep you company," the Namek stated, stepping inside stoicly and standing to one side of the room, light provided by a variety of candles. Vegeta blinked and silently closed the door, realizing that Piccolo had said "more than happy" in reference to being around him. It was odd because the prince realized how often Piccolo was "happy". Yes, the Namek was content, but not exceedingly "happy". Of course, neither was he. Except when he was with Kakkarot...Vegeta shook his head, trying to cast thoughts about the black-haired Saijin away, though they seemed to sneak up on him whenever they wanted - which was constantly, and when he least expected it.

"What would you like to talk about?" Piccolo asked as soon as Vegeta began to settle in. "I..." Vegeta paused to think about that. He felt like there was something he should talk about, but wasn't exactly sure what. If all else fails, start at the beginning, "Why don't you hate me?" Piccolo's expression almost seemed..soft, but it held the normal seriousness it always had. When you're three people in one, it does that sort of thing to you. "There is no reason to," Piccolo replied, "You have not done anything specifically towards me, and you do not purposely attempt personal attacks. You have played a key role in many fights, and are worthy of recognition. You have proved thus today when you destroyed Cell." It was quite an amazing thing and Piccolo was still trying to register the fact completely. Vegeta thought this over as he took a seat on the edge of the bed. "But you disregard the other factors," the prince said bluntly, lacking emotion. "Such as?" was the cocky response. "Such as what occured between all that," Vegeta said, his eyes meeting the taller man's again, "Like...on Kakkarot's birthday.." His voice got slightly quieter when he spoke of that day, and Piccolo with his superb hearing was able to catch it easily. The Namek resisted the urge to say: "There's nothing to be ashamed of." He didn't need to treat Vegeta like a small child - that would not go over well at all.

"It's all understandable given the circumstances," Piccolo explained, his face relaxing a tiny bit more. "That's what you believe?" Vegeta said, pulling his feet up and taking off his shoes. "That's what I believe," Piccolo said with a nod, shifting his weight. Vegeta said nothing, merely pulling his shirt off and placing it next to his shoes on the floor. It didn't appear that he wished to take anything else off; his tail twitched against the smooth sheets. Piccolo wished to keep the brunette talking, "Where'd you get your scars?" Vegeta frowned, staring fixedly on some area of the wall. A slight pause before, "I don't want to talk about it." Silence filled the room, Piccolo looking sympathetically at the younger man. Then abruptly, "From a rayh-tenk." Of course, Piccolo had no idea what that meant. Vegeta knew this and continued, "The closest translation would be..a hate crime. Except out there hate crime is organized and not so sporadic and maintained as it is on Earth." Slight confusion set in on the Namek and he softly asked, "Why would you be involved in a hate crime?" Cold, bitter laughter echoed throughout the room as Vegeta heard Piccolo's response. "I am Saijin, and that is good enough reason," Vegeta said calmly. "How old were you?" Piccolo asked, his voice no longer cautious, but serious. "What?" the prince almost didn't believe he was being asked this question. "I said: How old were you?" Piccolo repeated, his voice growing calmer again. Vegeta breathed for a moment, staring at the wall again, "Nine." Piccolo grit his teeth together, 'Shit.' Vegeta continued to stare, his eyes not blinking, his tail twitching.

"You should stop dragging yourself down," the Namek pointed out, walking slowly towards the brunette. Vegeta turned and acknowledged him, "I..." Piccolo shook his head and carefully took a seat next to Vegeta, keeping a comfortable amount of distance between them, "You don't give yourself enough credit, but hell...I can't make you feel good about yourself." Vegeta's gaze lowered to the floor, "I don't wish to speak of this." Piccolo folded his arms smuggly, "Alright then, let's talk about..Kakkarot." The fact Piccolo said the Saijin name instantly caught Vegeta's interest. "What about him?" the prince asked almost..defensively? Piccolo wasn't sure what emotions the shorter man was feeling. "Well, he's your best friend," Piccolo stated matter-of-factly. Vegeta's tail fluffed, "..Perhaps." The Namek released a small, hearty laugh, "It's just like you two to both be in denial!" The hairs on his tail puffed even more if it was possible, "What do you mean?" Piccolo gave him a warm smirk, shaking his head, "Nothing. It's just that Goku truly believed you hated him at one point, and he was quite upset because of his strong feelings for you. I think it's amusing how you are wary of calling him your friend even though you've already admitted your feelings." Vegeta's tail finally smoothed itself out as the prince narrowed his eyes at the Namek, "I didn't say he wasn't, I just said perhaps." Piccolo gave a smirk as he chuckled, "That is almost pathetic. What are you so afraid of that you can't call him friend?" Vegeta sighed silently, closing his eyes to think it over, "I don't know." Piccolo paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, "Look, I've known Goku....I've known "Kakkarot" for a long while now. He is a very passionate and caring person, and yes, he is friendly and kind to everyone, but when he speaks about you, it's different. He has friends - good friends - like Krillin and Yamcha; but he has visited you more often in the past month than any of them in the past few years. All I'm saying is that you aren't just another friend in his book - you're someone very special and dear to him, and it's completely obvious." Silence.

"Why do you keep calling him Kakkarot?" Vegeta finally said, his voice almost a whisper. "Because I know how you hate it when people call him Goku," Piccolo replied, giving a smile, "I thought you'd like that. Think it respectful or something of the like." The brunette gave a nod, "I do." Piccolo smirked at himself, "Hn...Sleep well, Vegeta. If you need anything you know where to find me." Vegeta merely watched the Namek go, blowing out the candles in the room for the Saijin. He lied down on the bed, sensing sleep a bit of ways off, 'I don't understand why Piccolo is suddenly acting this way towards me. Does he want something of me? No...I sensed nothing of the sort from him. As he said.."no ill intentions"...how odd...I just don't understand. Why did he want to talk about Kakkarot? I felt like he was hiding something there. As if he knows something I don't know. Perhaps he does...perhaps that's what's bothering me...'

Goku awoke in the middle of the night when a cool breeze swept over him. Sitting up he noticed that the window was open, and carefully getting up as to not awaken Chi-chi, he stepped towards it to close it. As he took hold of one side of the window he noticed a shimmer in the distance. Curiosity getting the best of him, he casually, and silently, leapt out the window to see what it was. He waited, and again there was a slight glimmer. It came and went, flowing smoothly as it did. With eyebrows knit together he began to approach the treeline where it emitted from, his feet tingling with the sensation of fresh dew against his skin. Closer and closer he came to the shine, and finally he was within reach. It flickered, golden, and his hand grasped it. A hiss was heard from the shadows, followed by a growl, "Let go of my tail now." Goku instantly opened his fist, "Vegeta? What are you doing out here?" The Super Saijin stepped out into view, "I couldn't sleep." A sly grin came to Goku's face, "So you woke me up?" Vegeta made a face and if Goku didn't know any better he'd say it looked like the brunette was pouting. "Hey, it's alright," Goku said, smiling warmly, "What would you like to go do?" Vegeta shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets, "Nothing's open this late at night." Goku looked up in thought while giving a small nod, "Yeah, that's true...Hey! I know!" Placing his hand on Vegeta's shoulder they phased out to reappear in a large open field.

Vegeta looked around at their surrounding in little interest. Goku suddenly smacked his shoulder. "Kakkarot!" Vegeta gaped in surprise, his throat growling lightly, "What was that for!?" Goku burst out laughing, jumping back a few feet, "TAG! You're it!" Vegeta blinked in surprise before leaping after the black-haired man who he easily tagged. Goku nearly hit himself when he realized why Vegeta had such a great advantage. With minimal effort he powered up, hair standing on end, flashing gold. "No techniques!" Vegeta instantly shouted out, intent on winning this by skill alone. Goku chuckled while chasing after the older man, "Fine by me!" They flew around the park at top speed, weaving in and out of trees and playground equipment. He was about to catch the prince when he took an abrupt vertical ascent through the monkey bars. "Clever!" Goku shouted out his compliment, following after Vegeta, intent on tagging him. When the prince hesitated for the slightest of moments Goku quickly slapped him across the calf before taking off in the opposite direction. Vegeta yelled out a curse word, spinning around and chasing the renegade Saijin. They dived and swerved around the swings, the chains rattling in their presence. They zipped through the tunnels and Vegeta was still in hot pursuit. He trailed the younger Saijin down the covered slide and his eyes widened when he saw Goku waiting for him, a grin on his face. Unable to stop in time, Vegeta crashed right into Goku's stomach, sending them both reeling past the playground a good twenty feet or so. Tumbling around in shock, the prince started to snap out of it a moment later, realizing Goku's weight was pressed against him.

Sighing, the prince looked up to see Goku giving him a big grin. "Why the hell did you-" Vegeta began to ask when Goku suddenly attacked his sides with deft fingers. Vegeta cried out in surprise before tossing his head, struggling. "No! Stop it! Kakkarot, I mean it!" the voice was loosing all gravity, sinking quickly into small gasps for air. Goku grinned like a mad man, laughing as he let his fingers dance across the hardened stomach. Vegeta wasn't able to hold back any longer, and the laughter came from his throat, rich and warm. In response, Goku's throat rumbled with a purr, even though in between gasps Vegeta was giving him death threats. After Vegeta proclaimed that he was unable to breathe, however, Goku stopped his assault and let the prince rest. It took a moment, but Vegeta was able to catch his breath; his black eyes opening to look up into Goku's eyes which were equally dark.

Goku acted upon pure emotion - his head dipped down, swiftly catching Vegeta's lips in a tender kiss. The older man gasped, and when Goku pulled back he whispered, "Kakkarot..." Deft fingers caught the hem of Vegeta's shirt and pulled it up, hands roaming across the same muscles he tickled a moment before. Vegeta's head tipped back, a purr emitting into the air as he was lightly caressed. Goku purred in response as he leaned over, lightly biting at Vegeta's ear. Goku then felt a small pressure against his body and he looked to see Vegeta's golden tail lightly trail over his clothed legs. Softly the golden tail swept, crossing his thighs in small circles, teasing his hips and waist before returning to his legs. Goku felt his muscles clench, his entire being trembling at the sweet sensations as the tail flicked across his inner thighs, slowly working it's way upward. Goku's breathing faultered and he whispered, "Vegeta..." The tail brushed up and against the crotch of his pants, applying pressure and swirling. Goku sat for a moment, unable to do anything more than writhe in the beautiful pleasure his prince granted him. The said prince nipped at his earlobe and whispered, "Goku..." The younger man's eyebrows knit together in confusion. Vegeta never called him Goku...

"Goku, wake up already!" Chi-chi hollered, shaking him roughly. Goku released a small moan, lifting his face from the pillows, muttering in a voice barely above a whisper, "Vegeta...?" Still disoriented he tried to blink away the grogginess as his wife hit him over the head with a pillow. "Wake up! It's going on noon!" she declared, tossing the pillow away and storming out of the room. Goku took a deep breath and sat up, his arousal obvious in his loose gi. "Shit," he whispered, eyes widening, face flushing deep red. He growled at himself, angry that he'd dream about Vegeta in such a way. A voice in the back of his head taunted, 'Oh come on..you were trying hard not to dream that while you were awake, how could you not dream it while you were asleep?' He glared down at himself before hissing out, "Go away." His body didn't listen. His eyebrows narrowed and he sighed. 'Geez, this is just like me to go home and have an perverted dream about him while he's forced to go find some place to spend the night,' Goku fumed, shifting uncomfortably. Suddenly the rational portion of his brain caught up with his thoughts, 'Wait..That's it!'

Chi-chi heard a thunder of footsteps racing down the hallway and she turned in enough time to see Goku throwing on a jacket. "Wait! Where are you going?" she called out, exasperated. "Oh! Yeah! That's right!" Goku said, her words triggering his memory on a completely different subject. He raced back over to the counter and picked up his wallet. "You have a wallet?" Chi-chi asked, completely surprised by this fact. "Uh huh! Gotta go! Have lots to do and little time to do it in!" he replied, jamming the wallet in his back pocket while opening the front door, "Bye!" The door shut and Chi-chi was left standing there, stunned.

The morning for the other Saijin was not as abrupt and undesired as Goku's however. Vegeta awoke in the early hours, relieved that he what he had just witnessed was only a dream. And what a dream that was...It reminded him of the days he spent of Frieza's ship. He closed his eyes, rubbing his face briefly to wipe away the stiffness. No light entered the room so it was still before dawn, meaning he had plenty of time to sleep some more. He was wary however, that if he fell asleep now that he'd dream about things similar to what he had just moments before. His eyes looked up at the ceiling even though he couldn't see it through the pitch black. When he closed his eyes he could nearly feel the rough, large hands pinning him to the icy metal ground, could almost absorb the lust filled sounds which escaped the breath of his captors so long ago. Almost hesitantly he wrapped his arms around himself as he felt his jaw clenching harder and harder till it began to hurt. The worst thing about it was that the dream - the nightmare - was worse than the reality. It wasn't fair. He didn't want to even think about it anymore, and here it was, invading his subconscious mind. Not fair. He shivered and his nails dug into his sides, his eyes wielding shut. 'God, I'm afraid,' he realized, suddenly feeling sick. He swiftly rolled over and buried his face in the pillow, 'No! I will not be so weak! It's only a dream, it cannot hurt me!'

The silence of the room was deafening as Vegeta tried desperatly to make his mind think of something else other than the old memories of long ago. He had nothing to block this out with and he suddenly wished that his beverages hadn't have been destroyed. Vegeta sat up, tossing off the covers as he made a decision. He fumbled around for a moment before he found his shirt and shoes, and after putting them on he carefully made his way towards the door. Once outside he lifted into the air till he was past the lookout, then took an easy decline. He knew he probably shouldn't be doing what he had in mind, but in this case he saw no other option.

After a few minutes he landed, and with a deep breath he opened the door in front of him. The convenience store was exactly how it should of been for early morning - dead. No one was there except for the clerk who sat reading a magazine and listening to the radio. "Can I help you?" asked a young man. Vegeta stopped and looked at him, which was enough for the guy to turn his attention elsewhere. The Saijin stepped toward the coolers in the back, almost regretting what he was about to do. With ease he picked up a few cases of beer, as liquor was not to be sold. He strolled nonchalantly towards the door when the clerk stood up. "Hey! You have to pay for that!" the guy said, though he looked extremely nervous. Vegeta stared for a moment, then smirked. Slowly he uncoiled his tail and waved it in the air for the clerk to see. The man swallowed, nearly shaking, "W-Who? W-What are you?" Vegeta chuckled smoothly, darkly, "My name is Vegeta, and I'm the Prince of Saijins." The guy looked at him, belief in his eyes, the sincerity of the brunette's words actually registering in his mind, "A-are you going to kill me?" Vegeta laughed this time. Oh, sometimes he really did miss seeing the fear in other people's eyes - fear that he implemented. "No," Vegeta said, his right hand moving out and pushing the door open, the other holding the cases up with no difficulty, "I'm simply going to leave." He stepped outside saying, "Have a nice night." The clerk fell back into his chair with a sigh, "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

The minutes passed by quickly and in no time Vegeta returned to the lookout. He set down the cases in his room and instantly pulled out a can, sighing as he opened it. He gulped down the beverage easily, wondering when was the last time he had touched alcohol. It was....Kakkarot's birthday. His hand found another can and he opened it as he began to reminece. He remembered how he drank everything in the house before moving on to..other options. He placed an empty can down and reached for another in the case. He had been surprised when Kakkarot stopped him - amazed that someone would show him that type of concern. Was he too blind to see it or did he just wish he didn't recognize it? His hand set down another empty can. He was grateful now that Kakkarot had stopped him...that blue gunk was awful! Too soapy...He chuckled bitterly, picking up another can. For some reason he couldn't blame Zarbon for acting the way he did, but he did cross the line on almost every occasion. Insult his abilities as a warrior, but never insult his personal life. His past was not something that anybody really knew about, except for the basic jist. Zarbon, himself, and Kakkarot were the only ones who knew now...His hand searched for another can as he tossed the used one away. God...Kakkarot knew!...It was almost embarrassing. To know how weak he had been. What a humiliation...But now...now he was a Super Saijin! That asperation had previously been violently crushed once he found out that Kakkarot had become a warrior of legend. Never before had he heard of multiple Super Saijins, especially within the same decade! It was amazing, truly...His hand set down a can. Amazing, really...Staring out into space, can after can began to accumulate around him.

Piccolo had been in a semi-conscious state, when echoes of laughter pulled him from his tranquil position. His ear twitched in the direction of the noise, and he forced himself to take on a standing pose as he tried to make out what was going on around him. He heard the laughter again, coming from towards the middle of the lookout. It was Vegeta's laughter, unmistakably. With curiosity getting the best of him he walked towards the source, noting that Vegeta was not in the room he had given him. He was a few doors back - in the bath. 'What is that Saijin doing?' Piccolo wondered to himself, giving a small knock on the door that went unnoticed. "Vegeta?" he called out, but only laughter was his response. With a breath he turned the knob on the door and pushed, peeking his head inside the doorway, "What are you-" He abruptly halted his question as his eyes laid upon Vegeta in the bathtub. The prince looked over at him and gave a wave, "Hey there!" Vegeta switched positions, still waving happily. "What is that smell?" Piccolo finally asked, stepping towards the smaller man, when his eyes noted the large amount of empty beer cans. "After I drank a case," Vegeta chuckled as he began to explain, "I got the best idea!" Piccolo froze in his footsteps, watching Vegeta slip and fall into the tub ungracefully. The tail jutted in the air, whipping around wildly in shock before the prince pulled himself back up. "You didn't," the Namek said, shaking his head. He didn't especially want to deal with a drunken Saijin at the moment, but it appeared that his wishes would not be granted. Vegeta raised an eyebrow innocently, "Do what?"

He stepped forward and confirmed his suspicions, gazing unhappily down at the prince and the tub. Vegeta chuckled again and leaned back, his tail flopping around, splashing the Namek. Piccolo let his eyeridges narrow as he tried his best not to get upset. "How much time did you waste?" Piccolo asked bluntly, "Putting all those cans in to fill the tub.." Vegeta looked up in thought, his tail circling in the water like a shark, "Hm...I don't know, I had to stop once and get some more cases." Piccolo shook his head slightly, taking a seat on the edge of the tub. 'He just didn't decide to get drunk for no reason,' the Namek thought to himself, careful not to let Vegeta splash him. "So why did you start drinking?" Piccolo asked, drawing his cape closer to himself. "Why?" the brunette asked, his expression falling to somber, "Because I couldn't stop thinking about it..." Piccolo raised an eyeridge, pressing him on further, "What couldn't you stop thinking about?" Vegeta's tail curled tightly as he switched positions - hunching in the back of the tub, "Them..I couldn't forget the dream. It was living it all over again...I was so scared..Their hands...touching me...." The Saijin closed his eyes, clenching his teeth. Piccolo felt a growing nervousness pitting itself in his stomach, "Who?" Vegeta shook his head a few times before plainly looking down, shameful tears coming to his eyes, "Elites...too strong...So scared...Too little, too young..." Piccolo looked down at the Saijin, concern and worry radiating from his gaze, "It's over now, they can't hurt you..." Vegeta sniffed, his tail curling around his waist, "So scared...so alone..." Piccolo leaned down, speaking softly, "You're not alone anymore." The brunette let his eyes meet the Namek's. Suddenly he leapt forward, leaning against the edge of the tub, "Kakkarot! ..Kakkarot....he...." Vegeta trailed off, letting silent sobs overtake him. Piccolo cursed himself for forcing this upon the prince, but sometimes it was better that one dealt with unresolved issues. Hesitantly the green-skinned man reached forward, lightly rubbing Vegeta's back in a comforting way, "Shh...it's okay now....Let's get you out of that tub so you can take a shower, ok?" Piccolo reached around the smaller man, but Vegeta merely slumped against him, having lost all will to move voluntarily. "Kakkarot..!" Vegeta wailed, "Does he...he hate me too...?" Piccolo glanced at his face, wondering if Vegeta was always a melancholy drunk, or whether this was an exception. He wrapped the brunette in a towel before lifting him up, "No, Kakkarot doesn't hate you. Kakkarot is your friend." Vegeta echoed, "Friend..."

