Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ As Loyalty Can Be ❯ The party ( Chapter 2 )

(2)

 

With a content sigh, Goku leaned back in the garden chair, causing it to creak under his weight. He closed his eyes, feeling the warm sun on his face and breathed in the sweet scent of the grass and the slightly bitter scent of the birch leaves.

Earth. How he had missed it. He hadn't really realized how much until just now.

“Hey Goku! Are you falling asleep? Hey Goku!”

“Hm, Krillin? Just closing my eyes for a moment.”

Goku's childhood friend was looking at him with at quizzical expression, his raised eyebrows, obscured under bangs of black hair. Seeing him like that felt kind of weird, and Goku wondered briefly if Krillin had decided to let his hair grow back as a deliberate message, saying `fighting is no longer foremost in my life'. As if reading his mind, 18 turned around, breaking up her conversation with Bulma and Chichi, and gave her husband a small, secretive smile. Goku watched how Krillin's cheeks turned slightly pink.

One of Bulma's housekeeping droids appeared by his elbow. “More comestibles, sir?” Blinking at the construct's choice of words, Goku turned around and came to stare straight into a large plate filled to the brim with deliciously smelling mini-sausages, still sizzling from the grill.

“Alright!” Goku grabbed the plate with both hands and placed it on the table in front of him.

“You can't possiblly eat all that by yourself,” Yamcha said doubtfully, looking up from his own plate.

“What? You want some?” Goku asked.

“Never mind.” Yamcha sighed in slight exasperation.

Goku let his gaze travel around the large garden. Tien was standing by the grill, having a discussion bordering on an argument with master Roshi. The green-clad man towered over the old turtle hermit, who smiled toothily, not daunted in the least. Chaozu, Tien's tiny white-faced friend, floated by his side, staring at the old man with blank, button-like eyes.

Goku looked around for Piccolo and discovered him lying on his back, way off by the trees where the grass was high. He rested his head on his crossed arms and one ankle was comfortably laid over the other. Flowers nodded gently and traced delicate shadows over the Namek's prone form. Goku felt a sudden longing to join him there.

Happy shrieks drew his eyes to the nearby blanket where Gohan and Videl were being attacked by a laughing Goten, accompanied Trunks. A short chaotic struggle followed, before Goten disentangled himself and bounced away with his prize: a large ham sandwich.

“I wonder where Vegeta is,” Goku said to no one in particular. He hadn't seen him since the fight with Buu. Why wasn't he here? It almost felt like the other Saiyan was avoiding him. Goku was pulled from his musings when he noticed that the people around the table had become strangely silent.

 

“Where do you think he is?” Bulma said cuttingly. “He's training of course.”

“And keeping away from us all like we had the plague,” Yamcha muttered. “Just as well. Gatherings like this have a tendency to turn sour when Vegeta is around.”

Goku frowned; feeling like he should say something in Vegeta's defense, but Bulma spoke first.

“That's ridiculous, Yamcha,” she sighed. “And unfair. Vegeta's not all that bad.”

“Yeah, right,” Yamcha whispered so low that Goku was sure that he was the only one who had heard him.

A wave of unhappiness and confusion rose up inside him, and Goku looked down at his plate, unsettled by the strength of his own emotions.

Covering his confusion, Goku grabbed a couple of the cute baby sausages and put them in his mouth. Biting down, he closed his eyes in pleasure when spicy juice exploded over his taste buds, once again he was struck by the subtle difference of being alive. Food with the Kais had been plentiful and savory, and yet the difference was there, intangible but distinctive.

Grabbing another handful of the sausages, his thoughts drifted back to Vegeta. He had used to think of Vegeta as hard. Ruthless. Now... he didn't know. There had been a moment during their fight with Buu when Vegeta had seemed to take all that bitterness and anger that he had always so violently projected and just... let it go.

And then there had been the fusion. He didn't remember much, but he remembered the power, the incredible feeling of being whole. Complete, one might say. Afterwards though, a feeling of uneasiness lingered, whispers of screams, echoes of darkness. It was hard to explain.

“Goku!” Chichi's shout seemed to come from a faraway place. “Don't chew with your mouth open, it's disgusting!”

“Huh?” He looked groggily at his wife, who stared back at him, reproach mixed with embarrassment on her face. Realizing that his mouth was hanging wide open, Goku rapidly closed it and swallowed the half-chewed food in one huge gulp.

He noticed the other's amusement. Krillin gave a snort and Yamcha laughed outright.

“Same old Goku,” he chuckled and reached over to pat him a few times on his shoulder. “You just never change.”

“Aw, give him a break,” Bulma said, herself wearing a wide grin. She took a few sips from her glass filled with sparkling water while giving him a level stare. As so often before, Goku felt slightly uncomfortable under her silent scrutiny. Her blue eyes seemed to be windows to her brilliant, knowing mind, seeing things that no one else could see.

Unexpectedly, Bulma put her glass down and walked around the table to give him a warm hug. “I'm so happy you're back,” she said in a low voice. “I've missed you, Son-kun.”

 

It felt really nice. But Goku had hardly begun to lean back into her hug, before she let go of him.

