Disclaimer: I, the author of this fanfik, do not own DBZ (Dragonball Z). Nor do I own any character that has the good fortune to be on DBZ (Dragonball Z). I own Domino though. And Deejay, and Celli and if anyone wants to use them within their own fafiktion they will have to acquire written permission in blood from me, their owner.

Author's notes: Argh! Sometimes I wonder why I write such long bloody chapters (does anyone else write 7000 word long chapters?). You know. If I were to leave every chapter at roughly 2000 words I'd have at least 15 chapters by now and also this chapter wouldn't have taken so long to write.

I'm ashamed to admit I got completely and utterly distracted. I know I left this story in a rather 'touchy' spot last chapter, but when I tried to write the next chapter, this one, I simply couldn't think of anything to write. Not that I have a lack of stuff to happen - I just couldn't set it straight in my mind to write it. Also an idea that I was building up a little in previous chapters, that I hadn't really been sure of, I've decided not to go with which also held me up.

Well anyway, the point of this ramble is *bows* Gomen nasi. I didn't mean to take so long and I guess I'm glad I got passed my extreme writers block.

(Writers block also goes under such names as:

'OMG lookit the bishies in Naruto!!'

'*Points* I can not believe that's how X(TV) ended! I'm going to write an X fik!'

'EEEeeeeee!! Order of the Phoenix is out!'

and my personal favourite 'Yes! Three Box Set's of Yu-Gi-Oh in Japanese for my birthday!' *sobs* cliffhanger at the end of the last disk - does Seto-san win?!)

Bound

Chapter Five:

Three days.

It had been three days since Vegeta had last spoken to Gokou, and that had been his shocked, rage filled demand that the Earth raised Saiyan explain himself.

Gokou had tried to explain, he really had; but even he didn't know why he'd done it. It had happened before he'd really registered what he was doing and the only excuse he'd managed to come up with was that it had 'felt right'.

Vegeta hadn't even bothered to listen to him after Gokou had blurted that out, and now he was left with enough confusion and tension to last a lifetime.

He'd tried to apologise, but all that had earned him was stony silence. Actually, in the last three days, all anybody had earned by attempting to talk to the man was silence - Vegeta was refusing to speak to anybody. But at least he was acknowledging them. Anytime Gokou tried to get the prince's attention he was ignored - even when he stepped directly in front of the smaller man, Vegeta's gaze went straight through him.

Three days; and for some unknown reason he was being the fool and trying again.

"Vegeta! How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?!"

Silence. Vegeta was sitting, leaning against a large rock, apparently completely engrossed in a book. He'd been this way all morning, just sitting and reading.

What was he reading anyway? The cover of the book was plan black, with no pictures or writing, and really, Gokou could count on one hand how many times he'd seen Vegeta doing something so…peaceful.

The Prince's face was serene as his eyes moved over the words he was reading; giving no indication that he had even heard Gokou's plea, much less given Gokou a clue to what he was reading about.

A thought struck Gokou with sudden clarity. Maybe he was being too passive. So far all he'd done was talk, plead with the other man to respond, sometimes deliberately standing in his way, but Vegeta had obviously perfected his ability to tune Gokou's voice out and it was only a few extra steps to walk around him.

Gokou made his decision. Three days of being shunned was too much; he'd get Vegeta's attention. Now.

Taking a fortifying breath, Gokou leaned forward, resting a hand against the soft grass below him for balance, and neatly plucked the book out of Vegeta's hands. Vegeta's head snapped up and Gokou was instantly pinned in place.

---

He could still feel it.

When Kakorotto's lips had brushed over his it had sent a sensation close to liquid fire coursing through Vegeta's veins; and it was still there.

For the past three days, Vegeta had maintained his staunch, stony, angry silence and suffered through that moron's constantly regretful, anxious and overall pathetic looks.

And every one of these looks reminded Vegeta of warm lips planting themselves over his, sending those same tingling fires running through his limbs again, warming him and mocking him.