The trip to the showers was silent and Piccolo set the Saijin down to turn on the hot water. As Piccolo reached for Vegeta, the prince spoke again, "Kakkarot...he really likes me?" Piccolo nodded while removing the towel, "Yes, he really likes you." The prince suddenly snapped at him, pushing him away, "God, NO! Don't hurt me!" Piccolo looked up, confused, as Vegeta grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his naked body. "Please...don't...don't touch me," he whispered, shivering, sobbing. "H-help.." he weakly called out, curling up into a ball. 'Shit..I must've reminded him of something else..god, what happened to him?' Piccolo cursed, kneeling next to the distraught brunette. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. I was just going to get you into the shower so you can get clean," Piccolo explained, lightly placing his hand on Vegeta's shoulder. Foggy black eyes dared a hesitant look at the Namek, "Why do I have to be so weak?" Piccolo again shook his head, "Super Saijins are not weak." Vegeta sniffed a few times, looking with confused, wide eyes, "Super Saijin...? Me....?" Piccolo nodded in agreement, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly, "Yes. You are a Super Saijin." Vegeta tilted his head to the side, "Like..Kakkarot?" Another nod was his answer. A small, weak smile broke across his face, a tiny noise emitting from him. "Let's get you in the shower," Piccolo declared, wrapping his arms under the prince's shoulders and carrying him under the spray. He let Vegeta lean against the wall as he prepared the soap and washcloth, praying the soapy smell would override the oder of alcohol. He rubbed the smaller man's back stoicly, intent on getting the man clean and into bed where he could get much needed rest. Vegeta sighed, letting the towel fall to the ground, letting his tail unwind from his waist.

Piccolo quickly lathered the prince's body up, obviously avoiding some areas. He took the shampoo and began to wash the prince's hair, amazed when the spikey points began to collect together and finally fall flat. The prince looked much different with his hair down and for some reason it made Piccolo believe he appeared more vulnerable. The pale-skinned warrior released the same noise he had moments before, the Namek curious as to what he was exactly doing. Hands lathered the shampoo, rubbing it all throughout the dark brown strands. Vegeta let out a breath, mumbling, "Nice..." A scalp massage was probably one of the better ways to calm down the Saijin prince. "Okay," Piccolo said, letting the water rinse out the soapy hair, "Now all that's left is your stinking tail." A correct statement considering the appendage reeked of alcohol. The prince said nothing, merely letting the water rinse out his hair which cascaded down his back and to his waist. Lathering his hands with shampoo, Piccolo lightly caught the tail - knowing how painful it was to fully grasp it - and began to run his palms over it in an attempt to work in the soap. Vegeta gasped and tossed his head back, eyes wide. Piccolo, worried that he had hurt the man, loosened his grip and stroked even lighter, but the prince still made a few choking noises before leaning against the nearest wall, his knees shaking. Panting the prince rasped out, "Oh god...!" The Namek decided to stop, but the tail wound around his wrist snuggly. "You're okay??" Piccolo asked in confusion when the younger man whimpered. "Vegeta," Piccolo's voice held a stern statement, as if he was trying to gain the prince's attention. Another whimper and the tail began to run itself through Piccolo's fingers. Surprised, Piccolo allowed him to do as he wished, though the entire situation seemed a bit odd. Vegeta's body suddenly tightened like a bow, his breaths coming in quiet little pants, "K...K........Kakkarot...!" Piccolo pulled back, acting almost instinctively as the brunette obviously thought he was someone else. The brown fuzz looked for his arm, but Piccolo stepped out of reach. Heavy-lidded eyes turned to question, the black orbs hazy with what Piccolo dared to call desire.

Raising an eyeridge in confusion, the look was quickly torn off of his face as another slapped him hard - shock. From shock it went immediately to embarrassment as Piccolo couldn't deny the large erection the prince's body proudly stuck in the air. Acting wisely, Piccolo reached around the brunette and turned the spray from a nice steaming hot to a nice ice cold. Vegeta yelped and leapt out of the shower, grabbed a towel on the nearest rack and wrapping it around himself. 'That was almost a little too uncomfortable for my tastes,' Piccolo thought to himself as he shut off the water, 'Let's just hope Vegeta doesn't remember that, otherwise I think he'll try to avoid me until the day one of us dies.' The prince, however, was too busy catching his breath to do much of anything else - especially in his drunken state. Piccolo pointed his hand towards himself, and in a small flash, his clothes were returned to normal. Likewise, he outstretched his palm towards the brunette, giving him a set of clothes identical to the ones he was wearing previously. The prince blinked before dropping his towel, letting the Namek pick him up and carry him to his room. After being put into the soft cushions Vegeta spoke again, his voice low, almost husky, "Why would...Kakkarot touch my tail?" Piccolo sighed silently and shook his head, not answering the prince's question. Vegeta relaxed, his throat rumbling again with the same sound as before, only now Piccolo could recognize it: a purr. "So nice..." the prince whispered, his eyes closing, "So gentle...always..so gentle....no one has ever..touched me like..that...."

Once it was evident that Vegeta had finally drifted off to sleep, Piccolo gave a deep sigh. 'Tomorrow is going to be a long day,' he thought to himself, carefully and silently removing himself from the room. He returned to his normal meditating spot to review all that had occured within the short period of time, 'Why did Vegeta react like that to me touching his tail? So all Saijins get aroused if you do that, or is he an exception to the rule? If touching a Saijin's tail is supposed to hurt but it felt good for him, does that mean Vegeta's a masochist? Hm...well, he did allow Zarbon to beat him up and then told him to rape him afterward. I'd guess that accounts for a yes...but still, that is highly unusual..especially how he thought I was Goku when I was doing it. Was his subconscious mind making wishful thinking or has Goku touched his tail before? This is highly interesting yet highly odd at the same time...too bad I can't question either Goku or Vegeta about this. Hn. Guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.' Deciding to let things be for the moment, Piccolo cast all questions to the side so he could relax. Besides, he also knew how Vegeta was likely to feel in the morning - or whenever it was when he'd wake up.

As it turned out, the prince decided to awake in the morning, but it wasn't a pleasent experience. He stumbled outside and began cursing up a storm, stunning Dende and Mr. Popo. He cursed the sun mostly, but he did mention a few other things at random, like his aching body and pounding head. Even looking at him you could tell he felt like shit, because he, blatantly, looked like shit. "Well, that's what you get for drinking so much," Piccolo informed as he helped guide Vegeta back to his room, "Are you hungry?" The brunette shook his head slightly and groaned, "God, I can't think about eating right now..." Small steps were made down the hall so Vegeta wouldn't lose his balance. "Oh god, wait," Vegeta suddenly said, tapping on Piccolo's arm, "Shit...damnit..." Piccolo looked at him in concern, "What is it?" Vegeta growled low in his throat, something that surprised the Namek. Sometimes he looked too human. Vegeta shifted uncomfortably, "Damnit! I've got to piss like a race horse!" Piccolo flushed at the statement, redirecting them towards the bathroom. Luckily, Mr. Popo had been kind enough to clean up the place as soon as he awakened. The tub had been emptied and completely cleaned to the very last speck. The whole room smelled new and fresh, not a hint of alcohol lingering anywhere. "Here," Piccolo ushered him into the room and then through a side door which lead into the restroom area. Squinting, Vegeta managed to find a urinal and unzip his pants without a major problem. Piccolo clenched his teeth as he had to stay and help hold the Saijin up. His body was too worn out at the moment - or was it perhaps his mind? Either way, Vegeta wasn't able to stand up without some type of help. As if to further embarass the Namek, Vegeta let out a moan of relief as he went about his business. Frustrated Piccolo yelled at him, "Just how much did you drink!?" Vegeta cringed, tipping his head away from the green-skinned man, "Not so loud..!" Piccolo sighed again, muttering an apology, 'I guess they have huge bladders to match their huge stomachs.'

Finally Vegeta was finished, and Piccolo happily took him back to his room. "Get some rest," the Namek suggested, "and I'll go get you an ice pack." Vegeta grabbed his wrist before he was able to fully turn away. Piccolo looked down at him, one eyeridge raised. The prince took a couple breaths before speaking lowly, "Last night...I...I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" Piccolo took a few breaths himself, "What do you mean?" Vegeta shook his head before looking away, letting his eyes stay closed, "What'd I do...?" Piccolo shrugged a little to keep the mood casual, "Nothing much, laughed a bit, got smashed...filled a bath tub with beer and bathed in it..." He decided to leave out other certain details. Vegeta gave a small half-moan half-growl directed toward himself before he buried his face in a pillow, letting go of his grasp on the Namek. The muffled voice on the younger man attempted to escape the cushions, "Fuck...the goddamned Prince of Saijins - who's a Super Saijin - goes around and intoxicates himself over some stupid trivial thing then goes around and does even more stupid things...wonderful....." Piccolo frowned but let the brunette be, choosing to go out in search of an ice pack instead.

He returned to find Vegeta face up, but with his hand covering his face, whispering something. His ears twitched, picking up little pieces of it: "Koto...arak...sha...shavv...etu...Kakkarot....harrah? Och...och..." The Namek approached the bed, "Saijin?" Vegeta's hands instantly uncovered his shocked face, "What?" Piccolo chuckled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, placing a towel-wrapped ice pack on the prince's forehead, "To me it just sounded like that language was so natural to you." Vegeta sighed, holding the pack against himself more firmly, "..Perhaps..." Piccolo shook his head slightly, sporting a smirk, "Get some rest...I'll check on you later..." The prince cleared his throat before replying, "No. Why don't you stay?" Piccolo halted in his steps, "What did you say?" Firmly, but quietly Vegeta said, "You heard me." The Namek smirked at the attitude, 'It seems he's recovering well..' Carefully, Piccolo took a seat at the foot of the bed, "You would like to talk about something." Vegeta gave a tiny nod, "I would like for you to explain this." Piccolo raised an eyeride, "This?" Vegeta was silent and tense for a moment, "Yes. This...ah...relationship...between us. Explain." Piccolo relaxed slightly at the simple nature of the question, "Unless you have some type of objection, I view us as not only allies, comrades, and..associates, but friends as well. Does this upset you in any type of way?" Vegeta seemed to think about it before answering softly, "..No..." Piccolo smiled warmly at that before continuing, "I have watched you, Vegeta, and noticed your abilities. I examined all of your life that I know of and have decided that you, as a person - as a Saijin - are certainly unique. But enough with the bullshitting around. Blatantly, you're my friend because I like you, Vegeta, and nothing can change that; because I have seen you, Vegeta. I've seen you commit acts of murder, I've seen you attempt homocide - and suicide - but still you prevail. You're still alive, you're still strong, and you're so intelligent and full of potential that to turn you away would be like burning money. Do you understand what I'm saying?" There was a moment of silence before Vegeta sighed, "Ask me again in a few minutes. My head hurts now."

Piccolo chuckled before standing up, "Like I said...that's what you get for drinking." Vegeta grumbled, closing his eyes, "Really? I would think it would be because of the bath tub that'd do it." Piccolo smirked and gave a small shrug, "That might have been it." The door suddenly swung open and the young Namek entered. "Hello, Vegeta?" Dende called out, approaching the bed hesistantly. The prince sighed, wishing the pounding in his head would go away, "What is it?" The new guardian smiled faintly, "Goku dropped by for a second. He wanted to relay a message to you." Vegeta abruptly sat up, but found that quick movements was a bad idea. Groaning, the brunette fell back onto the bed, holding the pack more tightly against himself. Hissing, Vegeta managed to speak with the child, "What..what did Kakkarot say?" Dende bowed his head slightly but spoke up a bit to make up for it, "He said he was busy today and wished to send his deepest regrets. He said tomorrow would be a more suitable day to do something." Vegeta nodded, smirking faintly, "Oh yeah. I agree with that one." He winced at the sound of his own voice, "I think you better go, I feel a migrain coming on." Piccolo turned to leave, muttering something about getting food in the Saijin's stomach before he was out of earshot. The door closed silently, leaving Vegeta alone. "Namek, I understand," Vegeta whispered as he looked up at the ceiling through slitted eyes, "I understand......I think..." For some reason his eyelids felt heavy. The pain in his head ebbed slightly as his eyes drifted shut. How many hours of sleep did he get anyway? He couldn't remember...

He could remember feeling a worse pain than he was now. How his head felt when it was partially split open. When his busted lips swelled and bled. A person from the group slammed him against the wall, enjoying the loud smack that emitted. Hands went to his throat, holding tightly, choking, squeezing. Clawwing at the hands he refused to cry out. No, he would not. He had made that vow to himself and he would not break it. He would not speak again, especially when there was no need for it. He felt blood oozing from the wound on his skull. It matted his hair, the thick liquid congealing in a jelly-like mess. It trickled down behind his ear, towards his neck. Someone slapped him across the cheek, stingingly bitter; though this was the least of his problems as the hands gripped into him, bruising him, slowly crushing his windpipe. He attempted to gasp but no air could go through, and he could not make any type of noise. His vocal cords were useless, even if he resorted to that option. The strong hands picked him up, forcing him to hunch. He felt blood spill out of his mouth, dripping from his inflamed lips. In an instant his body slammed against the ground, his lungs desperately trying to gain enough air to calm his body. He moved, starting to get upon his hands and knees to get away, but more hands reached out, grabbing his tail, pulling him back. The pain was too intense, too magnified - and he screamed. A brief outburst, but a sharp cry nonetheless. He heard voices talking and laughing. One of them said something. Something about giving him "a gift to remember" them by. They paused, discussing briefly in their native tongue. As they spoke, he thought.

'Och....Och! Preh Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht! Preh Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht eti Proh otre OCH!' he mentally screamed, trying to get his breathing under control, though his attempts seemed futile. Hands pulled again, dragging him across the hard earth. Frozen in pain, his head scraped against the ground. He watched the trail of blood grow longer and longer. His tail was twisted, bent, broken. The hands left the useless appendage, chosing to take his shoulders and toss him onto his back. He was restrained and suddenly artic ice bit him. Quickly it acted, splitting his skin, carving deeply into his flesh. He was able to gasp, but he refused to scream this time. Taunts filled his ears, as well as curses of, "Mu'takki Saijin!" Being held in place, the ice attacked him again. Digging into him, tearing his muscles in his shoulder, chest, and arm - the ice became heat, lancing his nerves. He felt another slash, this time across his shin. Crimson liquid poured from him, running down his skin onto the floor. They laughed at him, mocked him, insulted him.

Hands released him and he used pure willpower to move. He staggered to his feet, head lifting to see a brilliant ball of yellow light. His mouth opened in surprise as the raging ki raced toward him. It slammed him into the wall, cracking his head, forcing another river of blood. He gasped for air and looked down at his exposed innards. Blackened flesh that stank edged the hole of his midsection. The white of bone covered in red was proof of ribs and spine. Yet still he stood. In shock, and numb, but still - he stood. Even as they reached inside and tore out his intestines - he still stood. He stood as they held up the entrails as a goreish trophy, rejoicing at their triumph. Stood as they bathed themselves in his blood. Stood as they ate their trophy, noisily, sickeningly. He stood, black spots dotting his vision. He stood, thinking, '..Och...' He coughed lightly, tasting the copper of his blood. He thought again, '..Och...' And he fell.

Vegeta's eyes opened, his hands darting to his stomach. The irrational fear that he was injured lingered from his dream. He cursed himself slightly and ran a hand through his hair. How long had he slept? He wasn't sure, but he was feeling much better regardless of his odd "nightmare". With a sigh he began to trace the evidence of old wounds. For some reason "victory scars" came to mind. In a way they were. He was so strong now. So unafraid. So bold. Yes, these scars were a victory for him - for he had survived. His eyebrows furrowed, recalling the dream, and its ending. The ending was of course, not true to life. Where had that come from? He closed his eyes to review it over in his head. It suddenly dawned upon him what could have given him such a reaction that he'd be bothered subconsciously.

"Kakkarot, you idiot!"
The blast tore it him, shredded him, like a vicious, angry monster, using it's claws to tear him apart layer by layer.
"V-Vegeta!!" Kakkarot screamed in terror...

Kakkarot...why did his mind always wander to him? What was so special about him? Other than the fact that he was so indescribably good-natured and perfect in every aspect he could never be... He was so innocent and pure, but he loved to be in his company. Did the third class not see that being around this prince would taint his soul? Did he not see what a wreched black heart he contained? How could that man want to be his friend, much less, stand his presence? He couldn't understand how they ended up in the relationship that they had. The black-haired Saijin was forgiving, compassionate, caring, and capable - while he was cold, dark, needlessly violent, and ruthless. They were so unlike and yet they appeared to be friends. God, it was so strange! A friend! A real friend... He had never had someone care about him other than himself. Piccolo had said that Kakkarot viewed him as someone special. But why? Why would he? What was so special about him?

A knock came at the door, and Vegeta sat up, noting how he felt much better than he had earlier. "Come in," the prince said, throwing the covers to the side as he turned in position. Piccolo cracked the door open, "You feel hungry?" Vegeta sighed and gave a shrug, "Yeah, sure. Why not.." The Namek entered and brought a cart stacked with food in along with him. "Help yourself," Piccolo declared before he slipped out of the room silently. Vegeta grabbed a plate and dug in. Once he tasted the food his appetite instantly skyrocketed. With no one around he ate ferociously, but careful enough not to spill anything onto himself. Within minutes the pile of dishes were clean - literally - as the brunette had even licked them. Damn, he had been hungry...How could he have not realized it? True, it had been hectic the last couple days.. Sighing, Vegeta fell back against the plush bed, stretching out. He frowned, thinking it all over. The whole..suicide thing. Why should he care about what others thought of him? Why should he care what lies Zarbon spread about him? No...he didn't care. He only cared about... 'Kakkarot,' Vegeta thought, blinking slowly, 'Ever since I heard about him I've..chased after him. It was so painful to see the last of my kind reject me. For him to beat me down and spare my life. Then the embarrasment of allying with him. Of being saved by him. Only to lose it all before I could witness it. Frieza...the pain...the humiliation...the tears...I had never cried before, but I did that day. It was everything. Frieza. The years. The losses. The humiliation. Everything. I just couldn't take it anymore. That's why when I came back, I decided not to care anymore...There was no use in trying, so I let it go. I let it all go...But I never forgot about him.' He could not forget a man who smiled when seeing him. Could not forget a man that gave up his time to spend it with him. Could not forget the memories they made together.

He smiled faintly, almost sadly, as he whispered, "Kakkarot..." He wondered why Kakkarot hadn't been able to see him today. He shook his head suddenly at his own foolishness. 'Idiot,' he told himself, 'He has a family. After almost dying, of course they'd want to see him.' For some reason he felt himself grow exceedingly jealous. No one ran to him when he was in trouble. No one supported him in his worst of times. No one raised a finger to help him when he was in need. No one looked after him when he felt down - they merely turned the other cheek. No one cared for him like they did for Kakkarot, or any of the other Z warriors. No one cared...

A faint pressure on his shoulder and a sob, "Oh god, Vegeta, why...?"
"No, Vegeta, no..." a whisper was spoken as light, soft brushes were caressing his face.

God...Kakkarot really cared about him..? Truly cared for him? Soothing words from the black-haired Saijin repeated in his mind, 'If you wish to ask anything at all, I wish it to be for us to be friends.' He closed his eyes and put his hands behind his hand, lacing his fingers. More words came to him, ''No, my prince..I don't deserve you. I've failed you.' How could the noble warrior fail him? Kakkarot had never done anything to be able to say that statement truthfully. How could he believe that? Either of them? Not when Kakkarot had done so much to..help him. More words, 'Vegeta, hold on! Don't leave me! You can't! You can't because...because you're...my friend.! And because you're..my prince! Please, Vegeta..!' Friend....Prince....Did he truly believe that? Did he truly live his life thinking him as his friend and prince? When and why did their relationship change? Memories, '..Kakkarot, please...kill Frieza. He made me who I am...' And what had happened when his way of life had been taken away? When he finally realized he'd never be strong enough? When he realized he'd never live up to anyone's standards, much less his father's or his own? When he realized that he did nothing of value?

The way death had felt...a whirlwind of calm. Bitter sweet and dark, it enveloped him, seeping into every pore and saturating him to the bone. Death was wonderously silent, not even a ringing in his ears existed - just silence. He had drifted, no weight, no gravity. Drifting there he felt everything run together, overlap, and rearrange itself. His thoughts swirled and came to one point, like liquid being poured through a funnel. His whole life simply came together, being analyzed before being spat back at him. The answer to his troubles came to him. To all the problems he hadn't been able to solve. The losses, the failures, the pain, the humilations, the embarrassments, the torture, Frieza, Zarbon, Kakkarot...It was all too much. Too much for him to take anymore. Not by himself. He lost so much..too much. He felt like everything was a lie. The words his father spoke to him...He wasn't strong. He wasn't a powerful warrior. He wasn't even a prince. He had been a slave - a servent. For Freiza of all people - the one who had nearly killed his entire species. The fact he had never avenged his own species' destruction... How ironic. He committed genocide and yet it wasn't fair that his race was obliterated? How painfully amusing. How pathetic. For years he had thought of himself as such a powerful prince. After Zarbon and Frieza though, he knew better. He knew then. When he died, he knew the truth. This time though, he accepted it. He was nothing. Nothing. And if he simply disappeared no one would care. So why should he?

