We Were Angels - Part Seven
�How�s Kakarot doing, Kami-sama?� asked Nail.
�He�s doing well so far, he has finally realized that Vegeta is not the worthless person he believed him to be,� answered the old god. �He may even be allowed back into Heaven soon.� Piccolo stood darkly to the side, arms folded over his broad chest and a scowl on his stern features. �Not if I have anything to do with it�
Kakarot wandered casually through the large supermarket, pushing a half-filled grocery cart that had a squeaky wheel. He wasn�t sure what all the items he had picked up were, but the colorful pictures looked good and that was enough for him.
He slowly made his way to the frozen foods area where there were plenty of more items to fill his shopping cart with. When he could no longer put more groceries in his cart, he decided to make his way to the checkout line. Making his way to the line with the least people in it, he caught a glimpse of the man from yesterday.
�Yamcha,� he seethed. Stunned, he realized that when he saw the man, he had begun to growl. �Why would I get so mad over seeing Yamcha? It�s not like I know anything about him, other than he�s a doctor who just happens to date Vegeta.�
Kakarot couldn�t place the strange feelings inside himself, so he turned his attention to the line that was moving in front of him. Had he kept staring, however, he would have noticed the object of his turmoil now being followed by a shorter, more serious looking man with long, upswept hair and hard, black eyes.
But, the two men walked off to continue their shopping without noticing the tall, muscular man unloading his cart at the register.
Once outside, Kakarot was faced with the dilemma of how to carry all of his paper bags home with just two arms. He looked despondently at the six bags silently mocking him from the shopping cart. Watching everyone else leave to place their purchases in their cars, he decided to just try and carry them all
He carefully stacked the bags in his arms, hoping they wouldn�t fall, and began to walk off. Since the bags were obstructing his view, he only made it about ten steps before running into something solid and dropping his bags.
�Shimatta,� Kakarot said unhappily as he surveyed his spilt groceries.
�Gomen nasai, let me help you with those.� Kakarot looked up to see Yamcha bending down to pick up the dropped items. �Kuso! It had to be him!� Kakarot thought as he also began to pick up his groceries. �Aren�t you the guy from yesterday, at the Dragon�s Lair?� Yamcha asked as he handed him a pear.
�Hai,� said Kakarot without enthusiasm.
�Good to know you didn�t choke to death,� Yamcha said jokingly.
�Yeah, arigato,� mumbled Kakarot sarcastically. Yamcha looked at the man in confusion. �I�m just trying to help.� He hurriedly finished helping Kakarot with his groceries and picked his own, which he had sat down on the sidewalk. Kakarot stood and wiped his hands on his jeans, feeling dirty from being so near the other man, as he prepared to re-stack his crumpled bags.
�Hurry up, Yamcha,� said a new husky voice.
�I�m coming. I had to help this guy.� Vegeta turned to look at the man Yamcha had been helping and had to restrain his jaw from dropping open. �Him again?! How do I keep running into this guy? Is this Kami�s idea of a joke?�
Before Vegeta could ask the man�s name, Yamcha ushered him off towards their car, leaving Kakarot staring wide-eyed at his retreating form.
Once they had finished loading their groceries, Vegeta turned to his companion.
�Who was that?� he asked.
�That guy that was choking yesterday, remember?�
�Hai, I remember him, what was his name?�
�Oh. I didn�t ask, why?�
�Nothing,� Vegeta said tersely. Yamcha stared at the back of Vegeta�s head as he entered the car. Gripping the steering wheel, he tried to figure out something from the miasma of thoughts floating around in his mind.
That mystery guy was always looking at Vegeta whenever he saw him and Vegeta seemed more interested in _him_ than anything else. Something was happening and he _would_ find out what it was, he promised himself.
Kakarot managed to come out of his daze and he clutched his bags tightly to himself. Carefully navigating the busy sidewalks, he made his way back to the building that was slowly growing on him. He walked into his kitchen and set the bags on the wobbly card table he had found in his closet and converted to his kitchen table.
Unloading his groceries, he thought about Vegeta, something he did almost constantly nowadays. �Why do I always freeze around him? How am I supposed to get to know him if the only thing I can do when I see him is stare with my mouth open! He probably thinks I�m some kind of freak! And now I have Yamcha to contend with too! I�ll never get close to Vegeta with that guy breathing down my neck!�
He finished putting away all the food and other items and sat down at the black table to think over a glass of orange juice. �Vegeta must be different than I thought. Yamcha�seems nice, and I never heard anything bad about him. He doesn�t look like the type to date common criminals. So what are these feeling I keep having around him?! All this thinking is just too much for me, I need a vacation!�
�Will you stay here tonight?� Yamcha asked hopefully, enveloping his koi in a hug.
�Iie. I have to work tomorrow,� Vegeta said as he disentangled himself.
�Vegeta, you were hit by a car! You were lucky to come out wit a few scratches and bruises. You don�t need to be spending your time in that hot kitchen; you need to rest.�
�And I suppose if I stayed here I would be getting plenty of rest?� Vegeta asked as he cocked an eyebrow. Yamcha blushed as he realized he had been caught. �You don�t have to lecture me on my health just because I�m your lover, Doctor,� said Vegeta crossly.