Yet more pointless emotions that that moron had made him endure. It was one more sensation he knew he had never wanted to feel, especially around, and because of him.

Vegeta hated him. Hated him so much it hurt.

Kakorotto was staring at him again, his sad eyes boring straight through Vegeta as he begged for forgiveness. Again.

How long would Vegeta have to suffer the man's irritating whinging before he figured out that Vegeta wasn't going to talk to him?

"Vegeta! How long do I have to keep saying I'm sorry?!"

Vegeta kept his eyes on his book.

Kakorotto was determined to take everything from Vegeta that he valued. Already the earth raised Saiyan had taken Vegeta's life, his pride and now he was attempting to take his self-respect. Vegeta wouldn't allow it! He had little enough left to him now.

He would tolerate Kakorotto's presence because he had no choice - but he'd be damned if he was going to forgive the man.

Vegeta finished taking in the page he was reading and lifted his hand in preparation of turning to the next, and the book suddenly disappeared from his grasp.

Instantly, Vegeta's gaze snapped upwards and he glared daggers at the man holding the stolen article.

---

Gokou gulped, but kept a firm grip on the book.

"Vegeta," his voice only quavered slightly as he took in the purely venomous look directed at him, "we need to talk. You can't keep ignoring me!"

Vegeta stayed silent, his eyes not wavering so much as an inch from their glare. Gokou took it as a good sign - at least the man was listening. Now was the time for him to say something amazingly dazzling that would make Vegeta instantly forgive him so they could put this entire mess behind them.

His mind went blank.

"I…ahhh… I mean… Well… You…" He was stuttering. Vegeta's glare was unnerving and Gokou had never been any good at intentionally coming up with good dialogue to begin with. "I really think… Ahhh…"

Gokou jerked back suddenly as Vegeta leaned forward, a hand coming forward to support his weight; almost making him seem like he was prowling, his eyes never stopping their connection with Gokou's, and yanked the book out of his hand.

Gokou couldn't believe it. Vegeta was going to take his book back and keep reading - as if Gokou had never made his attempt to talk at all.

Acting on sudden impulse, Gokou snatched the book back before Vegeta had gotten a good hold on it and stood up.

"Would you stop that?!" Gokou demanded and ignored Vegeta's rage filled gaze, "I'm aware that I did something stupid, Vegeta, but you can't snub me forever. I… I'm sorry; you know I'm sorry. Can't you just forgive me?"

Vegeta remained silent, his gaze never wavering. Gokou sighed and said the one thing he knew would get the other Saiyan's attention.

"We can't fight Domino like this."

Vegeta growled. The noise was deep in his throat and Gokou felt it more than heard it. He pushed his advantage.

"Maybe if he hadn't put this Bond on us we could have worked separately to defeat him, but since the bond is there we have to work together, or we're both as good as dead. So can't you just accept my apology and then we can forget it ever happened and carry on like normal."

Vegeta had ceased growling as Gokou spoke and now his gaze was carefully blank. Slowly he rose to his feet and faced the Earth raised Sayian squarely.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Kakorotto," he said slowly, "You're right."

Vegeta's eyebrow twitched slightly and then Gokou found himself, for the second time in three days, staring up at Vegeta from the vantage point of being punched to the ground.

"You're forgiven." Vegeta muttered and then stooped and picked up his book from where Gokou had dropped it as he fell and sat back against his rock and resumed reading.

Blinking up at the sky, Gokou watched a scattering of clouds pass over him and lifted his hand up to his face to check that nothing was broken. Another bruise to add too his collection - but at least he was forgiven.

------

"It's suspicious." Yamucha declared flatly and glared from Krillin, to Bulma, and back again. "You can't say it isn't."

"Yamucha!" Bulma meet the man's glare with one of her own, "They're just stressed. How would you be acting if it were you bound to your greatest rival by the Eternal Dragon?"

Yamucha blinked and then shrugged, dismissing the question, "They were acting just fine until a few days ago. You yourself said they were acting fine when they left capsule corp. But Chichi says they were acting strange when they got home. Got home hours later than they should have been - with a flimsy excuse about what they were doing, too!"