Now though....Now what was he? The prince again? He shook his head as if to help clear his thoughts. 'Preh Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht,' he declared mentally before adding, '....uru Preh Proch.' His eyes opened and he looked up at the ceiling, letting everything clear from him for a moment. 'Eti, Kakkarot...Nreh Nroch..' he admitted, a smile coming to his lips. He wasn't sure what was so ironic about the situation though, but it felt ironic enough for him to laugh over it. "Yes, third class," he whispered, almost chuckling at the situation and himself, "You aren't what you appear to be." A knock on the door interrupted his ponderings. Piccolo stepped inside and offered a small smile, "Good, you ate." Vegeta sat up and responded with a nod, "Yes. My compliments to the cook." Piccolo smirked, grabbing the empty cart and pushing it towards the door, "So you're feeling better I take it?" Vegeta's tail twitched as the prince thought for a moment. "Maybe," the brunette said, smirking coyly. Piccolo returned the look before making a gesture, "Come on." Vegeta raised an eyebrow, looking suddenly suspicious. "I won't bite," the Namek promised, opening the door, "Come on." Hesitantly the prince nodded, moving to gather his shirt and shoes. After quickly putting the items on he headed out with Piccolo who pushed the cart to the side in the hall - he knew Mr. Popo would take care of it. Piccolo answered the unspoken question he knew Vegeta was asking, "I want to show you something. It's not a long flight."

Without another word he leapt into the air, hoping the Saijin would decide to follow. He smiled inwardly when he noticed that he did. A bit skeptical about up and going some place he probably had never been to before, but nonetheless, Vegeta was following him. 'Good,' Piccolo thought to himself, relaxing slightly, 'He at least trusts me.' The Namek had been correct about the flight time - they arrived at their destination within a few minutes. Vegeta took a quick sweep of the area. A forest crept in from all directions before receding slightly - making room for the river which got it's source of power from a large waterfall. The roar was loud, but not deafening, almost peaceful in a way. "This is where I used to meditate," Piccolo informed, floating about halfway up the waterfall. He situation his legs indian style before looking up at Vegeta who still hovered, "Well, are you going to join me?" The prince paused before slowly decending himself to eye level with Piccolo, "What, do you want me to meditate with you?" Piccolo smirked, "Is there a problem with that?" The brunette thought it over, hesitating slightly, "..No." Piccolo tipped his head to one side as he thought over the situation, "Meditation is good for the mind. If you relax yourself enough, your expand your abilites mentally. As a Saijin, you should understand this." Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows and frowned, "And why should I?" Piccolo blinked in shock before recovering, "Saijins are telepathic aren't they?" Vegeta's confusion melted away instantly, "Oh. Oh, yes. That. I get what you're saying now." Piccolo smirked and gave a nod, "I knew you would. Anyways...Let's try a little experiment, shall we?"

The prince tensed, his tail wrapping around his waist slowly, carefully, "What kind of experiment?" Piccolo smiled warmly at him, "It's quite simple. You let yourself become completely relaxed until you let your subconscious mind take over while you're awake. It's how you see visions. Since you're so deep in meditation it works similar to hypnotizing, except I won't be able to influence you. I can ask questions and you're awake enough to answer them. I see a lot of useful information while I'm meditating." Vegeta looked off for a moment before questioning, "If I do this, I'll still be aware of what's happening?" Piccolo nodded, "Of course." Vegeta nodded again, realizing the hard part would be the relaxing. "Just close your eyes and forget everything else.." the Namek coaxed, as if reading his mind. Vegeta sighed silently before closing his eyes, concentrating on the steady rush of the water next to his body. He concentrated on the constant sound and the feel of escaping droplets of water on his skin. He ignored all thoughts that had been troubling him and merely concentrated on his five senses, trying to become completely relaxed. For some reason Kakkarot came to mind, and with that a flood of various emotions followed. No good...he'd never relax this way...

He banished all other thoughts again, finding difficulty when it came to the black-haired man. He focused on his senses, including the sixth. After many minutes of that, he felt himself growing distant from the world, yet he was still right there. God, he was so relaxed, he could have gone to sleep in an instant....He was no longer thinking or meditating, he was simply being. Relaxed...being.... Piccolo felt a familiar sensation radiating off of the Saijin. He could ask whatever he wished and Vegeta's relaxation would cause him to answer with minimal discomfort, yet afterward the prince would remember everything crystal clear. The heightened meditation ensured this. Quietly the Namek asked his first question, "Vegeta, would you like to talk to me about G...about Kakkarot?" The prince shrugged the tiniest bit, whispering, "Kakkarot..." Piccolo tred carefully on these waters, he didn't want to piss the younger man off in any shape or form, "Is Kakkarot a good friend to you?" Vegeta's face remained calm and tranquil, "Better than that..." Piccolo couldn't help but smile, "Has Kakkarot ever been..bad to you?" The face remained smooth, but the voice became sad, "He...he's hurt me...." Piccolo frowned now, letting his eyeridges furrow, "How did he hurt you?" Vegeta took a moment to reply, "At first he only hurt my pride.....then..he hurt my feelings.." The prince's voice became normal again and he declared, "But, it's okay...Kakkarot didn't mean it..." Piccolo took a deep breath, his smile returning, "Yes, I've never known Kakkarot to intenionally hurt someone."

Vegeta suddenly became silent, and his breaths diminished until it looked as if he wasn't breathing. Piccolo instantly knew something was wrong. "Vegeta.." he pressed, his voice firm and no longer quiet. The Saijin didn't move. "Vegeta," the Namek said loudly, trying to pull him out of whatever was happening. The breaths returned to the smaller man, quick gasps for air erupted from him as his face contorted. He was no longer relaxed. "VEGETA!" Piccolo shouted, uncurling himself from his meditation stance. "OCH!" Vegeta shouted, shaking his head furiously, "I do not wish to remember this!" Piccolo grabbed Vegeta and shook him roughly, forcing him back from whatever it was that happened. Vegeta's eyes snapped open, the pupils dilating for a second before returning to normal. The prince gasped, clutching onto the arms which held him, "It...It was like I was..reliving it..." Piccolo sighed softly, feeling sorry for the younger man, "It's okay. A vision of an unsolved dilemma can mean you're in the process of moving on..." Vegeta raised an eyebrow, suddenly looking very vulnerable, "..Really?" He nearly caught his lost breath. The green-skinned alien gave a reassuring nod, "Yes, really." Vegeta disentangled them, running a hand through his hair quickly, "Well....That was interesting to say the least." He turned away, floating up a few yards to look across the forest and to the horizon.

The Namek silently came up behind him, barely resting his hands on Vegeta's shoulders. The prince visibly tensed at the contact, his tail hugging his waist tightly. "Sometimes," Piccolo whispered, looking out at the horizon, "you don't think you can tell anybody something, when it's really you don't have the right person to tell." A pause ensued before Vegeta replied, "So what exactly do you want me to say?" Piccolo massaged the shoulders lightly, abruptly stopping when he spoke again, "You don't have to say anything. I'm just offering my ears to talk to, that's all." Vegeta shook his head slightly, murmuring, "Ears to talk to? Quite some ears to offer, indeed..." Piccolo smiled, letting go of the Saijin completely to fly around to the other side of him, "Well, it's getting late, I think we should head back." Vegeta blinked in realization that the sun was setting, and the temperature was dropping, "What? We haven't been out here that long." Piccolo chuckled, smirking more towards himself, "Time flies when you're meditating, doesn't it?" Vegeta's tail uncoiled, deciding to idly swing back and forth, "I suppose it does." Piccolo started to fly upwards, "Well..let's go then. Knowing you, you'll be hungry soon enough." Vegeta started to follow after him, "Just because I eat a lot doesn't mean I'm hungry all the time." Piccolo chuckled again, "So you're not hungry?" Vegeta frowned, glancing elsewhere, "Well...that's not my point..." The Namek laughed, a smooth, dark, quiet rumble, "Then let's go eat."

They arrived at the lookout to find that Mr. Popo had already prepared for their arrival. A large table had been set up in the main hall, decked out with plates upon plates of food. Four chairs lined it, two on each side with none at the ends. Candles were placed at the center, their holders were detailed statues of Shelong, the eternal dragon - a nice touch. The chairs were a wood, what type Vegeta wasn't sure of, nor did he care, but he did notice that they had been stained a reddish color, which went along with the plush part of the furniture. Velvet covered various parts which held padding - such as the back, seat, and arms. The rest was exposed wooden frame, but it suited the atmosphere nicely. As Vegeta ate he soon found that he was the only one eating. He stopped for a second, swallowing what he had in his mouth before asking, "What?" Dende nearly jumped at the sound of the prince's voice, "W-what?" Vegeta slurped down some pasta before answering, "Why aren't you eating?" Piccolo picked up a glass of water in front of him, "Nameks don't need to eat. They only need water to survive." He promptly took a few gulps before setting the glass down. Mr. Popo decided to add in, "I've already eaten." Vegeta looked across the table and raised an eyebrow, "So, this is all for me then?" The black-skinned servent nodded, "We've had to provide for Goku-" Piccolo interrupted him softly, "Kakkarot." Mr. Popo looked at the elder Namek for a moment, quite surprised at the correction, "We've had to provide for..Kakkarot..before. We know how much a Saijin eats." Vegeta grabbed the next plate over that was full, "Hn. Is that so? Who do you think eats more?" The prince easily devoured the meat off of bone, chewwing it thoroughly while he waited for a response. "I'd have to say..Kakkarot..eats more," Mr. Popo declared, obviously not used to the Saijin name when he spoke it. "Hn. Yes," Vegeta agreed with a nod, nearly inhaling some rolls, "Kakkarot is larger than me." He chuckled before lifting a bowl of soup and drinking it all within one breath.

"Still doesn't mean you won't clear off this table," Piccolo pointed out before taking another gulp of water. Vegeta glanced at him, giving him a smirk as he began scarfing down on some pork chops. He ate wolfishly, but still with an air of carefulness, for he never made a mess. And even though it took a long time for him to complete his meal, the two Nameks and the gardener stayed with him. He stretched afterward, his tail fluffing from the base to the tip and back, giving it the appearence of an odd wave. "I approve," the prince said, running his hand over his washboard stomach, "It was good." Mr. Popo looked very pleased with himself as he began to clean up the mess. Dende smiled as he stood, "Well, that's good news." Piccolo stood as well, finishing off his drink before turning and looking out across the vast sky. Vegeta gathered himself and stood as well. Dende worked his way around the table, stepping next to the brunette. "You know," he murmured softly, but distinctly, "you are welcome here anytime." Vegeta said nothing, only giving the younger Namek a small nod. "Sleep well," the guardian said his farewell before turning and going on his way. The Saijin and the elder Namek stood together, neither talking, both just enjoying the peace around them. Piccolo finally spoke, his voice soft, "I just want you to know that whatever is spoken between us, stays between us." Vegeta closed his eyes and nodded before opening them, "I understand, Piccolo." They stood then, listening to the wind. After the light from the sun was nearly gone, Vegeta turned to head in for the night. "Sleep well, Prince Vegeta," Piccolo murmured, not moving from his position in the slightest. "Lokaht," Vegeta said simply, pausing suddenly. He looked over his shoulder and Piccolo looked over his. "Ditto," Vegeta said, explaining the word for him. Piccolo smiled and answered with a nod before turning away from the brunette. Vegeta turned as well, heading towards his temporary room.

The candles were lit when he walked inside, and the bed had been made. Also his belongings had been put upon a dresser in neat piles with the clothes all washed. He kicked off his shoes and easily peeled off his shift, tossing it onto the floor. He sighed and let himself fall back onto the bed. He felt himself growing tired very quickly. Vegeta stretched himself out, yawning silently as he did so, tail fluffing itself all over in random spots, but covering the entire appendage. He suddenly felt very tired, but very relaxed, and very lazy. His tail twitched, almost flopped, back and forth across the mattress, causing near-silent thumps to fill the air. He thought back to earlier that day, trying to remember what he was thinking about before Piccolo had interrupted him. His mind recalled the dream causing him to tense up. The next thing that came to mind was the vision. He shuddered, rolling on his side and curling up slightly, his tail no longer twitching as enthusiastically as it just had. Ever since that day so long ago...he couldn't stand physical contact outside of battle. When he still had his pride it hurt him, because it was such a great weakness that he was afraid. Later he had learned to accept it, and it became natural to shy away from people. He had all the reasons to stay away from people already, the fact that he didn't want to be touched just added on top of it all. He had never felt comfortable when nearby someone else, and he thought this would never change.

Arms slowly wrapped around him, Kakkarot reassuring him, "I don't hate you, Vegeta. I don't hate you." The arms encircled him completely, drawing him close, giving him warmth. Kakkarot rested his head on this shoulder, whispering memories to him.

Why was it that when Kakkarot touched him he didn't start to panic? Why was it that when Kakkarot was close he didn't feel like shrinking away? Why was it that Kakkarot was so different? Why was it that he was..able to soothe him with a touch? Was it because he was Saijin? Because he was the last Saijin alive other than him? Oh god, he was so confused...he'd been so confused, for so long now. Ever since Kakkarot had randomly decided to come to him and take him up as his company. It was so odd...he had spent his previous days either trying desperatly to intoxicate his blood stream with alcohol or lounging about in his room doing absolutely nothing. Often times he had pondered many random things - which was interesting with everything considering; his species was a war-like race, and hardly scientific or overly curious. It was actually rather odd, yet relaxing now that he thought about his former days. He remembered that certain time in early afternoon on Kakkarot's birthday - and he chuckled without really knowing why. He recalled the handstand and the way his imagination had run rampant. He recalled how often he thought of space. How often he thought of home. Or rather, what was home. He no longer had a home. Vegeta's mind instantly began to wander.

Even with all the technological advances in the universe, there was still some things left unexplained. Dark matter, black holes, brown dwarfs...all these things were still left in the unknown. If there was one thing he noticed, however, it was the steady decline of education throughout the universe. Comparing his travels with Freiza to the history of the Earth (what he had picked up), he noted that overall it looked like it was heading for a Dark Age of great magnitude. If they weren't careful, cutthroats, thieves, and petty criminals would end up ruling the galaxies, and the great scientists would become nothing but dust. Sometimes he thought this wouldn't be such a bad thing. Just watch chaos ensue and life destroy itself. And then the masses of dust and gas would come together due to gravity and form an accretion disk which would spin to conserve angular momentum and then.....Vegeta blinked with a sudden realization. 'How do I know this?' he thought, quite stunned. He tried to recall where he picked up so much of this excess information but he couldn't think of anytime he would have. And then he did remember one time when he was small, after he just recently becoming an acquirement of Frieza...

"Your normal teacher is out sick, so Professor Goran'dja will be your instructor for today," Dodoria said in a normal military tone, stopping abruptly before a door. Vegeta looked up at the elite, giving a nod. The older male opened the door and nudged the prince inside, muttering, "Brat.." Vegeta immediately noticed the lack of lights the room normally had blaring, the soft glow from space was instead much appreciated. A figure stood by a window, overlooking a nearby galaxy that the ship was passing by. "Good evening, Vegeta," the Professor spoke, mimicking the words with his hands at the same time, "Do you like space?" The small prince approached the taller man, giving a shrug, answering, //Such things don't mean much to me.// Mr. Goran'dja smiled pleasantly at the child, replying, "Did you know there are more mysteries and more galaxies in the universe than there are cells in your body?" Vegeta's eyebrows raised at that one. The Professor nodded, continuing, "No matter how advanced we are, we still don't know exactly how this all started - and by this, I mean life. They still don't know. Isn't that amazing?" The young prince gave a shrug, taking a seat that was provided. "Today, Vegeta, we expand your vocabulary as instructed," the Professor said, still mimicking, "but we'll also do much more than that." Vegeta looked up at the alien strangely, raising an eyebrow and looking almost suspicious. "Look out the window," said the taller male, gesturing. Vegeta sighed, really not interested, but he complied anyway. Disobeying his instructor would be like disobeying Frieza and he did not want to do that.

After gazing for a second he looked back at the Professor. "What do you see?" he asked, tipping his head slightly. Vegeta shrugged again, //Stars...space...// Mr. Goran'dja inquired, "Galaxies?" Vegeta gave a half-shrug half-nod. "Vegeta, do you know what a galaxy is?" his teacher asked simply, and in a non-threatening manner. The prince looked over the form before him, noting the frailty of the creature's figure. Tall, but mostly skeletal, this being wasn't meant to fight, but rather to teach like it was now. The face bore a short snout, like a cross between a dog and a cat. The eyes had a dark violet pupil surrounding by a swirling mass of navy and purple - not something he saw everyday. And for some reason he felt like he'd never see them again. //It is..owned by Freiza,// the Saijin said slowly. Professor Goran'dja shook his head, explaining, "A galaxy is a huge collection of stellar and interstellar matter isolated in space and bound together by its own gravity. Did you know there are different types of galaxies?" Vegeta merely shook his head. "There are several types, all different depending on their apperence," the Professor said, looking out the window again, "Do you know how planets form?" Vegeta again shook his head. The alien knelt, looking at him eye level, a sparkle in his eyes, "Interstellar gas and dust will start to be pulled together by gravity. All things have a gravitational pull on one another, no matter how minute. The pull will start the matter spinning, so that it will conserve angular momentum. It'll form an accretion disk and eventually, a planet. Depending on the system that it's in depends if it will harbor life or not." Vegeta looked down for a moment before saying, //My planet no longer exists.// The Professor smiled slightly and replied, //Neither does mine.// A smile was shared between the two. A silent understanding. A silent bond. "Do you know what the surface of a black hole is called?" Professor Goran'dja continued at random. Vegeta smirked and said, //The surface?// A slight laugh came from the taller male, "It's called the event horizon. Because it's as far as we can see into a black hole. The center, or location of the black hole is called a singularity. Why do you think they call it that?" Vegeta gave a tiny shrug, //Because there's only one point?// The Professor smiled warmly, "I think that's a good enough answer. Did you know that not even light can escape a black hole?" Vegeta shook his head.

The Professor continued on. Explaining, answering questions, and teaching him something the man obviously enjoyed. Yes, he learned new vocabulary like he was supposed to, but something else had been shared. This man had a passion for learning, where as the prince was a warrior. Education wasn't necessary, not unless it involved new techniques for battle. Even so, the small brunette had found himself facinated by all the astounding facts the Professor had to offer. So when it came to the end of the day, instead of waving, Vegeta mouthed, "Good-bye." He never saw Professor Goran'dja again. Vegeta was asleep in a matter of moments, his breath steady and his mind at ease. He dozed off and soon dreamed. In his dream he was on board a ship overlooking a galaxy cluster. He sat alone, his hands in his lap, not moving for once. A figure was there then, but the presence wasn't threatening. He looked over to see a small child like himself was, but this boy had black, unruly hair. "Hi," said the boy, beeming happily, "What's your name?" Vegeta looked away from him and back out the window, not answering him. The boy frowned and sat down beside him, "Are you upset? You look like you're upset over something." Vegeta finally spoke to him, //My planet is gone. My species nearly extinct. My family is dead.// The boy seemed to think this over for a moment, before gesturing with his hands as well, //My planet, too, is gone. My species is nearly extinct as well. My family is also dead.// Vegeta looked at the boy who was now smiling at him. //How can you be happy?// Vegeta asked in amazement. The black eyes looked into his own, radiating warmth, //Because, Jakaht..Nreh Nroch, eti Preh Proch.//

Goku appeared in the dark room, careful not to make a sound. He had wanted so desperately to see how Vegeta was, after being away from him the entire day. He hadn't been able to even speak to him in person really, but he blamed himself for that. He would've been able to if he had waken up earlier, but he was pressured for time, and merely left his message with Dende. He felt a bit..giddy..though. He had accomplished all he wanted to do within the day except see Vegeta. And now he had teleported himself to the man without thinking twice. Almost thankfully he had come into a pitch black room, and almost even better was the fact that steady breathing filled the air - which meant Vegeta was asleep. 'Thank god he's getting some rest,' Goku thought, creating a ki ball in mid-air to lighten the room the tiniest bit. He looked down at the prince, wanting nothing more than to bow at the edge of the bed and kiss the brunette's feet. His mind began to wander just a bit and he blushed slightly, 'Well, maybe I want a little more than that...' He would much prefer curling up next to that lovely figure and wrap his arms around it, to inhale the scent of the royal man..but he resisted all urges. It was as if his desires had been released and there was no way to capture them again. He could only fend them off, but it was better than being overwhelmed. He shuddered, not knowing what foolish mistake he would've made by now if he wasn't able to control himself. But it made him feel good to see Vegeta so relaxed laying there. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, and Goku knew that he needed plenty of sleep for what he had in store. He stared at the brunette below him, knowing better than to get close to him - so instead he watched from his distance, happily soaking in Vegeta's form. Finally, hesitantly, Goku whispered, "Good night, Vegeta." And sighing silently, the younger man disappeared from the room.

