Disclaimer: No raccoons were harmed in the making of this chapter, oh… and I don't own DBZ.

Warnings: Shounen-ai (duh), and uhmm… well Shounen-ai.

Chapter Seven

Warm sunlight was streaming in through the windows of the Son household when Gokou hazily, half opened an eyelid; and then closed it again twice as fast. The sunlight was warm, but bright. Drifting in contented sleepiness, the Saiyan tried to think of what had woken him. A sound maybe, or a bad feeling? Vaguely he recalled where he was; there shouldn't have been anything, or anyone, around so really it must have just been a dream. Snuggling back against his pillow, and pulling a miscellaneous warmth that was half sprawled across his chest closer, Gokou let himself drift off again.

"GOKOU!!!"

Gokou jumped sky-high, sending blankets, pillow and Vegeta to the floor in an undignified, jumbled sprawl, and spun around to face the source of the noise. His eyes went wide and he quickly shook his head, trying to dislodge his sleepiness.

"Chichi! I…you…we…what…"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Chichi yelled, cutting him off.

"Do…doing? Well…uhmm…I'm…we…" Gokou's eyes darted around desperately as he tried to make his sleep fogged brain function enough to come up with an answer, "We…we…uhmm… You see…" His eyes came to rest on one of the windows, and the peaceful scene outside, as something dark and furry dropped from out of a nearby tree. His gaze snapped to his fuming wife, "Well…there was this Raccoon…" Gokou stopped talking immediately and mentally 'Kamehameha-ed' himself. That was the stupidest thing he could have said. Opening his mouth again, Gokou went to try again, but Vegeta got there before him, closing the gap between them in three quick strides he wrapped a protective arm around Gokou's waist.

"Actually," the smaller man said coolly, "Kakorotto brought me here so we could be alone."

"What?!" Gokou's voice came out in a barely audible, high-pitched squeak. "Vegeta! Chichi that's not…"

"So that's the way it is then…"

Gokou's eyes were wide as he stared at his wife. The woman seemed calm, her body still as she looked down at the ground, her eyes covered by her fringe.

"You and Vegeta came here together, to be…alone." Slowly her voice began to get louder, "To my house! MY HOUSE! Never, and I mean NEVERhad I ever expected something like this from you, Gokou!" Now she was so mad she was shaking, "I want him out! Get Vegeta out of my home. RIGHT NO…!"

"Chichi." The furious woman was abruptly cut off as Vegeta suddenly took her hands in his, holding them close to his chest as he gazed at her sympathetically, "Chichi. I know this must be difficult for you, but you have to understand it's for the best. Please, Chichi, you know I love you like you were my own sister and I'm sure Kakorotto feels the same. I don't want to cause you this pain, but Kakorotto and I… We're in love."

"L…love?!" Chichi said faintly and then yanked her hands from Vegeta's. "LOVE?!"

Gokou had gone numb. His thoughts, his very ability to make intelligible human speech had disappeared. He wasn't even sure he was still breathing. What was Vegeta doing?! He couldn't say these things to Chichi; it was the wish talking. Surely Chichi could see that? That it was the wish talking, and not Vegeta. Vegeta didn't know what he was saying! She couldn't possibly take the man seriously…could she? She wouldn't honestly think Vegeta was saying the truth. No, that was stupid, she knew Vegeta was under the influence of the wish, and of course she'd never think that Gokou would really be in love with Vegeta. Ludicrous. It was obvious, of course, that Gokou respected Vegeta, considered him a friend; cared for him as such, but certainly not loved.

Of course he didn't.

"Gokou…" Tears had begun to well up in Chichi's eyes, but Gokou couldn't tell if they were from rage or sadness.

Vegeta had moved back to Gokou's side and wrapped his arm back around the taller man's waist as Gokou's mouth worked, trying to find something to say, but he was still too shocked by Vegeta's declaration.

"Gokou… You…you…" Suddenly the woman seemed to find her second wind, launching straight into her full voice, "You don't even try to DENY it?! Is this how much all our years of marriage mean too you?! You're leaving me for VEGETA?!"

