Chapter 4: Unspoken Agony

Author: Dark Fate

Warnings: Cursing, mild violence, masturbation

Pairings: G/CC, G/V

Rating: NC-17

A/N: *sheepish grin* Well… It's taken me absolutely forever to get this posted, but real life happens… Hopefully, I can get back on track and actually finish this. *gasp* Enjoy the update…

Vegeta was once again tossing and turning in nightmare-filled sleep. The prince had not gotten a peaceful night's sleep in two months. Not since his 'encounter' with Kakarott, and each night it was always the same dream. Tonight was no exception…

He was in the same barren wasteland his dreams had been composed of for the past two months straight. The ground was sun baked and cracked. Sweltering hot winds swept grits of sand stingingly against his exposed skin. It was a striking contrast to the black and purple storm clouds that rolled across the 'sky' above him, the occasional lightning flash and thunder boom a constant reminder of the sorrow and torment that this place represented. And in the very center of this twisted universe was a lake of blood.

Vegeta knew exactly what was going to happen next, but even with all his will and strength, he could neither keep his feet from moving forward nor force himself to wake up. No matter how hard he struggled, he still moved closer and closer to the crimson pool until the tips of his pristine white boots were submerged in the red fluid.

A ripple made its way from the very center of the ruby lake toward the shore upon which he stood. The prince took a deep breath, the dusty, dry air scratching the back of his throat, and scowled as deeply as possible. As the disturbance got closer, blood-soaked onyx spikes slowly appeared above the scarlet liquid, slicing through the fluid much like a shark fin.

Then the face surfaced. Those normally innocent eyes filled with sorrow and a deep hurt that Vegeta had never before witnessed in any creature. He clenched his fists and bared his teeth at the rising phantom before him.

Finally, the other Saiyajin stood before him, completely nude and covered in blood. Suddenly, the all crimson liquid covering the other warrior seemed to slide and slip its way back into the pool from which it came, as if repelled by the taller man's very skin and hair, revealing gruesome cuts and gashes that ran across Kakarott's entire body.

The prince allowed his eyes to flicker over some of the fresh slits adorning sallow skin before bringing himself to affix his icy stare into the pleading eyes merely inches away. He knew precisely what he was looking at. This was not Kakarott's physical form; it was the other man's very soul. All the slices in the taller man's 'flesh' came from the emotional pain Vegeta inflicted.

Thunder boomed and lightning cracked down from the dark clouds above. Immediately following, a rain of blood gushed down upon the two aliens in heavy sheets, seeping into the cracks in the land.

"Vegeta…" A gentle hand came up to stroke the side of the older man's face. "Please…"

Vegeta blinked, the pain and sorrow in Goku's voice cutting him to the core like it always did, before snarling and wrenching away from the other Saiyajin, the force holding him in place seemingly gone, "You baka! Stay the FUCK away from me!"

Despite the heavy rain of blood, the prince could see perfectly the new slash that made its way across the other man's chest. Another wound for Kakarott's soul to bear, created by Vegeta's very words.

"Vegeta…" Tears slowly began to fill the peaceful warrior's eyes, but the younger man would not let them fall.

The prince growled menacingly, more angry with himself than at Goku, that he actually cared about the fool, "I told you to leave me, you moron, and if you value your soul, you will leave NOW!"

As if on Vegeta's command, the scarlet lake rose up in a massive wave and swallowed the Earth raised Saiyajin.

"VEGETA!!"

The prince's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright in bed, the last shriek echoing in his mind for so long that he thought his head would explode from the pressure of it. Vegeta growled as sunlight assaulted his eyes and ran a slightly trembling hand through his rumpled spikes. How dare that baka keep invading his dreams!

He slid out of his sweat-soaked bed and made his way to the bathroom, snarling all the way. How dare he let Kakarott affect him in that manner. He was Prince Vegeta; he wasn't supposed to care about anyone or anything, and yet here he was, wondering whether the third-class fool was okay or not.

After yet another cold shower and dressing, the royal Saiyajin was in no better of a mood. The bond that he and Goku shared was becoming far more than an annoyance now. The link was sapping ki from the both of them due to the lack of nurturing two Saiyajin mates provided. He was getting weaker because he wouldn't submit to Kakarott. It was a slap in Vegeta's face.

Vegeta sneered at himself as he strode downstairs, fully intent on using the gravity room all day long. Once again, he was weak. His head throbbed and for some ungodly reason, his tail itched and tingled, irritating him to no end. He tightened the furry appendage around his waist to keep it from lashing out behind him and completely giving away his current state of mind.

"Hey, Dad!" The voice of his son brought him from his turbulent thoughts, and he stopped in the middle of the hallway to wait for the lavender haired man to catch up to him.

"What do you want, boy?" He affixed cold onyx eyes onto the sparkling blue ones of his only son. Vegeta was still quite puzzled as to why he still referred to his son as 'boy.' Trunks had grown up and become a man, but the nickname just seemed to stick in the prince's mind.

"I know you don't like going to parties, Dad, but Master Roshi is throwing a reunion celebration next week and-"

"And what makes you think I wish to attend this ridiculous event?" Vegeta cut in irritably.

"Cause Bra's gonna be there," Trunks replied, his voice thick with anticipation.

The prince's eyes widened slightly. Bra had been away at college for so long. In fact, the last time he had seen his daughter had been at Bulma's funeral.

"What?" He demanded.

"She's gotta transfer to a different university for a while to get the classes she needs, and she has to switch flights here," The half-breed explained. "She's gotta wait about two hours for the second flight to arrive so she'll be at the party for around an hour."

Vegeta made no effort to stop the menacing growl that rose from him. Damn it! There would be no doubt that Kakarott would be there, but he would be damned if he missed his daughter's short stay or allowed her anywhere near that old pervert Roshi without him there.

His tail unwound from his waist and began lashing the through the air of its own volition, betraying his turbulent emotions. Damn Kakarott straight to the deepest pit of fucking hell!! Third class bastard!

Trunks, ever the observant son, noticed the fury building in his father and decided that perhaps it would be best that he leave before he ended up on the wrong end of a Vegeta rage, "Um, Dad, I'll see you later. I'm going over to Goten's."

The lavender haired man then proceeded to tear out of the building as if the hounds of hell were on his tail. In his opinion, nothing, absolutely nothing, was worse than being on the receiving end of his father's anger.

Blazing sable eyes watched his son retreat. Vegeta knew he would have been quite amused at the sight of his son nearly tripping over his own feet in the attempt to escape his wrath, were he not as enraged as he was.

Vegeta angrily snatched his whipping tail out of the air in order to stop its constant thrashing. It was then that the prince noticed the light shade of red highlighting the pelt of the furry length against his white gloves.

When had this started?! It should not have taken this long to happen if it were going to…. No! Why had it taken so long?! Was it because he refused to go to Kakarott…? NO!!! Another degradation… Another humiliation…

"GODDAMN YOU, KAKAROTT!!!" The prince's howl of fury echoed throughout the entire Capsule Corporation.