He returned, however, after getting a few hours of sleep of his own. He had dressed differently, choosing to leave his normal gi at home. He always wore it, and frankly he felt like he needed a change in his life. So digging through the closet he had found a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a wife beater. He slipped the items on before putting some socks and tennis shoes on. Goku acted quickly and quietly, stuffing some articles of clothing he liked in a duffel bag and grabbing his wallet before using the "instant transmission" to go to Vegeta. When he arrived he set down the bag and hovered over the prince, wondering if he should wake him or merely let him rest some more. The choice was made for him when Vegeta rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. Blinking a few times, Vegeta's eyes focused on the figure above him. In shock the brunette backed away slightly, "Kakkarot?" Goku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand before replying, "Uh...yeah..I was just about to wake you up!" He didn't want Vegeta to think he had just been floating there staring at him like he truly had. Vegeta sat up and stretched - his tail fluffing, curling, twining, and untwining. The odd dance it performed made Goku want to hold it in his hands and feel its silky essence - a shiver ran up his spine just at the thought. A strange type of uncomfortable silence came about and Goku slowly descended, letting his feet support his weight. Vegeta took a shirt off of the dresser and slipped it on, grabbing some socks before sitting on the edge of the bed, putting them on as well. His shoes were next and he finally decided to speak up, "Where are we going?" Goku picked up his duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder, "I thought you might enjoy a nice one on one game." Vegeta raised an eyebrow, putting his hands in his pockets as he stood, "What kind of one on one game?" Goku was forced to pause as his perverted mind had to grin at the question. "Racquetball," the black-haired Saijin was able to squeeze out in a normal voice. Vegeta nodded slightly, as if to approve the idea; he said, "Okay." Goku smiled as he walked up to the prince, "This'll be fun, I swear." He placed his hand on Vegeta's shoulder and they were gone from the lookout.

They reappeared inside of a locker room, which was thankfully empty. Goku found a locker and stuffed his bag in there before turning towards the door. Vegeta followed, assuming that the younger man knew where he was going. Goku led him through two sets of doors, which brought them to the workout room of the gym they were at, but he ignored the equipment and turned down towards a glass wall which showed an empty room inside. Nearby was two racks, one which held tennis rackets, the other a set of rubber balls. Goku grabbed two rackets and a ball, tossing the extra racket to Vegeta. The prince was a little bit confused, for he had seen what tennis was, but this..he wasn't able to figure out. Goku smiled at him and opened the glass door, and after they were inside, he closed and locked it. "How about...every time the ball hits the opposite wall it earns a point. That sound good enough?" Goku asked, gripping his racket comfortably. The prince approached the other side of the court, "Yes, that sounds fine." Goku waited till Vegeta looked as if he was ready before bouncing the ball on the ground. "Here it comes!" Goku shouted, lightly tapping the ball, bouncing it over to Vegeta easily. The brunette tapped it back, realizing that Goku had intended a warm-up. They exchanged the small sphere a few more times, each time attempting to make it more difficult for the other to hit it and bounce it back. Soon enough an all out warfare had begun, a loud smack emitting each time the ball hit a racket and launched its return. The two Saijins were sweating, moving faster and faster after each fluid motion of a swing. They leapt into the air, motions becoming a blur as the flew up and down, left and right. It was unspoken knowledge between the two that whoever scored first would finish the game and end it, merely because the game would last too long otherwise. Already they'd been in there for a few hours at least, and the intense game of concentration was starting to loose it's grandeur.

'This is taking forever,' Vegeta thought to himself, grunting as he had to stretch a bit father than he should have to prevent a miss on his part, 'We're too evenly matched. Neither of us will score for a long time.' Realizing this, it made the brunette rather irritated; and wishing for the game to be over with, he made his decision. With a brief bit of effort he pushed his ki up to max instantaneously. His hair flared to life, moving much like the upswept mane would do if it were true fire. Goku instantly faltered a fraction of a second, which was the intended plan. With a good holler, Vegeta smacked the ball as hard as he could. Goku moved to counter, but the ball simply tore through his racket and continued on through the glass wall, ricocheting a few times before deciding to hit someone on the head, instantly rendering them unconscious. Vegeta blinked at the end result of winning the game and instantly began to laugh. "Vegeta, he could be seriously injured!" Goku scolded, though sporting a small, almost shy, smirk. This merely made the prince laugh harder, however. Goku tried his best to look upset as he dragged the prince out of the room and back towards the lockers. Once they were alone the black-haired Saijin spoke again. "That wasn't funny," Goku attempted to state, because Vegeta interrupted him with more laughing. He let the prince laugh for two reasons. One was that he knew whatever he said now would probably only make Vegeta laugh even more, and his anger would probably only amuse the prince further. Two was that Vegeta rarely got to laugh and that he needed all the happiness he would get, not only because it was good for him, but because he deserved it. After a minute or so Vegeta began to calm down and Goku spoke softly to him as he opened up his locker to get his things, "You might want to power down."

Vegeta hadn't realized he was still holding his Super Saijin form and he slowly decreased his ki, his hair fading colors as he did so. This truly interested Goku, but he forced himself not to look at the other Saijin as he pulled his things out. 'How come when he turns Super Saijin his hair changes like that instead of flashing solid like mine?' Goku thought while he set down his duffel bag and opened it, 'And he doesn't seem to have difficulty changing. I had difficulty at first. I just don't understand it!' As he pulled out his change in attire he managed a sideways glance at the prince, noting his now solemn expression. The brunette had his arms folded as he leaned against the lockers, his gaze focused downwards with a distantness in it. "I'm..going to take a shower before we go," Goku announced, feeling slightly awkward as he began to strip - not because he was stripping, but merely because he had decided to state his course of action. As he pulled off his shirt Goku looked over at the prince, wondering why the other man hadn't given a response. Vegeta's eyes met his, and Goku sensed something strangely..mysterious in the black depths. Vegeta replied as Goku untied the knot on his sweatpants, "Alright. I suppose I'll take one as well." Instead of removing his clothing, however, Vegeta turned and made his way towards the showers. Goku sighed silently as he watched Vegeta go, the cotton pants sliding off of his form and puddling on the ground. He picked up the pants, his eyes still locked on the figure of the Saijin prince who was moving farther and farther away from him. Only a moment later did he realize that he was staring intently at Vegeta's tail which swung back and forth with each step. Goku blinked, his eyes refocusing as his hands jammed the workout clothes into the bag - his line of sight switched from the tail to other assests and instantly the black-haired man felt a swarm of heat flood his body. He looked away, hastily zipping up the duffel bag, 'I've got to stop doing that.'

He grabbed his things and made his way towards the showers, hearing the patter of water on tiled floor. 'He must already be in,' thought Goku as he rounded the corner, passing the bathroom. As he turned around the last corner, his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Vegeta's clothes piled onto a countertop. Goku set his bag up there as well as his change in attire. He moved toward a random stall and slipped inside, turned on the water to hot, and closed the curtain. The liquid poured down on him and he grabbed the complimentary shampoo, lathering it partially in his hands before massaging it into his hair. He gave a deep sigh as he worked in the soap, his throat instantly bursting out a purr. This wasn't a new sensation - for Goku had always known for a scalp massage to calm him and he never minded to wash his hair because of the relaxing sensations it spurred. He grabbed the shampoo bottle and poured a generous amount in his hands, making a low sound in his throat as he attempted to work in all of the substance into his hair. He leaned back against the stall, slowly moving his fingers around as hot water cascaded over his body, working against tightened muscles. His eyes opened slightly, two slits gazing into space as he felt like he could fall asleep standing up. He probably would have if it wasn't for Vegeta, however. Through some strange stroke of luck his curtain was slightly open, letting him to look outside of the stall. This wasn't the luck though - what was "lucky" about the situation was that his line of vision matched up exactly to the small gap between Vegeta's curtain and the wall of the prince's stall. His eyes widened and he froze in place, unable to look away from the small sliver of what he saw. He gawked at pale skin that was wonderously toned and looked incredibly smooth to the touch. Vegeta shampooed his own hair, Goku noticing the way his hair fell back when wet, like his own did. His eyes roamed up and down, following the curve of the spine, skipping to the ankles, then rose to note the curve of one exposed buttocks. His chest radiated another purr as he caught sight of the dark brown tail. His eyes hooded themselves back down to slits as he overviewed the prince once more before closing his eyes.

He envisioned his hands wrapping around the wet, furry appendage. He imagined running his hands up and down it before finally taking the tip into his mouth and sucking on it, leaving his hands free to roam across that pale skin. He thought of feeling across the smooth expanses of the prince's chest, drawing concentric circles slowly downwards until he lightly ran down and felt slick fur. He dreamed of the soft cry his prince would release, and found himself biting back a soft cry of his own. His eyes opened and he noted how he was still leaning against the wall, but now facing forward. The other obvious difference was that he now had a very undeniable erection. He cursed under his breath as he stood up straight, wondering what to do. His mind tried to think of an idea, but the longer he thought the more painfully engorged he got. 'Go away,' he begged, 'Just go away.' His eyes closed again, trying to will away his arousal though it didn't seem to be working. Giving up on the idea, Goku decided to merely continue with his shower, ignoring all throbs from below the waist, no matter how powerful they got. He rinsed out his hair thoroughly and quickly washed the rest of his body, turning the water temperature down just for good measure. With his mind not lingering on any particular subject, he felt himself calm again and he finally shut off the water. He pulled open the curtain and grabbed the nearest towel. He dried himself swfitly and vigorously as he wanted to get back into some warm clothes. Goku ran the towel over his hair quickly but after getting most of the water out just decided to let it air dry. He tossed the towel to the side and grabbed his change of clothes. He slipped on a pair of black pleated pants and a simple matching black t-shirt which he left untucked. Hopping himself up on the counter he pulled on his socks and began to put on his shoes when Vegeta came into view with a towel wrapping tightly around his waist. Despite the fact that Goku had seen much more than a bare chest, he felt his cheeks turn warm at the sight before him. Vegeta looked up at him questioningly and Goku faltered for something to say. "I have some more clothes if you'd like a clean change," Goku spat out the first thing he could think of. Vegeta narrowed his eyes, as if examining him to search for motives. "I'll see what you have," the prince declared, leaning against the counter.

After seeing the options for clothing Vegeta opted to wear Goku's clothes, though they were larger, they were also much less smelly. He settled for a pair of dark blue jeans which barely clung to his hips, and a light blue polyester sleeveless v-neck. Like Goku, he chose not to tuck in his shirt, though he doubted it would look nice even if he did because of the lack of belt to hold his pants to their proper height. He also accepted a clean pair of socks, which felt highly comfortable due to the thickness of the cotton. "C'mon," Goku said as Vegeta was putting on his shoes and he himself was jamming the prince's dirty clothes in his duffel bag, "I have something to show you." Vegeta blinked, obviously taken aback. He slowly replied, "Okay..." Goku's lips upturned into a large, warm smile. "Let me just drop this off real quick," the black-haired Saijin gestured to the duffel bag. With a nod from Vegeta, Goku flickered out only to come almost instantly back, minus the bag. Without a word, the younger man transported them outside, and from there Goku took to the air. After a minute though, Goku heard the prince call out for him to "wait up". He immediately stopped his flight and looked back. Vegeta slowly approached him, his face dark pink from a blush and he muttered, "I think I need a belt." Goku glanced down, noting the way Vegeta had fisted his hands around the waist of his pants. "Well, we're almost there," the younger Saijin announced, flying backward a bit as if to intice the prince to follow. Vegeta frowned at him, most likely not enjoying all the attention at the moment. Goku gestured with a small toss of his head for Vegeta to come along; he turned then and continued in the same direction he had been heading in. The two Saijins flew relatively low to the ground, heading farther and farther away from the city they had just been in. Vegeta glanced down, noting how Goku was following a two-lane road; he glanced ahead, seeing the road extend on to the horizon, towards another city. Instead of following the road more, Goku turned off, veering towards the right for a moment before spinning around suddenly.

"Close your eyes," Goku said, a grin suddenly on his face. Vegeta felt nervous, even skeptical, "Why?" Goku gave a mock-pouty face, "C'mon..just close your eyes." The prince cluched the waist of the pants a bit tighter before slowly closing his eyes, his hearing instantly increasing - picking up the slightest noise. He heard his own breath for a few seconds, wondering what was going on. He sensed something covering his eyes and he instantly tensed up. "No peeking," the younger man said, carefully guiding the brunette down towards the earth. 'What is going on..!?' Vegeta asked himself, wondering if he'd be able to face whatever was awaiting him. As they descended Vegeta couldn't help but note the light scent from Goku's hands, and the earthly aroma that wafted in around him. He heard the rustling of leaves and knew that he was in a forest. Why were they in a forest? What didn't Goku want him to see? The situation made him uneasy, and indiscreetly the prince slowly wrapped his tail around his waist. "Almost there," Goku whispered as he helped move Vegeta around for about twenty more seconds until their feet touched the ground. "Okay..what is it now?" Vegeta asked, wishing for his sight to be restored. "Patience, patience..." Goku replied, sounding rather smug as well as..excited? Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows and frowned slightly as they began to walk. It was only a short distance before they stopped again. "Okay," Goku whispered, removing his hands, "You can see now." The prince opened his eyes and blinked. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation, and he merely stood, blinking, "Er..." Goku walked around him, glancing at the prince, "What do you think?"

Vegeta tipped his head to one side slightly, examining the small house before him. The dark brown that it was painted complimented the trees around it well, and it lacked outside decorations so Vegeta really wasn't sure what to make of it. Goku looked back at him, an odd twinkle in his eyes, "Come look inside." He nearly ran up to the front door, and opened it for Vegeta, holding the door while the brunette passed through. Vegeta looked around the living room briefly. He noted a bookshelf covered with books in the upper right-hand corner, a mirror on the wall was just to the left of it. There was a few various paintings spread out - most of them depicting scenes of battle, or a victory. There was a plush sapphire couch which had a matching chair and footrest. A big sceen t.v. rested opposite of the couch, laying in an entertainment center, the other contents unknown because all the other panels were shut. A coffee table rested in between the couch and the t.v., made of metal and glass with a stack of cup rests to one side.Beside the couch and the chair was a small table adorning a simple lamp with a dark shade. The last large thing to notice was a cupboard of sorts on the left wall, which doors were closed. Other neat looking items were placed around, like paperweights with strange bubble formations, and even weaponry. A particular sword that was hanging reminded him of Trunks' own blade. "Kakkarot..?" Vegeta decided to ask, one eyebrow raised, "What is this?" Goku turned to him, smiling brightly, radiating warm emotions, "..Happy birthday, Vegeta." The prince blinked, his expression falling instantly before he growled slightly, "And how would you know when my birthday is!" Goku seemed taken aback by the prince's outburst, "Hey, calm down! What do you mean, Vegeta?" The brunette huffed while folding his arms, his tip of his tail puffing while the rest of the fur seemed to cling to the skin even closer than usual, "You....You...toushtatae! ..I don't even know when my birthday is!" Goku was definitely shocked by the news, "Y-You don't?" Vegeta sneered a bit and nodded, "So I don't understand what you're trying to do." Goku flushed slightly out of embarassment, "Well...I do have..sources..you know. I have..friends in high places." Vegeta looked at him questioningly. "King Kai," Goku explained, rubbing the back of his neck. Vegeta refocused his gaze and Goku took a step closer to him, "This though..." Goku regained the prince's attention and he finished the thought, "This is..for you. I knew you didn't have a place to stay so I..." Vegeta appeared to be surprised by the news, "Kakkarot, you really didn't....buy this place for me, did you?"

Goku flushed a deeper shade of pink, "Well...yeah. Is everything ok?? Do you hate it??" Vegeta examined the surroundings once more. Deep mahagony made up most of the woodwork, and all the furniture matched, and to Vegeta's realization, it was all in good taste. Seeing the approval in Vegeta's expression, Goku made a motion, "Come on! Take a look at the bedroom!" Vegeta paused for a moment but when Goku began to walk off he decided to just go ahead and see what the black-haired man had done.

The hallway had tapesties hung on it. Deep colors lined with gold gave them an aura of age - navy, dark green, and maroon mostly with intricate designs woven in. Finally Goku came to a door, and he waited for Vegeta to catch up. "Here it is," the younger Saijin proclaimed, his smile returning in full force. The prince gave him a small nod and Goku opened the door revealing a greyish-navy colored room. The queen-sized bed was in the center of the room, pushed back against the wall - with an iron bar backboard and a navy comforter over the mattress and pillows, hiding the matching satin sheets below. A picture was placed directly above and behind the bed - an odd piece that consisted of sunlight breaking through an overcast sky into an ocean which eventually metamorphed into space by the bottom of the painting. A nightstand stood to the left side of the bed, a small copper colored banker's lamp adorning it's top, as well as a leather-bound book. To the right of the room was two dressers, one on the same wall as the bed, and a larger one to the right. The one that was in line with the bed only had two drawers, and where the bottom one should have been there was merely a shelf, filled with little trinkets; the top held a stero system, though the speakers were placed in the upper corners of the room. The other dresser had matching candlesticks on either end. Made of pewter, they had carvings of gryphons, chimeras, and sphinxes on them, and able to hold five candles - both adorned five dark silver candles. A table runner lined the dresser under the candlesticks, and it matched the tapestries in the hall. A deep purple with gold lined down it, two inches in from each side. Inside the gold outline was a paisley pattern made up of an even deeper purple and a black. The ends of the runner were pointed, with matching tassels. Windows were behind this dresser, a combination of black and navy drapes hanging down on either side in front of the blinds. A door also was beside this dresser, it's apperance fitting in well with the rest of the room. The wall to the left held two things: a picture and a door. The door appeared to lead into a bathroom, and the picture was a surprisingly accurate depiction of Planet Vegeta's natural beauty. It was a montage of scenes almost like that of Earth - with deserts, forests, oceans, and plains - the exception being that a blood red sky replaced a blue one, and some of the foliage definitely looked different from that of Earth's. The fourth wall had wooden sliding doors with almost gothic looking engravings upon them, it naturally appeared that these doors lead into the closet.

"How did you get this painting?" Vegeta immediatly asked, pointing to the one in question - the one of their homeworld. "I told you already," Goku said, breaking out into a smirk, "I have friends in high places.....So, do you like it?" Vegeta took a deep breath and held it for a moment. There was something about this place that made him feel..calm, but he couldn't place what it was. "It is..." Vegeta searched for the word, "...suiting." Goku took this as a green light and smiled in response, beaming with pride, "Then I am overjoyed, my prince." Vegeta shot him a look but Goku missed it as he turned to sit on the edge of the bed. "Check the dressers," the young man suggested, lying back and putting his hands behind his head. Almost cautiously the prince complied, kneeling and opening a bottom drawer. He gasped, barely audible, and pulled out a few pairs of pants, ranging in styles, colors, and fabrics. "Kakkarot, how do you know my waist size??" the brunette questioned, heavily apprehensive now. Goku tried to resist a blush, "A lucky guess? Um..that and judging by your swimsuit size.." Vegeta glanced at the pants before stuffing them back in, "I see.." His tail began to swing back and forth, Goku's eyes instantly locking upon it. He zoned out, looking at the dark brown appendage in delight as it moved slowly and smoothly in the air. He nearly began to drool when a sudden outburst from Vegeta interrupted his train of thought. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?" the prince screamed, his cheeks bright red in contrast to his pale skin. Goku felt himself get nervous and he nearly broke a sweat, "What's what..?" Vegeta held up an article of clothing for him to see, "THIS!!"

It was a pair of boxers, but they weren't any ordinary type that Vegeta had ever seen. Goku blushed himself when he looked at them. They were black - but more importantly - they were see-through. "Hey, they must've come in a pack that I bought!" Goku defended himself, "See if there's anymore in there.." Vegeta grumbled as he dug through the drawer, finding a white pair and a grey pair of the same style. "Here!" the prince yelled, balling up the boxer shorts and throwing them at Goku. The younger Saijin laughed, "What? Do you want me to put them on or something?" Vegeta froze, his tail bristling as it became stiff as a board, "W-What?" Goku chuckled slightly before slipping into the bathroom, muttering something that the prince couldn't catch. Vegeta took this time to see if there was any more bizarre clothing hiding in a drawer waiting for him. Luckily, he didn't find anything else too disturbing, and he moved on to the other dresser. The top drawer contained stacks of CDs, all of it unknown to him, though a few artists or titles sounded vaguely familiar. The next drawer down was empty - and the shelf of trinkets, Vegeta observed, were momentos from the various places he had visited with Goku. "So what do you think?" Goku's voice came through the air, startling the older Saijin. Vegeta turned to glare at him but instantly his eyes widened at the sight. He was upset at the other man for catching him offguard, but surprised that he had actually switched into the horrible outfit that had been lurking in his drawer. He then began to blush as he realized what position they both were in - with Goku's black briefs visible under the boxers directly at eye level, and himself on his knees. Vegeta stood up instantly, growling low in his throat, "Kakkarot..you are an idiot. You keep those if you like them so much!" Goku put his hands on his hips, "Aw..but Vegeta, I bought them for you!" The Saijin prince's eyes flashed dangerously as he hissed, "You did what!?" Goku's eyes widened as he realized what he said, almost instinctivly taking a step back, "Hold up! That's not what I meant!" Vegeta's hands balled into fists as his tail wrapped around his waist, "Oh really!? Then what did you mean to say!?" Goku fumbled around for an answer, "All I'm saying is that they must've came in a pack with some other boxers of the same brand. Besides..these don't really fit me. I just want you to keep them, that doesn't mean you have to wear them."