�Don�t get that attitude with me. I�m only trying to help and you know it!� Yamcha yelled.
�Maybe. I�m going home.�
�Vegeta--.�
Vegeta walked out the door before Yamcha could finish his sentence. He really wasn�t in the mood to listen to Yamcha yell at him right now. He strolled down the empty, dark street thinking of the mystery man he kept meeting. �And I still don�t know his name! Maybe that�s why I keep thinking about him, I don�t know anything about him. I�ll find him, find out who he is, and find out if he�s a screamer.�
Vegeta�s eyes bulged at the last unbidden thought as he saw a mental image of the man laying naked beneath him, yelling out his name in ecstasy. �What is wrong with me?!� he thought as he felt his jeans become tighter than normal. �I will _not_ find out if he�s a screamer! I�ll find out who he is and be done with the matter!�
And so Vegeta walked off into the night with his thoughts, trying to will away the erection that remained despite the cool night air.
The next day, Yamcha was sitting in his spacious, white office going over a young patient�s chart when the intercom buzzed.
�Hai, Mrs. Jones?�
�There�s a man to see you, sir. He said it was important,� the elderly secretary answered.
�All right. Send him in.�
A tall man in a black striped suit walked in, his face covered by the black hat he wore. �May I help you?� Yamcha asked as he glanced up at the man. The massive figure smiled and light glinted off a sharp tooth.
�Iie, you can�t. I�m here to help you, my friend,� he said calmly in a deep voice.
�The sign out front said �No soliciting.� I don�t want whatever you�re selling,� Yamcha said knitting his eyebrows.
�I�m not selling anything. I only came here to give you the truth,� the man said with a feral grin.
�I�ve never been much of a religious man either. Why don�t you show yourself out?� Yamcha said impatiently.
�You were closer that time, but I�m not here to preach to you. I heard you were having problems with a certain man.�
�I don�t know what you�re talking about, please leave immediately,� Yamcha said rising from his swiveling chair.
�I can see you�re not ready to listen�yet. I�ll be back when you need me.� And with the tip of his hat, he was out the door and gone. The only evidence he had ever been there was a small, white business card fluttering to the carpet. Coming out from behind his large, wooden desk, Yamcha bent to retrieve it. Turning it over in his hand, he read the one word printed there in plain black letters.
�Piccolo.�
Vegeta was in his kitchen warily watching the door, through the order window, for new customers. �How can I be so edgy over one guy? It�s crazy, isn�t it? Once I find out who he is, he�ll be out of my system�hopefully.� Vegeta thought, trying as hard as he could _not_ to remember the dream he had had last night of the stranger. After burning three orders, he decided to give up and concentrate on his job instead of the unknown man, as difficult as that was.
�One number three special,� yelled Marie to Vegeta. �That has to be him!� However, upon looking out at the restaurant, Vegeta saw no sign of the tall man with unruly black hair. �Baka! He isn�t the only one to order that! Now quit acting like a fucking onna and get back to work!�
He ground his teeth in agitation and went back to cooking with a vengeance, determined not to search for the man anymore. �He�ll have to come to me! Then I�ll have him!� He smacked himself on the forehead as his thoughts once again took an unwanted turn on him.
Kakarot had not left his humble abode all day, he was determined to cook at least one meal for himself. Sadly though, it was nine o�clock at night and he had not cooked one edible dish yet.
His stomach growled in hunger as he looked morosely at the crispy, black fish on the plate in front of him. Finally giving up, he decided to go out in search of a quick meal.
He found a street vendor that was still open in the late evening and bought two egg rolls to appease his hunger. He meandered into a local park and sat down on a wooden bench to eat his small meal. Finishing quickly, he sat content to just watch the stars for a little bit.
�Home,� he sighed unhappily. Putting his hands behind, he leaned back to look at them better.
�They�re there every night,� said a rough voice at his side. Without thinking Kakarot replied to the voice.
�I�ve never seen them from Chikyuu before.�
�Nani?� Kakarot laughed nervously as he sat up .
�I meant to say I�ve never seen them from here before, in this park.�
�Hn.� Kakarot turned to see Vegeta, bathed in the light of the silvery moon, sitting beside him on the old bench.
�Who are you?� asked Vegeta looking into Kakarot�s eyes. For some reason, he had felt compelled to go home through the park today, and was pleasantly surprised to see the man who had occupied his thoughts so much recently just sitting on a bench.
�What do you mean?� asked Kakarot as he suddenly wished he hadn�t come out tonight. Vegeta narrowed his eyes at the attempt to play innocent.
�What�s your name?�
�My um, name is Kakarot,� he said quickly. Vegeta eyed him suspiciously for a moment before introducing himself as �Vegeta.� As he was about to ask Kakarot more questions, the other man�s stomach growled loudly.
�Heh, heh, guess I�m still a little hungry! I�m going to go get something to eat. I guess I�ll see you around�.�
�Nonsense, I�ll come with you,� Vegeta replied as he stood.
�You won�t get away from me that easily, Kakarot.�
Part Eight |
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