Gokou finally managed to get his voice back, "N…no! Chich…"

/SMACK/

Gokou's head whipped to the side suddenly as Chichi stepped forward and hit him hard across the face with a resounding slap.

"I never thought you'd do something like this, Gokou. Never! I…"

"Chichi!" Vegeta's voice was now a growl, "I know how you feel but I won't let you hurt Kakorotto."

Chichi was shaking, her hands balled into fists at her sides. "Fine…FINE!! If that's the way you want it. Fine!"

Gokou didn't move, still in the position he'd been in after Chichi had slapped him, as the woman turned on her heel and stormed from the house, slamming the front door behind her with a deafening crash and leaving he and Vegeta in complete silence.

"Ka…Kakorotto, my love." Vegeta moved till Gokou could see him and lifted a hand to rest against the taller man's cheek. "Are you alright, my love?"

Gokou was in a state of stunned shock. It was far too much to be believable - Chichi had taken Vegeta seriously. And Gokou hadn't said anything, just watched as the woman slammed out the door and left.

He suddenly felt himself filled with anger. What had Vegeta been thinking, talking to Chichi like that? Telling her those things as if everything he said was the truth! Did the man realise what he'd done?!

Gokou finally looked at Vegeta and slapped the hand away from his cheek, glaring at him coldly. "Vegeta…" His voice came out in a near growl and Vegeta took a step backwards, his eyes reflecting his startlement. And Gokou paused.

"Ka…Kakorotto?"

Vegeta's voice was hesitant and his eyes were wide, shining with genuine astonishment. A reaction that was so unlike Vegeta that Gokou found his anger drain away instantly.

Of course Vegeta didn't know what he had done. Everything he had just told Chichi was complete truth in his wish-clouded eyes.

Slowly, Gokou lifted a hand and rubbed at his forehead then pushed his hair out of his eyes. If Vegeta could see himself now he'd be horrified. His lips quirked upwards slightly as he abruptly had a mental picture of Vegeta grabbing an exact copy of himself by the neck and shaking him roughly, ranting at the top of his lungs.

"Kakorotto…?" Vegeta's voice was still hesitant and Gokou finally looked at him. Suddenly he despised this man, this person who had replaced the real Vegeta and was steadily destroying everything about him, from the way he acted, to the way people perceived him. Gokou wanted the old Vegeta back. The man who smirked and made sarcastic, biting comments - who was impatient, and quick to anger. He never thought he would, but Gokou missed him sorely - wanted him back so much suddenly, that it almost, physically, hurt.

Finally, Gokou simply sighed and offered Vegeta a thin smile. They didn't have time for this. He had to get Vegeta back up to the Lookout before anyone noticed they were gone. At least that would be easier than what he'd already been through that morning.

And high above the Earth, on Kami's Lookout, Mr. Popo stopped what he was doing in startlement as, for no reason that either of them could see, Dende began to laugh.

-----------------

Gokou was hovering nervously.

In the lounge.

Of his house.

On Mt Paozu.

He looked up at the clock on the wall again and counted. 3…2…1…

Vegeta had now, officially, been in the shower for 45 minutes. 45 minutes!! What was the man doing? Building the bathroom before using it?

Gokou fidgeted. He had wanted to have Vegeta back at the Lookout by now. Someone was bound to have noticed that they weren't there.

Gokou glared up at the clock again, daring the hands to move again. They did. Maybe he should blow it up. He shook his head. That wouldn't help. Nothing would help the fact that Vegeta had now been in the shower for almost an hour.

Gokou probably could have handled the shower taking so long… If it hadn't have been for the long, extended breakfast Vegeta had insisted on having before it. It had been at least two hours now, since Chichi had stormed from the house in huff over what Vegeta had said to her.

He'd tried to go check on a smaller Saiyan once or twice. But he'd never gotten further than the bathroom door before going straight back up to the lounge to wait.