Vegeta looked at him in silence for several moments before saying, "Take them off and put them in the back of the drawer then." Goku proceeded to do as told, watching from the corner of his eye as Vegeta looked away while he stripped himself of the boxer shorts. He took the three pairs and stuffed them in the back of the drawer as he was told and he began to replace his clothing once he retrieved them from the bathroom. During this time Vegeta had ignored him completely, choosing to approach the painting of his planet and look at it under close scrutiny. It was flawless and beautiful - almost like a picture of the real place from what he could remember. He felt both saddened and inspired to see a glimpse of his past again. A past that had been denied. He shook his head, enforcing his mental no, 'I cannot dream of things that will never be. I am the Prince of Saijins, and yet....' He closed his eyes, sighing silently, 'Preh Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht uru Preh Proch.' Interrupting his thoughts, the sound of the doorbell ringing echoed down the hall. The brunette looked over at Goku, but the black-haired man simply said, "Why don't you go answer the door?" Vegeta, growling a bit, stalked off down the hall and back to the front where he threw open the door. He froze when he saw who was there. "Hello, Vegeta," said Piccolo in his normal voice, "May I come in?" Vegeta stared, not truly at Piccolo, but what he was wearing: khaki cargo pants replaced the dark purple outfit, as well as a black shirt that simply said in bold white letters "FUCK.". Black sneakers with a V-shaped symbol on them had replaced the normal, hideously tacky, pointy boots that he wore. Goku's voice piped up from the background, "Hello, Piccolo!" The Namek nodded, "Hi, Goku." Vegeta spun are, speaking through clenched teeth, "This was your idea, wasn't it?" Goku clutched his hand to his chest, speaking on mock-innocence, "Me?? Why, Vegeta..! Why would you even think that I would do such a thing? Really, now..." The younger Saijin turned towards the kitchen before he lost control of his ability to hold in laughter. "Come on in," Vegeta said, extending his arm as a sign of invitation. "Thanks," Piccolo said, stepping inside and looking around, "Nice place you've got here." Vegeta nodded and folded his arms, speaking to himself, "This is all Kakkarot's fault, I know it."

As Piccolo took a seat Vegeta decided to bring up a topic, "So why are you wearing those clothes?" Piccolo pulled on the shirt slightly, "It was actually Go.....It was Kakkarot's idea. He told me exactly what to wear." Vegeta scoffed a bit, taking a seat on his couch for the first time, "Oh. I believe that all right. Do you know what that..that..that...." Piccolo decided to help him out, "Kakkarot?" Vegeta decided to just go with it, "...that Kakkarot is up to?" His Namekian friend merely shook his head, "No clue. Sorry." Vegeta looked grim, his tail twitching rather quickly from a variety of emotions. Piccolo glanced at the appendage and instantly had to force down a blush. 'I still can't belive he thought I was Goku,' the green-skinned man thought to himself, 'but after all they've been through I guess it makes sense. I don't suppose Goku has touched his tail before...no, I'd know it in their attitudes. If Goku had stroked Vegeta's tail and caused him pleasure like I had, there would probably have been a fluctuation in their relationship - and a noticeable one at that. So far everything seems normal, so I guess it was just Vegeta having wishful thinking.....how ironic.' Goku came out of the kitchen with a few bowls of food in his hands. He set down four bowls in total, each containing a different type of snack food such as potato chips and pretzels. Vegeta and Piccolo merely watched Goku set the food down before heading back into the kitchen and bringing some drinks out. A knock on the door broke the silence and Vegeta sighed as he got up to answer the door. As he swung it open there stood Krillin and Gohan. "Happy birthday, Vegeta!" the bald-headed human said. "Yea! Happy birthday, Vegeta!" Gohan repeated, both of them smiling. Vegeta forced himself to smile back as he resisted the urge to slam the door in their face. It wasn't that he hated them it was just that....kindness towards him was so weird. It made him nervous, even edgy. Both of them pulled out presents from behind their backs and held them out for him to take. "Humans are so strange," Vegeta snarled lowly as he snatched the boxes away from them. He turned around and when he didn't hear footsteps he looked over his shoulder and said, "What are you waiting for? Come on in already, damnit!" The prince was unsure what to do with the gifts so he tossed them onto the coffee table, "Hope nothing breakable was in there." Krillin scratched the back of his head, "Don't worry, there wasn't.." Vegeta sat down next to Piccolo again, "Hn."

Goku came out of the kitchen again, this time with plates of appetizers, "Hey! Krillin! Gohan! You made it!" The monk nodded, "I'd never decline a request from you, Goku." Vegeta looked at Krillin first before shooting a glare at the black-haired man. Goku saw the look and laughed nervously for a moment as he found places to set the food, "Geez, Krillin....I only made a suggestion, I never begged you or anything." Krillin smiled and nodded, "And let's hope you never have to." Gohan decided to speak up, "Piccolo, why are you wearing those clothes?" Silently the Namek gestured with his thumb in Goku's direction. "Ah...dad made you wear it, huh?" the half-Saijin said with a grin. Piccolo nodded in response. Gohan giggled a bit before mentioning, "Why did he make you wear a shirt that says "FUCK." on it?" Krillin gave Gohan a disapproving glance and Goku said, "You shouldn't cuss, Gohan." Gohan pointed to the shirt being discussed, "I wasn't! I was stating a fact!" Goku sighed and gave a smile, "Alright. I'll let it slide....this time." He winked at his son before munching on some of the food he had brought out. As silence began to come about again, the doorbell rang again. Goku stood, but Vegeta abruptly pushed him back in his seat. "Don't trouble yourself," Vegeta sneered, "I'll get it myself.." Goku, feeling non-threatening emotions from Vegeta, merely grinned. Swinging the door open for the third time he was shocked when Yamcha screamed "SURPRISE!" and threw confetti into the air. "Happy birthday, Vegeta!" the desert bandit announced happily, patting the prince on the back while handing him what was obviously a bottle giftwrapped. Trunks, who had been standing next to the human, started to laugh when seeing the look on his father's face; and not only that, but the confetti that settled on his hair made for a nice effect as well. Yamcha invited himself in, waving and saying, "Hi guys!!" Krillin muttered more to himself, "I wonder if he came drunk..." Piccolo shook his head, "I don't know...possibly."

Meanwhile Vegeta had turned his attention back to the purple-haired young man. "I suppose you have something for me as well?" Vegeta growled, not looking at all pleased. Trunks shyly handed him a very neatly wrapped package, his gaze focusing on the floor in front of his feet. "Come on in," the prince gruffly said, shutting the door the instant Trunks was inside. Approaching the small group, Vegeta placed the newest gifts with the others, setting down the bottle shaped one carefully. "So what kind of games are we going to play?" Goku suddenly asked, sitting up in his chair. "How about spin the bottle?" Yamcha suggested innocently. "Yamcha! We're all guys here!" Krillin instantly burst out. Vegeta hit the human over the head, "Toushtatae! Suggest something like that again and you'll really regret it!" Goku laughed at them before munching on some pretzels, "No, seriously...if we're gonna have a party, we need to play a game." Trunks spoke up as he finished examining the room, "And music too." Goku nodded as he got up, heading back through the hallway, "I'll be right back." Yamcha rubbed the back of his head, wincing slightly, "Okay, okay...so spin the bottle was a stupid idea. How about um....limbo?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Limbo?" Krillin sighed and shook his head, smiling lightly, "Well, it'll be interesting." The prince blinked, wondering exactly what type of game "limbo" was. He knew of "spin the bottle" because of a few sitcoms he had caught on daytime television. The room suddenly filled with a person's voice, emitting from speakers hidden in the corners, like the setup in the bedroom:

"Watch this...what it is here, with the way people dance now, ya know, you can just..is called doing whatever you wanna do. Just get up..we get to you, just get up and just throw your arms in the air, throw your arms in the air, throw your arms in the air, throw your arms in the air..."

The voice faded out as a steady beat flooded into it's place. It was a nice electronic beat, flowing exactly as a song should, and with a peppy feeling to it. Goku emerged again, looking rather proud of himself, "Hey, how's the..ah..grooves I picked up?" Trunks laughed at the black-haired man's version of..whatever it was he was doing, "They're fine, Goku." Piccolo instantly murmured, "Kakkarot." Krillin, the closest to the Namek, gave him an odd, questioning look. Piccolo merely nodded to him. "So did you decide upon a game?" the younger Saijin asked, looking hopeful. "Limbo," Vegeta stated, "They said they wanted to play limbo." Goku cheered, "Alright! This'll be fun! I'll go get a suitable stick." Vegeta silently hoped that it was used to beat something, like with pinatas. "So Vegeta.." Yamcha tried an attempt at communication, "..um..um.......How "big" are you?" The prince narrowed his eyes and promptly jammed his mouth full with chips, his cheeks bulging like a hampster's as he slowly chewwed. Piccolo turned his head and coughed to cover his chuckle - he turned back, looking solemn once more. Krillin stared with eyes wide, whispering to himself, "He's drunk." Gohan tilted his head to the side, not understanding, but knowing better than to ask.

"I'm back!" Goku announced as he entered the room, carrying the handle of a broom, minus the brush end, "Who wants to hold the limbo bar?" Vegeta was going to nominate himself, but found that speaking with a mouth full can be quite difficult and he instead decided to finish his food first. "I'll do it," Piccolo offered, standing up from his position on the couch. "Me too!" Gohan piped up, wanting to help his mentor. As the young teen approached Goku with Piccolo, his father passed the stick to them. They stood off to the side in an open space, Gohan raising the bar as high as he could to make up for his lack in height. Goku stood and the start of the line, "C'mon Vegeta! Krillin! Yamcha! Trunks! With just us competing, how hard can this be?" Hesitantly the older Saijin stood behind him, followed by Krillin, Trunks, and Yamcha. When everyone looked prepared Goku stepped under the bar and made his way around to the back of the line. Vegeta followed his example, with Krillin trailing behind - who made it through without bending in the slightest - then Trunks, and finally Yamcha. After the line went through, the bar lowered slightly, and the process repeated itself. When it started getting around shoulder high (for Gohan) was when things started getting difficult. Goku, Trunks, and Yamcha obviously had it pretty bad, considering they were the tallest of the five. Krillin had the height advantage, but Vegeta had the balance that outmatched the rest.

Yamcha was the first to fall at the incriment after shoulder high. Goku was the next to lose, but his reason was a bit different - as he bent back, he also tipped his head, giving himself a nice view of Vegeta's crotch. He lost his concentration and hit his head on the bar as he passed, leaving Krillin, Trunks, and Vegeta to duke it out. Waist high for Gohan was an interesting round to watch, and everyone in the room was cheering them on. Vegeta carefully made it under, followed by a nervous Krillin. Trunks tried his best to take it nice and slow, but halfway under he found that he couldn't hold himself up anymore and promptly fell to the floor. The bar lowered and Vegeta cautiously bent himself backwards, moving slowly, but smoothly, clearing the bar by just a bit. Krillin was able to bend himself, but on the matter of moving forward he found that the only way to do it was to hop, therefore, he kicked up his heels and scooted forward little by little - but in the end his knees bumped the stick and he was disqualified. "Alright, Vegeta! If you make this, you win the game!" Trunks said, grinning at his father. "Oh joy," the prince said, not sounding at all thrilled. He repeated the process again, bending back slowly to the correct level as the bar was lowered again. He took deep, even breaths and let his tail find the most comfortable position as he tried to spread out his weight evenly. He slid under the pole, much like Krillin had done, but with tiny hops that didn't cause him to move as much. Finally he emerged on the other side, standing up as the room erupted in applause. Vegeta growled low in his throat, quite displeased with the attention he was receiving, "Alright, already! It wasn't that damn spectacular!"

"Oh, wait!" Goku suddenly shouted, "I forgot!" The black-haired Saijin raced into the kitchen only to return with party hats. "Oh no!" Vegeta instantly backed away, "You are NOT putting one of those things on me!" Goku shrugged, passing out hats to those who would accept them - which turned out to be everyone but Vegeta and Piccolo. It was amusing to see the party members wearing the hats however. "So what now?" Krillin asked, adjusting his hat into a comfortable position. "MUSICAL CHAIRS!" Yamcha shouted as if he just came up with a revolutionary idea which would change the laws of physics. Vegeta felt himself starting to hate the human on the mere fact that he was just plain annoying. "Hey Yamcha," Krillin decided to ask, "What did you drink before you got here?" The desert bandit looked up in thought, "Hmm......not much..some wine coolers, a beer or two, a few rounds of scotch on the rocks..." The prince closed his eyes briefly, wishing for the drinks Yamcha was speaking of to be in his hands. "Define "a few" for me," Krillin requested as he took a seat. "I dunno...I lost count after seven," Yamcha explained happily. "I see..." was all the bald man replied. "Musical chairs, huh?" Goku said, rubbing his chin as if he was thinking very hard about the suggestion, "Hmmm....." Vegeta grit his teeth, silently hoping that the other Saijin wouldn't agree to the silly game. He wasn't sure what the game involved, but with the words "musical" and "chairs" together it didn't sound too promising. "I'm up for a good round!" Goku announced, sitting up, "We'll play with only one chair!" Yamcha cheered, puffing out his chest in pride, "See?? I don't have all stupid ideas!" Piccolo retorted quietly under his breath, "Yeah, just mostly stupid.." Gohan heard this and tried not to laugh. Goku picked up the only chair in the room and set it in the widest open area. "Do you know how to play, Vegeta?" Goku asked nonchalantly as he situated the piece of furniture. "What the hell do you think?" the prince replied, folding his arms. "Oh, well.." Goku cleared his throat lightly, "..It's really simple. Everyone goes around the chairs, or chair in the case, and when the music stops the person who is able to sit in the chair first wins. Get it?" Vegeta nodded, sighing silently and wishing that they could do something with pinatas and use Yamcha as the pinata.

"Now that only leaves the matter of the music," Goku announced, "So who'd like to volunteer BESIDES you, Vegeta." The brunette glared at him and turned away, his tail bristling. "I'll do it," Piccolo offered again. "Great!" Goku said before explaining, "You'll simply need to hit the pause button whenever you feel it to be necessary. I think everything's set up in here, lemme check..." The younger Saijin moved towards the cabinet on the left side of the room, opening up one of the panels to reveal more electronic equipment. "Yeah, everything looks good!" Goku confirmed, showing Piccolo where the pause button was. As Piccolo put his finger over the button everyone else got into position, except for Vegeta. "C'mon, Vegeta..Aren't you going to play?" Goku asked, noting the prince's position. "No, I don't really intend to," the prince replied honestly, shooting the taller man a look over his shoulder. "But the winner will get a priiIIiize," Goku said mischeviously. "Hip hip horray," Vegeta said as blandly as possible, "I'm leaping with joy." A new song started and the players took this as their cue to start moving. Vegeta watched as they walked around and around, glancing at each other suspiciously and grinning like idiots. 'How this is fun is beyond me,' the prince thought, '..Humans are so strange.' Vaguely the brunette shifted his attention to the song which featured a piano and a horn of some sort.

Was the lovin' baby, that ain't all..I'd kiss her but the gal's too tall..young band rhythm got a hold of me too, I got a rockin' pneumonia and a boogie woogie flu..

Vegeta corrected himself, 'Humas are so very strange.' Abruptly the music stopped, as Piccolo had hit the pause button, and instantly hell broke loose. The Z Warriors all leapt for the chair, so instead they all leapt on each other, a fight instantly breaking out over it. Vegeta chuckled lightly at the amazing display of stupidity they were presenting and decided to go ahead and play the game. Stepping over the others who were still trying to fend off everyone else and make it onto the chair themselves, Vegeta easily plopped himself into the chair, saying, "I win." The pile of bodies disentangled as they grumbled complaints. "Okay, okay..no point in being a sore loser," Goku said to the others before turning to Vegeta, "I'll go get your prize." The smaller man wanted to slap himself - for he had forgotten about that part of the deal. "You won again!" Trunks mentioned with a laugh, "You're a natural party-goer, eh, Vegeta?" The prince looked up at him and spoke flatly, "Yeah, right." He suddenly felt something being pressed against his head and he leapt up and away from it, "What the..?" When he was on his feet he saw Goku on the other side of the chair, holding a silver crown. The interesting thing about it was that someone, obviously Goku, had taped a piece of paper on one side that had the words "Game Master" written on it. "I will not wear that!" Vegeta proclaimed firmly, stepping away from the younger Saijin, thinking it would be best to try to ignore the other man. "Ah, but..royalty wears crowns, do they not?" Goku asked politely, "So it only makes sense...Game Master." Vegeta's tail made small uncertain moves, "Do not call me that." Goku shrugged before smiling, "Okay, so long as you put on the crown." Vegeta shook his head in disbelief, "There's no way you'll get me to wear that..thing...!" Goku shrugged again, this time larger, "Okay, that's fine. You don't have to wear it...Game Master." Vegeta growled loudly before ripping the crown from Goku's hands and swiftly placing it on his head, "There!! Are you happy now!?" Goku smiled, trying not to laugh, "Quite." He clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention if they hadn't already been watching, "OK! Next game, people...Make it good!"

"Pictionary?" Krillin suggested, adjusting his hat again. "I don't think we have the paper for that.." Goku replied, looking up in thought. A few more suggestions were made, but no one seemed to be able to come up with any spectacular idea. An idea suddenly dawned upon Trunks and he looked up, "Twister." All eyes turned to him and he repeated his idea again, "Twister." Goku stood up, cheering loudly, "TWISTER! Alright! That's brilliant, Trunks!" The demi-Saijin laughed, partially out of astonishment, "You have Twister? Here??" Goku nodded as he ran off down the hall, "I'll be right back!" Vegeta, however, was trying to remember what Twister was. The name did sound vaguely familiar but he couldn't place it. Goku returned moments later with a small box in his hands. He set it down on the arm of the couch to open it, all the while mentioning, "Someone will need to spin the, um..spinner thing." Piccolo wanted to see if three times was truly a charm, "I'll do it." Goku waved his finger disapprovingly, "Nuh uh. You haven't played one game yet." Krillin piped up, "Yeah, but Piccolo could cheat easily. He can stretch, remember?" Piccolo growled slightly, "Are you saying I'd cheat just because I have the ability to??" Krillin shrugged, grinning slightly, "I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just saying..." Piccolo folded his arms, "Yeah, I know what you're saying. Fine, I'll spin the spinner thing." Goku handed him the object in question, and then he removed the game boad and unfolded it. "Twister is really easy," the black-haired Saijin stated, flattening out the plastic board as much as possible, "You'll catch on, Vegeta. Everybody ready? Good, let's go." Noticing that Goku was looking at him, Piccolo spun the pointer, waiting for it to stop. He paused for a moment before he held it up for Goku to see. "Right hand red," Goku explained, kneeling down and placing his right hand on a red dot. Trunks, Krillin, and Yamcha did likewise, leaving Vegeta the only one standing. "Vegeta?" Goku queried, raising an eyebrow. With a half-sigh half-growl the prince knelt, putting his right hand on a red dot as well. Piccolo spun again, "Left foot blue."

This continued on smoothly for a few minutes, until bodies began to become tangled. Piccolo found that it was amusing to watch all of them bending in odd ways just to win, and he thought that this was the best game they had played yet; in fact, he almost wished he had played himself. "Right foot yellow," the Namek declared, smirking when a chorus of complaints and curses replied to his announcement. "Ack! Piccolo!" Krillin waved his one arm in the air momentarily before he said, "I can't make it! There's no way I can stretch that far!" Piccolo smirked and leaned back into the cushions of the couch, "Well, I guess you're just going to lose then." He spun the pointer, "Left hand green." Krillin was exasperated, "No way! I give up!" The human promptly got himself out of the mess and sat down in the chair. Trunks laughed at the older man, "Aw, Krillin..! You're no fun!" Krillin shook his head and folded his arms, "I'm plenty of fun...when I win." Trunks laughed again until Piccolo said, "Right foot green." The demi-Saijin blinked as he looked over his options. "Right foot green," the Namek repeated, sounding rather smug. "Shit!" the young man spat, trying his best to manuver around everyone else and put his foot in the correct place. "Ha ha!" Krillin cackled, watching in delight as Trunks strained himself, "Now you know how it feels!" The purple-haired youth smirked, shakily giving a response, "O-oh yeah..?" Concentrating his efforts he was able to wrap his leg around his arm so that his toes touched a green spot, "HA!" Krillin pouted, kicking the floor in defeat, "Damn.." Piccolo shook his head and spun again, "Left hand red."