"Flimsy?" Bulma stared at Yamucha incredulously, "What's so flimsy about training?! They're always training!"

Yamucha smirked and leaned forward slightly, "But Gokou always tells Chichi when he's going to be out late training and this time he didn't; Chichi didn't know where they were, that friend of hers, Deejay, told me when I was over there talking to Chichi yesterday."

"Well…" Bulma had to concede that particular point. Chichi always had been very meticulous about keeping tabs on her family any time she had the chance.

"See!" Yamucha exclaimed again. "I tell you it's suspicious!"

"What is?"

Yamucha froze in place, his finger raised slightly and his back to the door that Gokou and Vegeta had just entered through and then turned around slowly.

"Oh… nothing really. Just…" he avoided Vegeta's piercing glare, "just something Krillin and I have been watching on TV the last couple of days…"

"Oh." Gokou approached the subject enthusiastically, "Is it any good? What's it abou…?"

"Kakorotto!" Everyone in the room jumped as Vegeta snapped out the word. "We don't have time to mess around chatting."

Gokou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry."

"Vegeta!" Bulma was the first of the other three to finally get her mouth working, "You…spoke."

Vegeta's glare snapped to the woman, "Of course I spoke, stupid woman! Now did you want to see us today, or not?!"

Bulma's expression changed instantly, going from mild irritation to grinning in an instant.

"That's right! Follow me!"

She didn't even look behind her; simply assumed the two Saiyan's would follow her. They did.

After a moment, Krillin slowly stood from where he'd been sitting on the couch and moved to stand next to Yamucha, staring at the empty doorway.

"I guess they made up…?" he ventured finally.

Yamucha smiled faintly to himself and looked at Krillin out of the corner of his eye. "Suspicious."

Krillin hesitated, then nodded firmly. "Suspicious." He agreed.

------

The air on Mt Paozu was fresh and it swept briskly around the mountain, lightly bestowing a ruffling caress on grass, flowers, tree branches and hair alike as it passed.

Far from the small home of the Son family, boxed in by the expanse of a great forest and a single cliff face that soared upwards so far it nearly touched clouds, three demi-saiyan's were deep in a heated battle.

To the untrained observer it looked nothing so much as a furious tangle of limbs diving around the small space provided - sometimes arching upwards into the sky, other times nearly diving straight into the deep forest.

To a trained observer, however, it was a fairly relaxed battle that a certain tall, gangly 14-year-old was steadily losing to two giggling children.

The one watching was a trained observer.

He sat motionless and silent high above the battle, hidden from view behind an outcropping of rock that protruded from the side of the cliff face. Occasionally a breath of wind swirled into the cubby and lifted the few strands of hair that wasn't caught up in the long, thick braid that snaked down the watchers back to curl on the stone floor and fluttered it around. It went unnoticed.

"If you two don't stop ganging up on me," the 14-year-olds threat floated upwards on the wind to the small cubby where the watcher sat, "I'm going to go Super!"

"Can we?!" Son Goten came abruptly to a stop in mid-air and then landed on a rock that jutted up roughly from the ground, and grinned hopefully.

"We're not supposed too." Trunks warned and floated over to where Goten had stopped, obviously taking the conversation as a signal to rest, "Weren't we told to be careful while training around here, cause of the birds, or something?"

"Oh. Yeah." Goten looked crestfallen as the warning came back to him.

"It should be okay if we don't power up, or use any Ki-blasts." Gohan said slowly, and Goten perked up again, "And stay away from the cliffs and forest."

"Yes!" Goten leapt into the air with a joyful yell and instantly his eyes, and hair, took on the blue and blonde colourings that signified the Super Saiyan change.

An instant later the other two had done the same.

Above them, their watcher's lips twitched up into a slight smile that disappeared almost instantly. Quickly his head jerked up and his focus changed from the insignificant fighting of the demi-saiyans to a more immediate danger.