“Come on,” she said with a peppy smile. “Let's go see how the dessert is coming along.”

“Uh... ok.” Goku rose from the chair, which gave another ominous creak. He padded along with her to the long buffet table and the scurrying droids. The table was fast filling up with a wide variety of pastries, each and every one looking like a work of art. Mouth watering scents stood like a cloud around the waiting sweets.

A gust of wind drew through the trees and disturbed two small birds, which flow by with fluttering wings. Goku followed them with his eyes until they disappeared out of sight.

“Bulma... about Vegeta,” he began, not really sure what he wanted to say.

“I'm breaking up with him,” Bulma said abruptly.

“What?” He turned to meet her eyes. She looked calm, and a bit sad. She nodded slightly, as if to say that, yes, he had heard her correctly.

“I have though a lot about it, and I'll talk with him tonight.”

“But Bulma...” Goku struggled for words before spontaneously settling for his greatest concern, “He will be hurt.”

“I know.” She raised her chin. “That can't be helped. I'm not staying together with him just to avoid hurting him. I have needs too, you know. Oh, come on, Goku. Don't look so sad.” She patted him comfortingly on the arm. “This is not easy for me either, but in the long run I know it is better. You see... I realized that this is as good as it gets. Me and Vegeta... I loved him, a part of me still does, but I just don't see a future together with him. Do you understand?”

Goku nodded. He understood what she was saying, but he was still worried about Vegeta. It seemed so cruel somehow, to do this. Wrong.

“Hey, everybody!” Bulma suddenly shouted. “Cake on the table, if you want it!”

As Krillin, closely followed by Goten, moved in to grab a plate, Bulma leaned over to say in a low voice, “Thank you, Goku, for listening. I just had to talk to a friend.” She left him to get a plate of her own.

 

---

 

Goku was playing with his youngest son. They laughed together as Goten dangled from his arm, to suddenly scramble up his back and settle himself on his shoulders. Tiny fists gripped tightly into wild hair. He jumped up and down a few times and Goten whooped excitedly. Reaching up to hold the boy more securely, Goku got ready to jump really high, but he stopped short when he saw who had just entered the garden.

 

It was Vegeta. Back straight and head held high, he walked towards them. He was dressed in loose gray slacks and a black sweater and his hair appeared slightly soggy as if he had just stepped out of the shower. As he went by, conversations fell silent and smiles faded away.

 

Goku felt his heart came to a standstill, a pause that was almost painful, before resuming its normal beat. He rubbed slowly at his orange-clad chest. What was that about?

Vegeta stopped by the buffet table and looked around, his eyes dark and his expression guarded. Tien and Chaozu, who had been standing nearby, decided to take their business elsewhere. Standing alone by the table, Vegeta shifted his weight from one foot to the other in a slightly uncertain manner, before crossing his arms over his chest and turning his attention to the pastries as if that was all that interested him.

Reaching above his head, Goku grabbed Goten under his arms and gently lifted him down on the ground. He started walking up to Vegeta, but was interrupted by Krillin, who grabbed his sleeve.

“Wait, Goku,” his short friend said imploringly. “Perhaps it's best to leave him alone for a bit. He... did try to kill you, remember?”

“Don't be silly, Krillin,” Goku said, and although his voice was light, he freed his arm free with a little more force than necessary. “I'm just going to say hi.”

Vegeta turned to stare at him as he approached. Goku came to a halt a few steps away, and they eyed each other under silence. Goku searched the other man's eyes for the hostility, almost frightening in its intensity, which had always used to greet him. He didn't find it; Vegeta's eyes were completely unreadable.

“Kakarott,” Vegeta said, in acknowledgment.

“Vegeta,” Goku smiled. “I'm glad you decided to join us.”

“Hmf,” was all the answer he got, but Goku was astonished to see how his words had affected Vegeta, who looked at the side for a moment, biting his lip. Goku hardly noticed Yamcha and Krillin appearing to hover protectively on either side of him, as Vegeta turned towards him again, staring him full in the face.

“Kakarott,” Vegeta said, each word cut short. “Would you like to spar with me sometime?”

“And by that he means fight,” Yamcha broke in. “It doesn't sound like a very good idea if you ask me.”

“Shhh!” Krillin whispered through the side of his mouth. “Don't make him mad.”

“Never mind!” Vegeta snapped. “I don't care either way. I'll... I'll go back inside now.”

He turned abruptly and started to walk towards the house. He glanced back, once, his mouth a straight line.

“How about that,” Krillin said wonderingly. “I actually believe we hurt his feelings. I didn't know that was even possible. You think I should apologize?”

 

Goku finally got himself to move, and he ran to catch up with Vegeta.

“Vegeta!” He waited until the other man stopped walking and turned to face him. “Of course I like to spar with you. I think it's a great idea!”

Vegeta stared at him expressionlessly, before the smallest of smiles turned up the corners of his mouth. “Very well, Kakarott. We'll talk about it later.”

“Ok, Vegeta,” Goku beamed, exuberantly happy suddenly.

 

Vegeta just scowled at him and turned to walk back into the house.