Amazingly enough, the four participating Z warriors stayed off the ground for a good five minutes at least. "Left foot blue," Piccolo said, watching the players move slowly and carefully. "I can get it!" Goku announced happily, "I just need to roll myself over." Piccolo ahemed and pointed out an important fact, "That's all and good Kakkarot, but your left hand needs to stay on red, and your right on yellow." Goku suddenly realized all of the flaws in his plan, "Shit! Um..Okay..I can do that..." Moving as slow as molasses in winter, Goku managed to get his hands into the positions he needed them in for when he would finally flip over. "Yes! I got it!" the black-haired Saijin cheered himself on as he rolled himself over cautiously, placing his left foot on a blue dot. His eyes instantly widened and his face become bright red when he looked up to see himself looking straight at Vegeta's crotch. 'Oh my god,' Goku thought, closing his eyes to try to calm himself. He breathed deeply to relax, but found that this instead caused him to breathe in the prince's scent. Goku resisted the urge to purr, or do anything moronic at this point. "Right hand green," he faintly heard Piccolo say. 'Right hand green,' Goku thought, trying to add structure to his scattered brains, 'Right hand green, I can do that.' But his self-assurance turned out to be incorrect, and when he reached for a green dot he felt his balance give out underneath him. Without really thinking he felt himself first flail for balance, and then his instinct told him to find something to hold on to. Unfortunately there was only one thing close enough for him to grab, and before he realized what he was doing it was already happening. As he lost control his hands jolted up, clasping onto Vegeta's ass, which in turn pulled the brunette down on top of him, making Goku's face press against Vegeta's crotch. There was a moment when he didn't think at all, and then he finally thought, 'Oh shit.' Then he heard Vegeta yelling at him, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Goku hesitantly released his grip, slipping out from under the prince, "I was going to fall so I just..I dunno! I grabbed onto you to stop my fall!!" Vegeta, once let go, rolled over and sat down, "Try to use a little logic for fuck's sake! I'm spread out in an odd position, and even with my tail it's hard to balance! How in the hell did you expect me to support your weight when I could barely hold my own!?" Goku opened his mouth to reply when he saw the look on Vegeta's face. Something right then snapped and instead of explaining himself the younger Saijin began to laugh. "I'm sorry, Vegeta," Goku managed to say inbetween his laughter, "I wasn't thinking, really.." He laughed a bit harder, still attempting to speak, "But don't get so angry! You own the game, so you can always kick my ass later." Vegeta nodded in approval at the notion, "Game, no. Kick you, yes."

"Are we going to finish this game or what?" Trunks asked, still holding his position. Vegeta looked over at him and Yamcha, a smirk breaking out across his face, "Yes. And I shall finish it." With ease the prince lifted his foot and firmly placed it on Trunks' shoulder, pushing him effortlessly and forcing him into Yamcha - both falling to the floor. Trunks untangled himself, shooting Vegeta a vicious grin, "So you wanna play like that, huh?" Vegeta gave a nod, his tail swaying back and forth, as if it was taunting, "Yeah, I wanna play like that." Without warning Trunks suddenly leapt onto his father, tackling him to the ground with a mighty roar. Instantly they were rolling around, wrestling each other in a friendly manner. "Woo! Go Vegeta!" Goku cheered, giving words of encouragement along the way. The party members chose sides, rooting on their fighter. "C'mon, boy!" Vegeta said as they tumbled back and forth around the room, "Give it up!" Trunks shook his head slightly, his bangs constantly blocking his vision, "Never!" Vegeta laughed at his stubborness, "Boy, I have an ace up my sleeve, I'll have you know!" Trunks' eyebrows knift together in confusion, 'Is he telling the truth or is he just trying to break my concentration. If it's the latter, he's doing a good job!'

His silent question was answered when he felt something soft touch his neck. "What the??" Trunks asked outloud, turning in an attempt to see what was happening. "You lose, boy!" Vegeta declared triumphantly as he caught the demi-Saijin offguard. Holding Trunks' arms in place, he wrapped his tail around the purple-haired man's neck. When the appendage was firmly in position, Vegeta released all other grips on him and promptly pulled Trunks down, slamming him against the ground. Trunks gasped as his head hit the floor, not out of pain, but shock, "Holy shit!" He had noted his father's sensitivity to his tail, and had heard that it was an only Saijin's weakness. Trunks knew now that it wasn't because the tail itself was weak, but that the tail was sensitive to touch, and more specifically, pain. Vegeta chuckled at him before picking him up and slamming him down again, "Mercy, boy?" Trunks' hands went to his throat, carefully trying to peel off the furry appendage. "No!" Vegeta shouted, shaking Trunks wildly as he made contact with his tail. Being jostled around like a rag doll wasn't too fun so Trunks decided to give in, "Alright, alright! Mercy!" Vegeta uncoiled his tail, letting the younger man fall to the floor, "Hn. You're pretty good." Trunks gulped in air, rubbing his neck, "Yeah, thanks..." They looked at each other, both giving a smirk at one another as a silent, mutual agreement of respect.

"Well, I think it's time for.." Goku trailed off dramatically, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "...CAKE!" There were murmurs of agreement, and the black-haired Saijin stepped away and into the kitchen. Vegeta stood up, removing his crown as Goku left the room. "I wonder what kind of cake it is," Krillin said aloud, then asked, "What type of cake do you like, Vegeta?" The prince shook his head, taking a seat on the couch, as it was he had no preference when it came to certain types of foods, like sweets. After a minute or so, Goku's muffled voice sang, "Happy birthday to you..Happy birthday to you..Happy birthday..." Vegeta wanted to clamp his hands over his ears, either that or leave the room, 'Is that idiot trying to embarass me, or kill me with his tone deaf singing!?" Goku nearly burst from the swinging doors, carrying a humongous cake, "...DEAR VE-GE-TAA!! ....Haappy birthhhday toooo yooooou!!" All the brunette felt like doing at the moment was punch him in the face, and it was quite tempting when the others began to applaud him.

Goku set the cake down on top of the coffee table, to let everyone look at the delicious creation. It was a multilayered cake, but there was a number of interesting things about it: the first being that it was a cheese cake, the second that the layers were square instead of circular, the third was that normal candles did not adorn the top, but rather, one large oddly shaped one, and lastly was the writing, which proclaimed "Konav Rochatiev-atatu, Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht!". The prince exhaled a shaky breath as he looked it over in amazement. "Well?" Goku asked, beaming with pride as he folded his arms, examining Vegeta's response. "Holy shit," the prince simply replied, attempting to gather his bearings. "You..You made this, Kakkarot?" he asked, his tone insistant. "Well..I had help," the black-haired man admitted, looking a little sheepish, "King Kai did the decorations, but I did the rest."

"What's that mean?" Piccolo questioned, gesturing to the candle and strange writing. Vegeta cleared his throat lightly, translating, "Happy birthday, Vegeta. The candle tells my age." Piccolo raised an eyeridge, smirking slyly, "Oh? So what number is that?" Vegeta turned his head to the side and shrugged, "The number? Why Hotakkei-eti-Oketerehcho of course." Krillin clasped his hands together, smiling warmly, "Well then, happy..hotaco-ehtye-okerecoth..birthday, Vegeta." The brunette looked over at the bald-headed human as he attempted to speak Saijin. "Uh, Krillin..? There's no tacos involved," Goku corrected him, trying hard not to laugh, "It's ho..Hotakkei, not hotaco." Vegeta nodded, silently feeling elated that the black-haired man was able to speak their native tongue, "And it's eti-Oketerehcho, not ehtye-okereco. You butcher the Saijin language into...names of Asian gas stations." Krillin had to laugh at the analogy, "Holy shit! If I didn't know better I'd say you just made a joke!" Vegeta tipped his head down so he looked the monk directly in the eyes without the slightest trace of a smile on his face. "Right," Krillin said, "I'll just shut up." The prince shook his head, "Och. Just remember "Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht" and I won't kill you." Krillin began to concentrate, repeating the phrase quietly over and over again, "Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht, Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht, Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht..."

"You're such a bastard, you know that?" Piccolo murmured to the brunette, grinning. Vegeta nodded in response, smirking, "Yes, I know." Goku decided to interrupt them, "Why don't you blow out the candle? You know, so the cake won't be full of wax." Vegeta sighed silently, sitting up and leaning over, "Oh, alright.." Goku suddenly waved his hands frantically as the prince gathered in a deep breath, "Wait! Wait!" Vegeta growled lowly, starting to get irritated, "Now what?" Goku smiled rather nervously as he noted Vegeta's lack of patience, "You need to make a wish. Oh! And don't say what it is, otherwise it won't come true." Vegeta couldn't believe his ears, 'Earthlings have such strange traditions.' He decided that it would be pointless to argue so he paused for a moment to think up a wish. Finally he leaned forward, blowing out the candle with ease, the others clapping politely. Vegeta shook his head and sat back, hoping all the embarassing ceremonies were through.

"Krillin, would you assist me?" Goku requested, resting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Huh? Yeah, sure, Goku," the monk replied, a bit confused as he entered the kitchen with the other Z warrior. "So do you like cheese cake?" Piccolo decided to ask the Saijin prince as curiosity got the best of him. "Uh..." Vegeta really wasn't sure what to say in response, "..It's...edible." The Namek chuckled, reaching out and plucking the candle from the cake. A bit of cake came off and stuck to the bottom of the candle, which Piccolo gladly licked off. "Mm," the green-skined man gave a nod, "Well, I think you'll like this." Vegeta raised an eyebrow, giving Piccolo a sideways glance, "I'm not sure about that. Kakkarot, I would think, eats food better than making it." Piccolo set the candle down on the arm of the couch, "Okay, don't take my word for it. I think you'll just be pleasently surprised." Krillin then came back into the room, carrying a box that had paper cups and various bottles of beverages in it. He set the box down on the ground next to the coffee table, and as he began taking items out Goku joined him with setting up, as he brought out paper plates and plastic silverware. As Krillin began to pour drinks, Goku carefully took off the top later of the cake and placed it on a plate. "Here you are, Vegeta," the black-haired Saijin said, handing it to him. Vegeta took the plate, admiring the craftsmanship that was put into the simple phrase on top. Suddenly Goku shouted out, "Eat up!!" The next thing Vegeta knew was that he had a face full of cheese cake and there was laughter all around him. The prince sputtered with anger, wiping ivory cream away from his eyes, "Kakkarot!! What in the hell do you think you're doing!?" Growling the brunette reached forward, grabbing a fist full of cheese cake and throwing it at Goku - beaning him right in the side of the face. "Ah! No, Vegeta!" Goku laughed, wiping some of the stuff off, "Such a waste of good food!" The younger Saijin proceeded to eat the cake off of his hands, "Mmm! Yummy!"

Vegeta shook his head and grabbed onto Goku's shirt, his fingers grabbing the material tightly. "Uh..?" Goku made a questionative noise, a swarm of butterflies consuming his stomach as he observed the position they were in. Abruptly Vegeta pulled him close, rubbing his face against Goku's spotless black shirt. The prince let go of the black-haired man, his face now clean and Goku's shirt messy. He smirked before kicking him to the side, Goku tumbling and crashing like a ton of bricks from the unexpected attack. "Jerk," Vegeta chuckled, almost grinning, "Just for that stunt..No cake for you." Goku pushed himself up, "Oh c'mon! I made that cake!" Vegeta ignored him and reached forward, cutting himself another plate sized piece. As he sat back and took his first bite, the prince said, "Don't let Kakkarot have any. If he tries to get some I give you the permission to stop him at all costs." Goku sat on the floor, looking as if he was pouting as everyone else got cake. After a moment though, the black-haired Saijin got off the floor and disappeared around the corner. A light conversation started up as people ate, and the overall mood in the room was rather content. Vegeta was feeling a bit relaxed though he wouldn't admit to even himself that he was enjoying the company of others. Suddenly Vegeta's plate was taken away from him by two hands from above. The prince looked up to meet the smiling face of his fellow Saijin. "Time to open presents," Goku explained, putting a gift into Vegeta's hands and taking a large bite out of the piece of cake.

The prince took the item in his hand and looked it over for a moment. Carefully he found the edges, upwrapping it with great care. "Just rip it off," Trunks suggested, finding it amusing that for such an unorganized person, his father would chose to be cautious with wrapping paper. Vegeta sighed before ripping it off in one good swipe, "Happy now? Oh goody, I got a box." The brunette couldn't resist the smirk that curved his lips. "Open the box, Vegeta," Goku said, talking with his mouth full of cheese cake. The prince stole the plate back, "I said no cake for you." He passed the food to Piccolo who secretly passed it back to Goku as Vegeta become preoccupied with his present. Lifting the lid of the box the prince was greeted with a piece of black fabric. He lifted the object up to examine it and instantly he shook his head, chuckling. "What is it?" Krillin asked, unable to see what was so funny about a black shirt. Vegeta turned it around to show that over the chest in huge white letters it proclaimed "FUCK?". Trunks burst out laughing, wondering if this shirt was worse than the pink one that had been given to him. "Brutal!" Krillin declared, taking a drink of his grape soda. "Very nice," Yamcha said, holding up his glass as if he was toasting to the shirt. "Well, I thought it was only fitting..." Goku trailed off with a grin crossing his face. "Because now we match!" the younger Saijin announced happily, removing his top shirt to reveal another one underneath he had obviously slipped into when he disappeared out of the room. Laughter and applause erupted as Goku showed off his shirt, which said in bold white letters: "FUCK!".

"Oh god," Vegeta grumbled, snatching the nearest present and wishing to get the silly ceremony finished as soon as possible. "That's from Krillin," Goku mentioned, sitting on the back of the couch and looking over Vegeta's shoulder. "Marvelous," the prince said, ripping the paper as he had been instructed to do so earlier. Inside was a small metal briefcase, and with his previous experience of items being hidden in boxes he unlatched the case and opened it. Instantly he smirked as his eyes looked across the rows of cigarette packs, neatly lined and organized. Clearly his throat Vegeta latched the case and put it to the side, "Hn. I approve..Krillin." The bald-headed human perked up, "Huh? What? Oh. You're welcome...ah...Vegeta..sha Saijin Jakaht..." Vegeta nodded affirmative, smirking almost mischeviously, "Very good." Krillin smiled nervously and took a big gulp of his soda. "This one's from me," Piccolo said as he pulled out a box from under the couch. It was obvious this was preplanned. Vegeta took the large object, his eyebrows knitting in curiosity and confusion. He repeated the process of opening it, getting more confused when something inside reflected in the light. Quickly the prince disposed of the rest of the paper, his expression turning to one of shock when the entire object was uncovered. The reflectiveness was due to the fact that the gift was made of bronze. It was a statue of an elderly looking Namek and a very regal looking Saijin. The brunette felt something strange compress in his chest as he let his hands run across the fine piece of art. "It's a representation of the friendship bond between the Namekian race and the Saijin race," Piccolo explained, "Dende and I made it. We thought it seemed right to use Guru, our ancestor, and King Vegeta, since they were both the leaders of our races." Vegeta nodded, running his finger tips over the representation of his king, 'Father...' Vegeta slowly pulled himself back into reality, and he looked over the statue a final time, noting how Guru and King Vegeta clasped each other's wrists. The implications behind the scene was what mattered the most. Piccolo was basically emphasizing the friendship he felt with Vegeta, something that meant more to Vegeta than the statue itself.

Carefully Vegeta moved the object to the side and he whispered low enough for only Piccolo to hear, "I am honored, Namek." Yamcha picked up his present and passed it to Vegeta, giving the prince a nod. Vegeta, curious as to what drink he exactly received, opened it to be pleasently surprised with a high class brand of wine. Vegeta almost purred with delight. It was an expensive bottle, and he couldn't wait to open it up and try it - but he decided that right then was not the best time and he set it down for later, "Nice choice." Trunks looked up at Goku and the black-haired Saijin gave him a nod. Hesitantly the demi-Saijin nudged his gift towards his father, clearing his throat slightly. "Another one?" Vegeta asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. As he picked up the box however he instantly felt something was odd. Something inside of the box wasn't dangerous, but it was nagging at him. His eyes narrowed and he glanced between the gift and Trunks. The young man smiled nervously, and even went as far as to blush a bit from embarrassment.

Slowly the prince peeled off the wrapping paper, keeping his eyes locked with the sky blue ones that gazed at him with uncertainty. Finally he looked down at the small box which concealed whatever item Trunks was giving him. Vegeta lifted the lid and peered inside, gripping the cardboard a bit tighter as he did. His lips parted slightly and his eyebrows furrowed as he reached inside and pulled out a small object which resembled half of a bracelet. The entire semi-circle did not look like a piece of jewelry though, but rather a high tech piece of machinery confined to a barely large enough space. "What..?" Vegeta asked lowly, holding the object up to look at it more closely. "Here.." Trunks offered, moving around the table to kneel before the brunette. "Sit up," the demi-Saijin instructed, taking the semi-circle and fiddling with it for a moment. Vegeta complied, watching Trunks every step of the way. The purple-haired man placed his present near Vegeta's lift hip and after a moment the circle was completed by a golden glowing band. Vegeta looked at it for a minute before running his hand through it, feeling a fuzzy sensation run over his skin where the glow touched him. "It's ki," the prince stated outloud in astonishment. "Yeah," Trunks agreed, starting to explain the technicalities, "I made...well, it's...it's a ki..blade hilt...you know..for your..sword." Vegeta felt a smirk break out across his face which quickly turned into a grin, "This is a fine set up you have made here, boy. Very impressive combination of technology and inborn traits."

Closing his eyes briefly, Vegeta opened them as he curled his hand into a loose fist, the royal sword appearing in the air. The brunette stood and tested his new gift, finding it suitable to his needs. "Venashido," Vegeta proclaimed before dismissing his weapon and the hilt, "You have skills, Trunks." The younger man beamed with pride and happiness. It was also partially saddening that he would never be able to please his "real" father the way he had just pleased this one. "Hey, what time is it?" Krillin abruptly asked, glancing aroung the room for a clock. Yamcha took a glance at his watch, "About five-thirty." The bald-headed Z Fighter shot up instantly, "Are you serious!? Oh, man! I have a date with Eighteen at six!" Gohan spoke up as he finished off the cake on his plate, "And mom wanted me home in enough time to study." Yamcha placed his hand on Gohan's shoulder, "Don't worry kid, I'll take you home. That way Krillin won't have to deal with more woman problems." Krillin tried to look smug even though he blushed, "Well, I seem to be having better luck that you. You know..for a player you don't do that well, Yamcha." The desert bandit shook his head and wagged a finger, "Ah, ah, ah...Just you wait, man..just you wait." Vegeta cleared his throat as he stood again, "Well I for one am relieved that you all are leaving. I want you out of my house before you disrupt it's wonderful balance of organization. I haven't had a clean room in quite a while and I want to enjoy it before I fuck it up. So if you don't mind, Trunks and Piccolo, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Trunks laughed at the statement, carefully backing away, "Hey. I think I know when I'm not wanted." The purple-haired boy waved towards Goku, motioning for him to join him outside. They stepped out into the forest a short distance from the house as Yamcha, Gohan, and Krillin went on their seperate ways. "Hey Trunks, what's up?" Goku asked as they stopped along the treeline. As Trunks looked over Goku's shirt again he had to resist the urge to laugh, but he attempted to speak nonchalantly as he asked, "So, when are you going to make your move?" The black-haired Saijin felt all the color leave him only to flood back and attack his cheeks, "Trunks, what makes you think-" The purple-haired time traveler held up his hand, silencing the older man, "Besides the fact that you nearly drool over him? And the way I saw you look as your face was buried in his crotch, you mean?" Goku suddenly felt like it was too hot for what he was wearing but he refrained from trying to cool himself off as his cheeks burned brighter. "Piccolo and I had a talk," Trunks explained calmly, "He basically confirmed what I already suspected." Goku managed to swallow as his gaze focused on the ground momentarily, "Yeah, well..." Trunks placed a hand on Goku's upper arm, squeezing lightly, "Hey, it's ok. Don't be embarassed. I wanted to tell you to go for it in fact." The taller man shot him a surprised look, "Trunks!" The demi-Saijin winked, chuckling at the scene Goku was making, "Hey..I'm being pretty serious here. You and Vegeta have something really special going on, and I think it's just about time Vegeta knew something about it. Other than that I just wanted to tell you best of luck and I hope you have a wonderful night." He turned to leave and Goku shouted out, "Just what did you and Piccolo discuss exactly??" As Trunks lifted himself into the air, Goku only heard laughter as he faded off into the distance.