The children's fathers were approaching.

The watcher's expression grew calculating for an instant before he vaguely shook his head and rose to his feet. The children, he decided, were to wrapped up in their play battle to notice him lurking in the shadows, the adults, however, would be guaranteed to sense him within moments if he remained nearby - no matter how skilfully he concealed his 'Ki'.

With one eye on the approach of the two Bound Saiyan's, the watcher exited his brief shelter and, blonde braid rippling out behind him, he flew upwards at lightning speed, his curiously coloured lavender eyes catching briefly in the sunlight before he disappeared amongst the surrounding clouds.

-

"Did you feel that?" Kakorotto broke into Vegeta's thoughts, instantly scattering the intense silence that had been between the two men as they flew towards where their children were training, and lifted his hand to shade his eyes from the sun so he could peer into the distance.

"Feel what?" Vegeta replied, grudgingly.

"It felt like someone's power spiking and then dissap…" He broke off suddenly as the unmistakable figure of a miniature Super Saiyan streaked upwards ahead of them, disappearing into the clouds and then, barely a breath later, dropped straight downwards, gaining speed on their descent.

Vegeta suddenly felt himself suffused with anger. He had told those boys' - explained to them patiently - that if they wanted to train in this area they had to keep their 'Ki' levels low.

A split second after the emotions had hit him, Vegeta was speeding faster towards where the boys' were training and had appeared amongst them before they even knew he had arrived. A swift clout around the ear sent Trunks quickly to the ground to land in a puff of dust and he was joined a few moments later as Goten and Gohan joined him without prompting.

The telltale gold dropped from both boys' auras and hair as they touched to the ground, and Trunks' disappeared as he climbed sulkily to his feet.

"What on Earth do you three think you're doing?!"

Gohan opened his mouth to reply but was ignored.

"What did I say about going Super Saiyan around here? Gohan! I explained to you exactly why you shouldn't so you'd keep the other two in line, instead I find you doing it with them!"

Gohan was now staring fixedly at his feet. "I know. But…but I didn't think…"

"Well that's obvious." Vegeta cut in to the conversation, and he suddenly felt fire shoot up his arm as Kakorotto touched the bare skin there.

"Stay out of this, Vegeta." Kakorotto withdrew his hand and pinned his gaze back on the children and resumed his unexpected lecture. "I explained to all three of you, so you know full well that the birds in this area are nesting right now. Any, any disruption in the energy currents here could put them off their nesting. Especially Super Saiyan energy! Do any of you want to be responsible for wiping out the entire bird population in this area?"

Kakorotto paused, obviously expecting an answer this time and was met by three barely audible negatives.

Suddenly the anger that had been coursing so hotly through Vegeta's veins disappeared. Draining out of him as if it had never been there.

He glanced sharply at Kakorotto, his eyes narrowing slightly as he realised suddenly what had happened now that he could think straight again. The other Saiyan had been projecting his emotions so strongly this time that Vegeta hadn't been able to block them out. His growl of anger, so low in his throat that it was felt more than heard, was drowned out as Kakorotto, his voice now lacking the edge it had had earlier, began to speak again.

"This area is off limits from now on." He said, arms crossed over his chest, "Now, all three of you. Home!"

Vegeta's scowl deepened. "They defy you like this and you send them home, Kakorotto."

In a split second Kakorotto's irritation was back again, this time directed at Vegeta. "I said to stay out of this, Vegeta."

"And stand by while you give them a light slap on the fingers for being naughty? They aren't pathetic Earth children, Kakorotto - they can handle more punishment for their actions than that."

"I think it's enough…" Gokou began.

"You would. At least that human wench of yours…"

Kakorotto's irritation spiked, becoming anger that he somehow managed not to show on his face. "Fine." The man's voice was tightly controlled. "Gohan, when you get home tell Chichi why you're there. And tell her Vegeta and I will be training for the rest of the evening." He paused then barked out, "Now go home!"