He looked up at the clock again and could feel himself twitch. Exactly one hour in the shower. Vegeta would come out of the shower any minute now, right? He had too. There was only so much time one could spend under a cascade of water without turning into a giant prune. Gokou began to tap his fingers on the back of the couch. Maybe Vegeta was doing this on purpose. Perhaps he was trying to get Gokou to come in and get him; it was definitely a possibility.

Gokou came out of his thoughts as he realised he'd been gripping the back of the couch so hard, that his fingers had gone through the fabric and that he was close to snapping the backrest in half. Slowly he forced himself to release his hold and then spun suddenly as he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening.

Finally - we can leave.

…Or not.

Gokou stared at the smaller Saiyan as the man entered the lounge, very much underdressed for the trip back to the Lookout. In fact he was still in his towel. And he was wet. Very wet.

As if in slow motion, Gokou watched as a droplet of water gathered in the hollow at the bottom of the other man's neck, and then began to slowly wend its way down his bare chest, glistening as it moved over well defined muscles and tracing the contours of his body till it's path was obstructed by Vegeta placing his hand near his hip.

Gokou swallowed nervously as he briefly wondered what it would be like if his tongue were to trace the same pathway…

Vegeta smirked then hid the expression before the other man could notice. He knew the look in Kakorotto's eyes - knew it for what it was. And he knew exactly what to do with it as well.

Slowly he put his hand to his stomach and stopped the small droplet of water that seemed to have the other man so entranced and began to trace it's path backwards, back up along the muscles of his stomach, to his chest, then to the hollow at the base of his throat. Kakorotto's eyes followed the movement the entire time.

"Kakorotto…" Vegeta let the word leave his mouth as a low, barely audible sound and stepped forward slowly towards the other man.

Gokou's eyes snapped up to Vegeta as the man said his name, and began to step backwards as Vegeta advanced on him. Until his back was up against the wall.

Now, Vegeta let himself smirk. Pressing one hand to the taller man's chest, Vegeta pressed himself up against him and slipped his other hand around to Kakorotto's back, caressing him.

"Veg…" Hesitantly, Gokou tried to say the other man's name, but was silenced as two fingers were pressed against his lips.

"Shhh…" Vegeta said quietly and then pressed himself closer to the nervous man and moved his hand from Gokou's lips and snaked it around behind his neck, then buried his fingers in the taller Saiyan's hair.

Gokou gasped as Vegeta pulled his head down, catching him in a sudden, searing kiss. Vegeta took the gasp as an invitation and slipped his tongue into Gokou's mouth, tasting him briefly before withdrawing slightly to nip lightly at the taller man's lower lip.

Gokou moaned at the feeling and felt himself leaning into the kiss, his lips moving hesitantly against the others as he slowly let one hand come up to rest on Vegeta's hip.

It was the feeling of bare skin under his fingers that suddenly made Gokou snap his head back from Vegeta, almost braining himself on the wall as his head slammed into it, and pressed himself up against the wall.

What was he doing? He had not just been kissing Vegeta. He couldn't have been. It was an illusion.

…Oh Kami! He had been kissing Vegeta.

The other man was still pressed up against his chest, his eyes closed and a light smile on his lips. Gorgeous.

NO!!

Gokou pressed himself further against the wall for a moment, then realised it wasn't go to move and, his eyes wide, lifted a hand and pushed Vegeta roughly away from him.

Vegeta stumbled backwards a few steps and stared at the taller man.

"Kakorotto?" He questioned incredulously.

"G…get dressed!" Gokou glared at Vegeta, "Now! And don't… don't say anything! Just get dressed!"

Vegeta hesitated a moment and then, his eyes narrowing slightly, stalked back down the hallway to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Gokou stayed still, his back still pressed up against the wall, then slowly slid down it till he was sitting on the floor, his head leaning back against the wall as he stared at the ceiling.

It had gone to far. Much to far. He had to get Vegeta back up to the Lookout and…and then he needed to find somewhere where he could think.

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End Chapter Seven-