After Vegeta's son was gone, Piccolo emerged from the front door with Vegeta behind him. "Have a good night, Prince Vegeta," the Namek said, extending his forearm. "Hn. Perhaps," the brunette smirked, clasping Piccolo's arm as the green-skinned man did likewise to him. Piccolo waved to Goku who waved back almost absent-mindedly until his friend took to the air. "Wait!" Goku called out, "What did you tell Trunks!!" The Namek looked back in shock before releasing a rich laugh and waving again, fading into the distance like Trunks. It was then Goku realized that he was alone with Vegeta. He felt the gaze of his prince and met it, offering a smile. Vegeta returned the smile but it soon fell. "What's the matter?" Goku asked as he approached the brunette. "Honestly.." the prince said, thinking over his words, "I am uncertain of what to make of all of this." Goku raised an eyebrow, "All of what?" Vegeta lifted his hands, gesturing to the house, "This. All of this. I just...don't understand how..they could change their mind so easily. They hate me one moment and treat me like a friend the next." Goku found himself feeling a bit defensive, "They never hated you, Vegeta." The brunette looked up into the taller man's eyes before looking away, "Yeah, right..." Goku slammed his palm against the door, trapping Vegeta between his body and the wall, "Yeah. Right." Vegeta's eyes looked up into Goku's once more, both of them looking, searching, exploring. "Now.." Goku spoke softly, taking his hand off of the door casually, "..let's go play some pool."

They went down the hall and into the guest room, which was a more interesting type of guest room than most houses contained. The walls were littered with street signs and neon lights advertising different alcoholic beverages. A small bar rested in the one corner, complete with a limited set of drinks ready for use. In the center of the room was a pool table, looking sleek and elegant under the dark green shaded lamp that hung directly above it. To the other side of the room was a large hammock, which was obviously for the guest to sleep on. Protruding from the wall next to it was a shelf, complete with an alarm clock and book light. Directly against the far wall was a remodled computer desk that had a stero system and a mirror. Underneath the desk was a trunk that was large enough to hold a person's belongings, but small enough to open fully while staying in its current position. Matching couches faced the pool table - these older in apperence with a plaid design of browns and greens. Between the one couch and the bar stood a rack for the pool sticks, all of them different in design, but each expressing good quality. "Okay, to play pool you-" Goku began before Vegeta picked up a pool stick, interrupting him. "I know how to play," the prince announced, sounding rather proud of himself. "Oh, I see," Goku grinned, picking out a stick for himself, "Then why don't you show me how it's done?"

Vegeta proceeded to do just as Goku had tauntingly told him to, prooving that when it came to certain subjects, Vegeta was simply better. He aimed and shot, breaking apart the triangle of balls, and even managing to sink one. Round after round the prince showed that he was talented in this particular area, and Goku could of sworn he had to have been playing for at least a year with practice - but he knew this wasn't the case. There was also a very good chance that Goku's score would have been significantly higher if he hadn't let his concentration be broken by the alluring images of his prince when he leaned over to take a shot. Everytime Vegeta bent himself over, his tail would sway and curl without a sense of direction, making Goku's mind go hazy as he imagined many naughty scenarios involving the pool table. It didn't matter to Goku that the jeans that Vegeta were wearing were his, and certainly too baggy for the brunette. All Goku really knew was that Vegeta looked nearly irresistable in the soft glow of the room and the complimentary colors he wore. That paired with the fact that occasionally the angle that Vegeta happened to lean over at allowed him to see down his shirt. Goku instantly blushed at the notion of looking down a man's shirt. It seemed almost absurb to him, even though he definitely liked what he saw. The constant distractions took their toll on the black-haired Saijin, and he found himself slightly amiss as Vegeta called left corner pocket, and sunk the eight ball. "Kakkarot, you are barely a challenge," the prince stated as he cleaned up his pool stick and returned it to the rack, "but you have excellent taste for one who lives out in the middle of nowhere." Goku put up his stick as well, fiddling with it a bit, "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose..." He stared off into space, making Vegeta a bit curious as to what he was thinking about.

"Hey Vegeta?" Goku suddenly asked, finally freeing his hands of the pool stick. The prince raised an eyebrow before giving a response, "Yes, Kakkarot?" The black-haired man smiled lightly, "Do you....Would you..like to go on a walk with me? I really want to talk to you about some things." Vegeta's eyebrows came together as he merely looked at the other Saijin for nearly an entire minute straight. Finally the brunette replied, "Okay." Goku smiled warmly before turning and leading the way. He stopped on his way out and spent a brief amount of time in the kitchen before resuming his course with an addition of a small rectangular piece of tupperware containing food. They walked outside and Vegeta followed him around the back of the house and into the woods where a trail was located. Due to the nature of autumn, the sun's rays weren't as bright as they usually were, as the days were becoming shorter and the nights longer. They walked in silence contrary to Goku's description of the walk, but it wasn't uncomfortable in the least - in fact, Vegeta felt more relaxed than he had been the entire day. 'Kakkarot...your kindness is astounding,' the prince thought to himself, looking up at the sky for a moment before letting his gaze drop again, 'A typical Saijin would have..killed me by now. I'm such a..loser.' The brunette inhaled deeply, and silently let out a sigh, reminiscing for a few seconds. Goku glanced over at the other man, wondering what he was thinking. 'He's so complicated,' Goku thought to himself, 'I wonder if Trunks is right. Should I tell him? Oh god, no...I can't. I just can't. There's no way I'll be able to! I don't want to scare him away. He's happy. That's all that matters.' They continued down the path, both lost in their own thoughts as evening slowly crept upon them.

Eventually they walked into a clearing which stood on top of hill, overlooking a nearby valley. Vegeta had to wonder how Goku had been able to prepare all of this within, what he assumed, one day. Of course with the ability to instantly transport oneself anywhere, he also assumed that there was a good chance that he'd easily be able to get the job done. They padded across the grass until they hit the edge of the hill and Goku instantly flopped down. Vegeta knelt to his left and then carefully took a seat, neither bothering to break the silence. The prince tipped his head back and placed his hands slightly behind him, so he could support his weight. He stared up at the sky, concentrating but not really paying attention at the same time. The blue faded to violet and the brunette let his eyes close, 'I feel something when I'm around Kakkarot. What is it?' Vegeta let himself focus, but he found that he was unable to come up with any answers, 'I wonder..has he always had faith in me? I wonder if he's always thought of me like he believes in me now. Kakkarot, are you truly serious about..us? Do you consider me your prince? Do you consider me your friend? You confuse me so much, Kakkarot...Can't you see that? You anger me so much. You frustrate me with your pure soul and amazing ways. I could never be like you.' He sighed again, thinking it over, 'I would never want to be like you.' Words he'd spoken himself came back, 'Preh Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht, uru Preh Proch.'

His eyes opened again and he let himself take in the natural beauty of the planet. If the sky had been red, then Earth would've reminded him of his home world. As it was, however, the sky was a tranquil blue, and neglected to nag at his mind, which was perhaps for the best. All in all the Saijin prince would have to admit that despite the cons, Earth was a rather nice place to live. Oddly enough, it had it's fair share of troubles for a planet located all the way out in the boondocks. On the other hand, it provided well and had the best protector around, so the pros and cons just about weighed even. It was pleasent to sit next to Kakkarot and forget the worries of his everyday life. The tip of his tail twitched through the grass, and he felt so entirely calm that he believed that nothing could upset him at that moment. For once, he didn't have to linger on his mistakes, his failures, and his past. He merely sat in the moment, enveloped in serenity. It was strange, and almost disturbing, but he didn't dwell upon it. He'd rather not disrupt his good mood.

Goku glanced at him and had to smile - for Vegeta looked so content at the moment it made him feel elated. 'That cake didn't do much for our appetites,' the black-haired Saijin thought to himself, 'I'm glad I brought some sandwiches along. Now's a good time to eat, so I'll just ask Vegeta if he wants any.' Goku opened the tupperware container and sorted through the variety of sandwiches he had brought along. "Vegeta?" he asked, gaining the brunette's attention. He turned to ask Vegeta what type of sandwich he'd prefer to eat when he simply froze in place, staring at the prince. There was something in the way Vegeta looked, so calm and peaceful. His eyes were different too, warm, but just as endless as before. But warm. Towards him. A flutter of emotion welled inside Goku's stomach, spreading through his entire body within seconds. His chest ached delightfully and he let his eyes roam across the prince's beautiful face. And then, without really thinking, he leaned over and quickly pressed his lips to those that he'd desired for so long, a bout of pure adrenaline pouring over him, making him tingle. As soon as he'd touched those lips though, he pulled back, stunned by his own actions. Vegeta wasn't doing anything at the moment, and a wave of panic overcame the younger man.

In truth however, Vegeta had not been able to forecast the spontaneous action of his fellow Saijin. When Goku had said his name he merely turned to him, giving him his attention. There was a moments pause, and then abruptly, Goku had leaned over, closing the distance between them, and swiftly put his lips on him in a soft kiss. Being as that Vegeta had never received that type of affection from anyone he wasn't sure how to respond in the slightest - and had stayed absoluetely still and tense. Goku swallowed and took his breath before he let himself speak, which happened to be very fast paced and edged with nervousness. "Oh my god, Vegeta," he began, his fear increasing every second that the prince didn't respond, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh my god...I didn't think. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, I mean, I did, but I didn't, but....oh god. I'm sorry. It's just...just..." Goku let his eyes look into Vegeta's, no matter how difficult it was for him, "God, Vegeta! You don't understand how much you mean to me! Ever since I first started hanging out with you I felt..connected to you somehow. Over time my fondness for you grew. Everytime I saw you I kept seeing you in a new light. You're something new, bold, and interesting every single time! I loved spending all my time with you. I can't even describe how great my life has been with you truly in it. After awhile I realized that I..wanted to be with you. All the time. You make my life exciting, and I love every second of it! And god...Vegeta! You're always putting yourself down, and it drives me crazy that you don't see how amazing you are! And it hurts me that I can't show you. Please..Please, Vegeta..! Please don't be angry with me. Oh god. You mean so much to me, and..and I'm so stupid! God, please. I'll never touch you again. I promise. I'll never ever try to kiss you again..please just don't leave me. Please don't hate me. Oh god, Vegeta! Please...I promise. I promise I'll never kiss you again..unless.....unless you..want me to."

The prince stared at the last survivor of his race, trying to absorb all that the third class has said to him. The final part hit him hard, and Vegeta found himself breathless, repeating it in his head, 'I'll never kiss you again..unless you want me to.' His eyes focused on the ones looking into his and he searched for answers once more. He felt something again, but he wasn't sure what it was. Goku's dark eyes expressed worry, and a fear of rejection - but the taller Saijin managed to ask his next question, his voice a mere whisper, "Do you..want me to kiss you..Vegeta?" The prince heard warning sirens and bells go off inside of his head. This was getting too deep, too complicated, and too dangerous. He should back away now and forget this whole thing ever happened. But his mouth opened and his shaky voice whispered back, "...Y-Yes.." For a moment both of them sat in shock, neither believing their ears as Vegeta spoke that one simple, small word. Goku recovered first, a warm smile coming to his face as he felt every part of him tremble with delight. Vegeta cursed himself, wondering what he was doing. But he felt something when he was around Kakkarot...and it somehow felt..right to say yes. He didn't understand it, and he didn't really wish to, so he let it be and decided to play out the hand fate dealt him. Goku scooted himself closer as inconspicuously as possible, and even though the prince did notice it, he didn't care all that much. He'd already sealed his destiny, and he waited for it, a great feeling of fear rising in him. The last time he was touched anything near to this had proven to Vegeta that close contact with others was a very unwise thing. Yet the brutal honest emotions that rippled off of Goku were so void of any trecherous vibes, that the brunette couldn't help but hold his place, telling himself that Kakkarot was different, and he would not try to injure him intentionally.

Goku brought up his hand, lightly caressing Vegeta's cheek with the back of his fingers before he felt along the jawline, letting his thumb reach out and brush across those lovely lips. Vegeta blinked at the gesture, listening to his own shaky breaths with each inhale and exhale of air. Goku carefully examined Vegeta's eyes, looking for any traces that might indicate that the prince wanted to stop, but he found none. His hand travelled back over the cheek and continued on, lightly tracing the rim of Vegeta's ear before finally deciding to curl into the hair on the back of the prince's neck. Goku closed his eyes briefly, gaining his bearings on the situation before he finally leaned in, pressing their lips together again. An electric jolt ran through both of their bodies at the simple touch, and Goku found the experience much more enjoyable when Vegeta had requested for it. He moved his lips slowly, planting soft kisses over and over again on the prince's pliant lips. He pressed a bit harder and held the kiss longer, feeling the butterflies in his stomach crescendo into an all out swarm. It just felt so good, and so right being with Vegeta. He dared himself to further the kiss, taking the prince by surprise by parting Vegeta's lips with his tongue. A short, shocked moan emitted from Vegeta's throat as Goku's tongue entered his mouth, slowly swirling and exploring. Vegeta felt his fingers dig into the grass, his tail tense and thump the ground, and his cheeks burn at the sudden increase in intimacy of the kiss, but the feeling that Goku was elicting from him wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest, but much rather the opposite.

After a moment, Goku felt worry kicking at him again as he realized that though Vegeta was letting him kiss him, he was failing to join in. He flicked his tongue against the prince's as an odd type of invitation, and very slowly and cautiously, he felt Vegeta begin to kiss him back. That alone sent a shiver down Goku's spine as he tried to kiss his prince deeper, to express more emotions and please his crush as much as possible. The brown-haired Saijin shyly let his tongue dance with Goku's, finding the experience literally spine-tingling. Everything felt so intense that Goku never wanted it to end. When he cracked his eyes open to gaze at Vegeta and noticed the soft light of the disappearing sun however, he thought it best to end that amazing touch, though he truly didn't want to. Hesitantly he pulled back, letting his tongue trace over all that it could touch in Vegeta's mouth before retreating, letting their lips press together gently. The black-haired Saijin gave the brunette a few more soft kisses before he pulled away, both of their eyes opening at the withdrawal. Goku swallowed and sat back as both of them just stared at each other. He turned away for a moment, making the prince curious as to what he was doing. "Turkey or ham?" Goku finally asked, his smile warm, his eyes bright. Vegeta glanced down, looking at the two sandwiches the black-haired Saijin held out and he looked back up at the younger one, unable to resist a smile that came to his face. "Turkey.." Vegeta said slowly, taking the sandwich from Goku and beginning to devour it as Goku bit into his share. They ate quickly and quietly, but they kept looking at one another, as they were uncertain of what to make of the sudden change in their relationship. After they were finished with the snack, Goku picked up the tupperware and stood, Vegeta following suit. They walked in silence back towards the house, like they had when walking from it.

They eventually reached the front door when twilight hit the sky, letting more stars come out. Goku cleared his throat and handed the empty container to the prince who merely tossed it inside so he could focus his attention on other things. "It's getting late.." Goku said with a heavy sadness laced in his voice, "..I better go." Vegeta looked down, not really giving a response as the taller male turned to leave. "Kakkarot," he called out just before Goku teleported away. The other Saijin turned to him immediately, looking rather hopeful for a kiss goodnight. But he received no such thing. Instead Vegeta asked him a question he wasn't quite expecting, "...Why don't you stay..?" He found himself nodding rapidly and dumbly, and he instantly blushed at his excited reaction. Vegeta smirked a little before he held open the door, "Then why don't you come inside?" Goku couldn't help but grin and he casually walked inside the house, telling his prince a "thank you" for holding the door.

After the matters with the door were taken care of, Goku found that Vegeta simply felt more quiet. One thing that Goku had noticed was Vegeta's ability to rapidly turn his emotions onto a more negative scale, whether it was concerning matters of anger or depression. He placed his hands on the prince's shoulder, holding him in place so he could gain the brunette's full attention, "Vegeta, what's wrong?" Vegeta met his gaze momentarily before he looked away, "Kakkarot.." Goku turned him and guided him comfortingly. As they sat down on the couch Goku kept his touch as light and nonthreatening as possible. "Talk to me," Goku requested, hoping the shock of it all wasn't catching up to the prince. "Kakkarot.." Vegeta started again, finally capturing words to say, "..though you explained yourself, I still do not understand." Goku smiled, almost expecting a reaction such as this, "Vegeta, you don't really need to understand. I just need you to know." Vegeta shook his head and pushed himself away from the black-haired Saijin, "Toushtatae! I am..not that easy!" Goku stared a bit in shock, "Whoa! No one said anything about anything! Vegeta, I need you to calm down and talk with me. I need you to not push me away when I know you have feelings for me. Don't deny it... I know you do, Vegeta. I know because you let me kiss you. If it upsets you, then we need to talk about it. So tell me what's wrong, Vegeta."

Vegeta flushed crimson, stuttering a bit, "K-Kakkarot..I..I..." The prince's eyebrows knit together and the smaller man exploded in anger, "I don't know WHY I let you kiss me! I'm an idiot, ok!? I-I don't even LIKE you! In fact.. I HATE you!" Goku felt betrayl stab him, each agonizing slice aimed at his heart. His hands reacted first, grabbing the prince's arms and pinning him to the couch with ease, "NO! Stop this NOW, my prince! You cannot run away all the time! It won't solve anything! Look at me, Vegeta! I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you didn't want me to kiss you! Go ahead and say it!" Vegeta looked up at him with wide, shocked eyes, his mouth opening, attempting to spill out the words - but as he saw the pain and pleading in the younger man he found that he couldn't utter a syllable. As if to emphasize his point, Goku dipped his head down and captured Vegeta's lips in haste-filled passion. The prince made a small noise of mixed surprise and pleasure as teeth nibbled on his lower lip. When Goku pulled up however, Vegeta found himself growing quite irate. "Asshole!" the prince screamed, powering up with ease and flipping their position around so he pinned the black-haired Saijin to the couch, "How dare you! You call me your prince but do this!? Ha! You're a fucking liar is what you are! You care about me so much that you force yourself upon me?! You...You're no better than those pedophiles! I'm an idiot for saying yes! I'm and idiot for believing you! I'm an idiot for-" Goku interrupted him, finishing the sentence, "-for liking it..." Vegeta felt himself blush again and before he realized exactly what he was doing his hands moved, gripping tightly to the strong neck of his friend. Goku made a half-choking half-gurgling sound, his hands gripping Vegeta's wrists as the other man throttled him. 'Vegeta!' the prince heard the other man plead to him mentally, but he barred down his mind, blocking everything out but his haze of anger and rage.

If he killed him now, there would be no one to stop him from leaving this pathetic mudball and ruling the universe like he'd once desired. His mind swirled with images of galaxies, and space dust, and black holes, and nothing. And then he saw* a small child's voice in his head, telling him, 'My planet, too, is gone. My species is nearly extinct as well. My family is also dead.' Vegeta gasped at the recollection, a surge of shame bottling up inside of him, and he released his hands to cover his face. Kakkarot was the last of his people, and this is how he treated him in return? This wasn't fair. He was damned either way. He was damned and he couldn't do a thing about it - like always. Hands encircled his wrists, gently pulling his hands away from his face, making him look at the wonderful person beneath him. "Kakkarot, I'm so confused.." the prince admited as conflicting emotions waged war within him. "It's ok..." Goku replied in a whisper, still catching his breath. He pulled Vegeta down into a hug, kissing the brunette's temple and whispering, "It's ok. I'd never make you do anything you don't want to. It's ok...." Vegeta wasn't sure why he felt so depressed, but he was able to mutter, "I think I need a smoke." Goku kissed the temple lightly again before moving to the ear, still whispering, "Me too." Vegeta sat up to look down at Goku with a shocked expression. "What?" Goku asked innocently, "I'm well over eighteen and I'm not allowed to smoke?" The prince carefully climbed off of the younger man to find the small briefcase he'd acquired for this birthday. Opening it, Vegeta choose a brand at random and opened the pack, passing a cigarette to Goku while taking one for himself. After putting the square to his lips, Vegeta went in search of a lighter, patting down his clothes which he forgot were not his own.