All three children jumped slightly at the command and then Trunks and Goten were in the air, streaking off towards the Son family home. But instead of following instantly, Gohan hesitated, his gaze on his father who had already turned away and was examining the area carefully.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd be that bad if we kept our power in check."

Kakorotto didn't respond and after a moment Gohan's gaze moved to Vegeta, his expression unreadable as his eyes looked at the shorter Saiyan's arm, where Kakorotto had touched him.

With a guilty start, Vegeta snatched his hand away from where he'd been unconsciously rubbing at the spot and glared at Gohan angrily. After a moment the boy's lips tightened and then he was in the air and gone.

Vegeta glared after the boy till he was out of sight, then sucked in a lungful of air and let it out slowly, attempting to completely block out the emotions coming from the other man. "Stop projecting, Idiot!"

Kakorotto's eyes snapped to him and Vegeta suddenly felt like he was drowning in a mixture of irritation, anger and, after a moment, apology. Then it cut off as Kakorotto finally got everything he was feeling under control.

"Sorry." He said shortly and then turned back to his survey of their surroundings, muttering to himself. "We must have got here on time, the energies around here don't seem to be disturbed that badly."

"They're just birds, Kakorotto." Again the gaze was on him.

Kakorotto remained silent for a moment and then, not for the first time since they'd known each other, but certainly in a way Vegeta never expected, Kakorotto completely surprised him, "They're necessary to the ecology around here. This particular area of the mountain has one breed that is nearly extinct and you'll only find them on the mountain. This particular patch of forest also happens to be their breeding grounds, and they don't nest anywhere else." He paused, "And I like them. They're cute, and they sound really nice early in the morning."

Vegeta blinked and suddenly all the tension seemed to drain out of the taller Saiyan and he grinned, running his fingers through the hair at the back of his head.

"The Mountain is my home, I like to keep it running smoothly if I can. Chichi says it's silly and that nature will take care of itself but I like to be able to nudge it in the right direction now and then. This place is to beautiful to leave anything up to chance." Kakorotto grinned for a moment longer, then let his hand drop back to his side and looked away, his expression disappointed. "But you don't really care about that. I guess we should find somewhere to train, right? Wasn't there a good place about ten minutes south of here?"

Vegeta blinked again. Kakorotto's emotions were being a complete roller coaster and the Prince was warring with himself over it. Should he still be angry over what had happened three days ago, and over the forced reconciliation this morning? Should he be irritated over Kakorotto's complete lack of control on his emotions that day? Or should he be worried about what could cause the normally preternaturally happy Saiyan's emotions to be fluctuating so badly in the first place?

"…Vegeta?"

Vegeta abruptly jerked his hand away from where he was once again rubbing at his arm and scowled at the other man. "Do you need to check on your birds first?"

"What? I thought you said you wanted to get to training as quickly as possible today."

Vegeta's scowl deepened and his eyes glittered dangerously, "You won't have your mind properly on fighting if you're worrying about the silly creatures. So do you need to check them or not?!"

Kakorotto continued to stare at him blankly for a moment, then he smiled lightly and for some reason Vegeta suddenly felt like his heart had become ten times bigger and was trying to beat it's way up his throat.

"Yes." Kakorotto's smile got wider, "Thank you."

Vegeta's only response was a growl.

-------

He'd been thinking about it since the kiss.

Well…not really since the kiss, but the argument before it.

Okay, it hadn't really been an argument - Gokou hadn't said much - but Vegeta had said a lot and had, overall, made Gokou feel like he should be doing something to fix it.

So he'd been thinking about it. Hard.

Vegeta hadn't made it easy to think on it though. First there was the situation with the accidental kiss - then the tension of the days afterwards - but now that had all been taken care of (if not exactly the way Gokou would have chosen) he could concentrate on the problem. It was beginning to worry him just a little bit.

Point one: Vegeta was a Saiyan, and proud of it.

Point two: Gokou was Saiyan, but he'd been raised on Earth so being Saiyan didn't mean all that much to him.

Point three: Vegeta took Gokou's disregard as a personal insult.