"Here.." Goku offered, Vegeta turning to find that the taller man already had his lit. Leaning forward with a smirk plastered on his face, Goku touched the tip of his cigarette to Vegeta's, raising his eyebrows for just a second, repeating the motion twice. Vegeta stared, finding himself frozen in place, not even breathing as he watched the other man. The smirk spread into a grin and Vegeta forced his lungs to work again, inhaling deeply, ashing about a third of his cigarette all at once. Goku breathed in, fending off the urge to cough, successfully doing so with pride. He then flexed his jaw a bit forward and a bit back, causing his cigarette to flick slightly, its tip caressing the tip of Vegeta's cigarette in such a manor that even the prince thought of it as a provacative gesture. Frankly, Vegeta was stunned, and he only watched the other Saijin until a large segment of the ashed square fell to the floor. "Have I ever told you.." Goku spoke around the cig, "..how sexy you look when you smoke?" Vegeta blushed again, inhaling another third of his tobacco product. He exhaled through his nose, resembling a dragon who seemed flustered. "Kakkarot.." the prince replied, "..I don't know if I can stand your sickening heart felt declarations without vomitting." Goku chuckled, taking a puff before responding, "I can't help it that you're so fuckin' sexy." Vegeta felt like he was going to die from embarrassment, and he sat back a good few feet, shouting, "Kakkarot!" He wasn't sure what surprised him more - the fact that Goku had cursed, or the fact that he'd done it while complimenting him. Maybe it was the compliment in general. Goku's eyes narrowed into two small slits as his chest and throat radiated a purr. Vegeta suddenly found himself burning the filter of his cigarette. Goku reached forward very slowly, taking the remains and putting it out on the coffee table. Goku shifted his cigarette to the side of his mouth, "And now, my prince, we shall see..." The black-haired Saijin pounced, tackling his prey to the floor, "...just how ticklish you are!"

Hands darted for the prince's sides but they were blocked by Vegeta's arms. "Like hell you will!" the brunette declared loudly, "You pull another stupid stunt and I'll be forced to take some serious action!" Goku laughed, pausing to take a puff of his cigarette, "Oh? Like what?" Vegeta growled, keeping a wary eye on the larger Saijin's hands, "Fingers, remember? I'll break your fingers." Goku gave him a lop-sided grin, "I don't think you will. Not when I tell you what I can do with these fingers..." Vegeta wasn't sure if he should pale or blush at the comment, so he ended up doing neither which was probably for the best. "They're going to give you the best damn ticklin' you've ever received!" Goku announced, attempting again to reach Vegeta's stomach. He froze when he was unexpectedly attacked. He gasped and fell forward, leaning against Vegeta with his teeth clenched. "Was that a powerful enough lunge?" Vegeta whispered harshly into his ear, sounding almost smug. Goku couldn't help but grin as he replied with a moan, "Uhhn....press harder, please.." Vegeta pushed the other man away, scrambling to his feet and jumping back, cursing up a storm. "Oh c'mon," Goku said, taking a long drag, "I was just playing with you." Vegeta pointed his finger accusingly, "That was not playing! You're not in pain!" Goku found himself backed into a corner, "O-Oh? That doesn't mean anything. How do you know if I was anticipating that or not?"

Vegeta's eyes flashed dangerously, "I just know, Kakkarot! That doesn't mean you have to understand!" Goku finished his cigarette, making a show of putting the object out with his tongue, "And what if I DO like the notion of your tail touching my crotch? Hmm?" Vegeta sputtered, finding no words to say as pure shock overcame him. Face red and tail bristled, the brunette finally spat, "Orakaree! Do you know what you're saying!?" Goku felt his eyebrows raise at Vegeta's emotional outburst, "Hey, I'm just teasing you...there's no need to get so bent out of shape." The prince's breathing calmed, as well as his expression. "For one who is just teasing, the implications in such a statement are not to be taken lightly, especially if spoken by a Saijin," Vegeta informed, his face unnaturally stoic. "Are you saying I'm more Saijin than I think I am?" Goku asked, seeking out more answers by reading inbetween the lines. "Hotakkei-eti-Oketerehcho, Kakkarot. No tacos involved," the prince said without a drop of humor in his voice. They stared at one another, a heavy silence hanging in the air. "I'm going to switch my clothes," Vegeta said, suddenly feeling like he was trapped and devising a way out. As he brushed by Goku, the other Saijin turned to him, trying to gather something to say. He felt like there was more, that this wasn't just a small argument and then goodbye, see ya later. Vegeta had definitely meant something back there when he got upset over the tail statement, but he couldn't possibly understand what was the matter. Sure tails were sensitive, and any Saijin should be protective over theirs, but what Vegeta was implying...it was just too strange. What did Vegeta's tail have to do with any of this? Of course Goku knew he often fantasized doing many of things with or to that tail, and that he also dreamt of the furry appendage doing things to him - but he merely regarded this with little interest, thinking that the attraction was due to the rarity of the situation, being that Goku didn't have a tail himself. But a tail does not make a Saijin, as Goku had been forced to realize since long ago. He did enjoy many things that Saijins did, like food and fighting. Ok, so that was about it...

Even still, the differences between himself and the prince meant nothing to the younger man. The discrepancies Goku had long learned to deal with, and he now almost regarded them as challenges. Goku had always, even as a child, loved challenges. Though Vegeta was no challege, he offered many intriguing ones all the time. Another reason he found he could not resist the man. When Vegeta was about half-way down the hall Goku found himself chasing after him. "Vegeta sha Saijin Jakaht!" the black-haired man called out, making the brunette spin around. "I have no time for your games any longer! Go home, Kakkarot!" Vegeta yelled at him, waving his hand, gesturing at him as a dismissal. Goku growled low in his throat, refusing to be tossed away so easy. Vegeta either had no idea how much his words could influence him or the man was just plain cruel. Judging by past experiences, Goku believed it to be the first reason, so he tried to not let things bother him. Vegeta threw open the door to the room which Goku carefully and quietly closed behind him out of respect. The prince's movements were stiff with agitation, and he spun around to sit on the edge of his bed, "Alright! What is it? Damn you! Speak!" Goku took a few steps forward into the room, standing about a yard away from Vegeta, hissing softly, "Vegeta..phu Jakaht." Vegeta stared at him, feeling his flesh crawl as the taller man spoke the dead language. He spoke slowly in return, "How do you know this, Kakkarot? From that Kai?" Goku gave a nod in response, "I can speak a little." Vegeta's eyes looked up into Goku's, showing hesitant acceptance, "You speak it well." Goku took a moment to reply, "Thank you."

Vegeta closed his eyes, his features relaxing, 'Kakkarot...' It startled Goku as he heard Vegeta's voice quietly call out to him in his mind. As he looked in the dark onyx pools he could sense that warmth again, and it made him smile. 'Vegeta...' Goku replied as equally quiet. 'I don't hate you,' the prince's voice came across as a mere whisper. Goku felt his smile widen and he half-bent half-knelt over, reaching out and caressing Vegeta's cheek with his finger tips. His hand ventured slightly lower, cupping Vegeta's chin as he moved forward. Goku paused millimeters away from Vegeta's face, and looked into his eyes, looking for a sign whether it be yes or no. Vegeta met his gaze evenly, and they sat for a moment as the brunette debated within himself, and then finally - he gave a nod. Goku sighed slightly before he pressed their lips together for the fourth time, still finding the experience mind-blowing. He placed small kisses all around before nipping lightly on Vegeta's lips. Vegeta's mouth opened slightly as he released a warm, shaky breath, Goku letting his tongue venture out and just barely trace the places he'd just nipped. The black-haired Saijin sealed their lips together, meshing his tongue against the one he found, delighting in the flavor of mixed smoke and that which was Vegeta. The prince felt overwhelmed again, despite the fact that he'd experienced this no more than just a few minutes ago. His head swam, the burn in his cheeks creeping downwards, slowly washing over his whole body as Kakkarot flicked his tongue in all the right places. The tantalizing sensual dance that invaded the prince's mouth caused him to curl his fingers into the linens on the bed, his tail constantly wrapping and unwrapping around his waist.

Goku's hands, which had been inactive, finally began to move - his one moved to the back of Vegeta's neck, fingers kneading in small circles, as his other hand wrapped around Vegata's waist, making sure the grip was firm, but comfortable. The younger man dipped his head, pressing harder, nudging Vegeta backwards. Placing one knee to the side of Vegeta's body, Goku slowly eased them down, basking in the warmth the brunette radiated off of him. Abruptly Vegeta jumped away, crawling backwards until his body met iron which prevented him from hitting the wall. Goku raised an eyebrow, climbing onto the bed and crawling over the prince. "You okay?" Goku asked gently, reaching out and lightly running his fingers through Vegeta's hair. The brunette shivered, closing his eyes momentarily as the simple gesture took him off guard. He looked up at the third class warrior, reason trying to slam him back in order, 'You idiot! What're you doing!? You know what he wants and you're allowing this to continue!? You're a prince! His prince! He has no right to touch you!' As he stared into the deep black eyes adorned by the younger man, he felt the emotions roll off of him without a sense of shame or hesitence, 'But god...I haven't lived up to my title in years. This is just too much...' He found that he could only tell the truth, "..Yes." Goku bent his head, nuzzling lightly at the side of Vegeta's face, whispering, "You're sure?" The warm air heated Vegeta's face and he felt his skin crawl before replying, "Yes." Goku's throat softly rumbled, still whispering, "Okay..." He tipped his head to the side, his lips barely touching the prince's ear before he traced the rim with the tip of his tongue, blowing just a bit harder than a breath on the wetness. Vegeta closed his eyes as the younger one's lips grabbed a hold of his ear, teeth nipping and biting gently at his earlobe as a tongue darted out to tease, and light suction was applied. After toying there for a moment the mouth drew back, trailing hot kisses down Vegeta's neck, finally coming to rest near the shoulder. The mouth opened, sucking on the pale skin, the tongue occasionally joining the dance to taste the prince.

Vegeta turned his head to the side, allowing Goku more access, his breaths deepening as it felt like someone took lighter fluid to the fire that blazed within. He couldn't help but whimper as those silken lips caressed him gently, seducing his senses. Hands slowly pulled up at his shirt, exposing his stomach to the cooler air. Finger tips ran across smooth, toned muscles, making a journey and exploration upwards. The mouth tipped in the opposite direction, deciding to favor the other side of the neck as Goku felt across the well-defined torso of the brunette. The black-haired Saijin drew away hesitantly, slowly swirling his tongue across the skin before finally pulling back. Vegeta's eyes opened, his gaze focusing upward, looking confused and even partially dazed. Goku smiled at the flushed man beneath him, almost playfully tugging at the shirt to silently ask his question. The prince seemed to review the situation before sitting up just so his back was no longer supported, and he raised his arms into the air. Goku lifted the polyester material up slowly, giving Vegeta ample time to voice his thoughts of disapproval. The shirt came off with little to no difficulty and Goku merely dropped the item out of sight. Vegeta lowered himself back down, letting his arms drop to his sides as he stared up, his lips parted as he breathed deeply. Goku smiled, his eyes shining like a child that gazed at an awe-inspiring sight. His hands followed his gaze, tracing over every curve and indentation with infinite care. He then massaged upwards, starting with the stomach and working up to the chest where he dared to graze over the nipples before continuing on to the collar bone and then each arm. He rubbed his hands against Vegeta's as his lips began their learning experience of the prince's body. Hands retraced their steps all the way back to pale abs, Goku's mouth following their lead. He glanced up at Vegeta for approval as he shakily brought his hands to the waistline of the jeans. The brunette stared at the younger man, and though his mind screamed for him to do otherwise, he nodded.

Goku took a moment to gain his bearings before he pulled the button undone, his hands carefully completing the task of unzipping the pants. Vegeta closed his eyes, flushing deeply as Goku was able to not only look upon his boxers, but also the bulge in which was proof of his arousal. The black-haired Saijin paused, trying his best to stop his nervous shaking as he grasped the waist of the pants and the elastic band of the boxers all in one grip. Somehow Vegeta managed to convince himself to lift his hips, and Goku, taking this as an invitation, slowly pulled the articles off, gazing fixatedly at the nude form of his prince. 'God..he's beautiful!' Goku thought, starting at the feet and working his way up to Vegeta's eyes with his gaze. He tried to inconspicuously scan over the more intimate areas, but Vegeta was too accutely aware of everything at the moment that it didn't slip by him. When their eyes met Goku offered a smile before he tugged off his shirst hastelessly, then he began a casual motion to remove his pants. With each inch of the black-haired Saijin being exposed, Vegeta felt himself grow hotter and hotter, mostly from a mixture of embarrassment and nervousness. In a moment that came too fast for the smaller man, Vegeta found himself in bed, naked, underneath Goku, who was also very naked. 'Oh god, I can't do this,' the prince thought to himself, overwhelmed by fear. And then Goku purred softly, reverantly letting his fingers trace the regal face as he whispered, "Phu Jakaht..." Vegeta closed his eyes, his previous doubt melting away with the loving caresses of his former rival. It was amazing how..safe and..peaceful he felt around the last member of his race. Hands lightly swept down the face, followed the neck, ran across chest and stomach, and trailed down legs until they met feet, where they paused to massage. Then the same method was applied to running up the pale body, until hands massaged hands. "Vegeta.." Goku sighed softly, finding himself capturing those wonderful lips as his hands rubbed their way to the brunette's hips.

He drew back to lay his head on the prince's chest, hearing the harsh beating of the brunette's heart as he inhaled the salty, musky - and more importantly - natural, scent of Vegeta. His thumbs swept over hip bones, kneading lightly before pausing altogether. Goku lifted his head, his eyes silently asking for permission, which Vegeta granted. He forced himself to stop shaking as his hands crept lower, gliding across smooth fur, causing Vegeta's breath to hitch. Then gingerly, Goku wrapped his hands around the heated flesh of his prince, watching Vegeta gasp as he slowly and lightly stroked the impressive length. Goku pumped rhythmically, enjoying the sound of the brunette's unsure pants as he acquainted himself with Vegeta's most intimate body part, loving the feel of the silky skin under his experienced hands. Soon enough Goku pulled back, one hand carefully switching at a time to that of the fuzzy tail. Vegeta thrust his hips automatically, turning his head and closing his eyes in embarrassment, all the while managing to growl out, "Kakkarot..not..not my tail..." After a few more positive reactions regarding the tail, Goku decided to comply, hesitantly removing his hands, letting them grasp Vegeta's waist and hold firmly. Vegeta was stunned to say the least, especially with his own body, which now ached in arousal. When the prince faced his third class again, Goku smiled warmly at him, and kissed his lips softly, affectionatly. The black-haired Saijin moved his head to the side, nuzzling Vegeta without adding any pressure, and whispering his name as if it was something holy and should be cherished. He pulled back, his hands moving to cup Vegeta's face, tenderly caressing as he dared himself to ask the much needed question.

"Vegeta.." Goku began, unsure of how to phrase his thoughts and inquiries, "You...You don't have to..do this..if you don't want to..." The prince closed his eyes briefly, sighing nearly silently as he leaned against a hand that so lovingly held him, "I..am aware of that..." Goku felt like a heavy weight was lifted off of his chest, and captivated, he kissed his prince again, murmuring, "So long as you know..." Vegeta couldn't help but smile slightly at the implications as Goku began to worship his body with his hands. Finger nails gently scraped across his skin, sending shivers up his spine and back, causing his tail to fluff. The larger man nipped moderately hard, making his way down Vegeta's chest and stomach, pausing to breath against his prince, trying his best to stay calm. He looked up at Vegeta, hiding his true emotions that were doing backflips. In all honesty, Goku was afraid. He'd never been with a man before, and he had no earthly clue what to do. He blushed slightly as he pointed out to himself that he did have a vague idea, as it couldn't be that much different from making love to a woman. Almost carefully he curled each of his hands under a thigh, lifting them up just a bit so they could rest comfortably on either side of Goku. The black-haired Saijin felt himself flush again as he concentrated on situating their bodies. "Vegeta?" he asked quietly, his eyes reflecting concern and worry as he gazed down at the brunette. Vegeta's face was void of emotion, but his eyes expressed an inner panic of confusion. "It's ok, Kakkarot.." Vegeta said with a nod, though Goku wondered which of them he was trying to assure, "...It's ok.."

A compulsive feeling to kiss his prince came over Goku and he followed his instincts, making his lips taunt Vegeta's. He let his hands massage the powerful thighs of his prince, passionately probing Vegeta's mouth with his tongue. Finally he pulled back, his eyes looking into his prince's, hiding nothing from the older man. Vegeta felt himself tremble as Kakkarot bared his soul to him, showing the desire, concern, hope, joy, and even a small amount of lust. And love. Never before had Vegeta seen such a look directed at him, the special look that one lover gives to the other. 'Kakkarot...' he called out to the third class mentally sending emotions instead of words to the younger man, conveying his consent. Goku blushed lightly, uncertain himself why he did so. Slowly he moved, lifting Vegeta's body and pulling them closer. He felt his stomach muscles clench hard, threatening to cramp up on him as he placed them into position. Vegeta held still, breathing erratically, taking longer than necessary blinks. He felt Goku's hands guide his legs to wrap around his waist, and he tensed, pulling the sheets up into the palm of his hands as anticipation wracked his nerves. One hand went to his hip, holding him, while the other went to his face, caressing him before running through his hair. Unconsciously Vegeta began to relax as Goku's fingers ran through his dark brown spikes. Abruptly, however, Goku situated their bodies and pressed in to Vegeta's willing flesh as delicately as possible. Vegeta closed his eyes in pain, gasping at the sudden agony brought on by the unexpected entrance, making his body heat nearly vanish. He bit his lip and turned his head to the side, mind racing with mortification, revulsion, and disbelief. A thought entered his head, instantly breaking him free of his monstrous apprehension, 'If it hurts this bad willingly, then how would it feel if I hadn't of said yes?' He felt his body temperature recover almost instantly, his fingers still threaded in the covers, knuckles white.

"Are you okay?" Goku whispered anxiously, laying soft kisses across the prince's smooth skin. Vegeta took deep, even breaths, concentrating on relaxation as he felt the brutal sting within him withering. Eventually he found himself in an odd sense of comfort, and found that he could breathe a great deal better as well. A few fevered whispers found their way through the air, the only bit of conversation that was needed between the two. With permission Goku tentatively slid himself in to the hilt, gauging Vegeta's reactions the best he could given the situation. The prince gasped loudly, his back arcing off of the bed as the bold new sensation of being filled overwhelmed him. It most certainly didn't hurt now..oh no, it didn't hurt one bit - in fact it was quite the opposite. Goku let himself bask in the moment before cautiously pulling back only to plunge back in, nearly writhing at the blissful waves of molten friction that manipulated his nerve-endings, making his body sing. He could hear and feel Vegeta's ragged inhales and exhales of air, could hear and feel the prince quiver and strain with him with each subtle movement. The brunette had long since closed his eyes, finding himself unable to do much more than lie there and experience the foreign sensations that stripped him down and took him over. Each gentle thrust made beads of sweat trickle off of their foreheads, and each movement inticed more action.

Vegeta felt his mind spin, ecstacy blinding his other senses as Goku continually battered his sensitive inner walls. As the pace increased, the prince found himself looking for more oxygen, his hips jerking, craving more of the younger man's exquisite touch. He's never felt anything near to what devoured his body at the current moment, whimpers passing across his lips with each uneven gasp. He heard his name being whispered fervently from the black-haired Saijin's lips, and felt jolt after jolt of pure electrifying pleasure course through his inexperienced body. Goku readjusted his angle, pushing faster as he craved to see the body beneath his squirm. It took all of his self control from letting instinct take over, but he was able to restrain himself. Vegeta's whimpers increased in volume, gradually become full-blown moans. Goku could not resist the purr which burst from his throat, trying to extract more of the heavenly noise from its captor. Vegeta didn't know how much he could take as the pleasure continuously increased with no end in sight, his vocal chords acted on their own will, releasing shrill screams into the night. Goku growled softly, rocking his hips rhythmically in delight as he was pleasently surprised by Vegeta's verbal outbursts, 'Oh god..he's a screamer..!'

And his prince did scream, tossing his head back and forth, crying out with each deep thrust in. He was in a daze of incredulity, unable to fathom how or why he was blessed to feel such divine rapture. His tail snapped out and latched onto Goku's arm, firmly clasping the wrist as he felt all the sensations well within himself. He was ignorant as to what was occuring, but he could sense that it was going to be intense as his screams came more frequently. "K..kk....k...k...." Vegeta choked, his lungs failing to draw any air in as his muscles began to clench, his whole body concentrating on Goku who was about to force him over the edge. Seconds later his pleasure escalated to new, glorious heights, sending shockwaves of unfamiliar ecstasy to the very core of his being, his voice screaming at the top of his lungs, "KAKKAROT!!!" His hips twitched and jerked, white milky streams of semen splashing across his hardened muscles at the same time Goku met his peak, moaning his prince's name in wild abandon, body shaking with exhaustion.

Vegeta slumped against the comfortable bed and pillow, his eyes closed as he attempted to regain his lost breath. Goku carefully rolled to the side, grunting as he fell onto the mattress, a smile coming to his face. 'God, that was so intense..' the black-haired Saijin thought before wrapping his arms around his prince and holding him close. He kissed the brunette's skin softly, feeling sleep creeping up upon them both. "Vegeta?" he called out to the older man in a mere whisper. After a pause with no return, he nuzzled his prince, fnishing his thought out loud, "I love you, Vegeta..." The sleeping figure did not hear a word, but instead slept soundly for the first time in a long time.


*This is not a mistake. He "saw" the voice because it was in sign language.