Point four: Gokou, for all his disregard, was more powerful than, and had proceeded further along the paths of the Saiyan legends, than Vegeta had, if only barely.

Point five: Vegeta also regarded this as a personal insult.

Gokou propped his chin in his hand and starred fixedly at the wall across from where he sat. The room was dark, the only light being the stars that were shining faintly through the lounge window, and a small lamp Vegeta was using to do whatever it was he was doing somewhere behind him, but it didn't really matter that he couldn't see the wall too well.

The only conclusion he had been able to come too was that Vegeta took far to many of Gokou's actions personally, and obsessively watching him for any and all 'non-Saiyan' traits so that he could scowl at them seemed to have become the other man's hobby.

Gokou frowned and his eyes narrowed. Really, Vegeta needed to lighten up. Just because he and Vegeta were the only full-blooded Saiyan's left didn't mean he had to watch Gokou so closely.

Or maybe he did.

Gokou backtracked the thought. He didn't really mind so much that he was one of the last two survivors of a race but, like Vegeta had pointed out, Gokou didn't know the race, had never been to the planet (except for when he'd been born) and didn't really, deep down, think of himself as Saiyan.

But what if he were in Vegeta's shoes? How would he feel if he were the last person from the Earth left alive? What if Cell had triumphed and the entire human race, along with the planet, had been obliterated and he was alone - and then one day, he found an Earthling who didn't care about the Earth, or the fact that it, and the people from it, was gone?

Gokou shivered, and one hand balled up tightly against his thigh.

He couldn't stand that, wouldn't stand for it. The human race was, at heart, a honourable one, filled with potential. To have it all disappear and no one even care…

He suddenly felt guilty. Was that what Vegeta felt? Anger at the loss? Despair as, everyday, he watched the last vestiges of his history, his people, disappear forever? If so, then Gokou really was the soul source of Vegeta's anger and frustration. He was the one that slowly, day-by-day, made Vegeta witness is race's complete destruction.

Gokou's eyes were wide with his thoughts. He couldn't fix that. He couldn't bring back an entire race - not even with the Dragonballs. All he could do… All he could do was stop aggravating the other man - but that would mean he'd have to be Saiyan and he didn't really want to be Saiyan, he was happy being an Earthling and always would be.

Maybe though…maybe he could compromise.

"You're going to burn a hole in the wall if you stare at it any harder, Kakorotto."

Gokou's head snapped around in startlement to stare at Vegeta blankly, then he blinked. Vegeta had an odd look on his face, as if he wanted very much to say something, but at the same time really, really didn't.

Gokou waited, but Vegeta simply glared then, after a few silent moments that began to grow more and more uncomfortable, the man made a quiet noise of disgust and turned back to what he'd been doing before he spoke.

Reading again. Somehow it just seemed so…not Vegeta.

Gokou continued to watch the man reading for a while before finally breaking the still uncomfortable silence.

Compromise…

"Vegeta… Tell me about Vegeta-sei."

"What?!" Vegeta's voice was startled and the eyes that snapped up to stare at him were wide.

Gokou met his gaze and looked back intently, "You said, the other day, that I didn't know anything about our people, or our Planet, and you're right. I don't. But I want too…" he hesitated slightly, "so I want you to tell me."

"Tell you?" Vegeta repeated, and Gokou nodded firmly, holding his breath. This would either go well, or blow up in his face. He really hoped it was the former.

Vegeta suddenly scowled, "Is this why you've been acting so oddly today?" he demanded.

Gokou blinked, then blushed, "Err… Well… Yeah."

Vegeta scowled again and went back to his book. "Idiot!"

"Well?"

Vegeta stayed silent for a moment and then glared back up at him, "'Well' what?"

"Will you tell me?"

Vegeta growled in exasperation, looking back at his book, "There's no reason not too. What do you want to know?"

Gokou felt his expression clear, and broke out into a grin. To the untrained eye he didn't look it, but Vegeta was pleased. His exasperation was feigned, and he wasn't really reading the book. Gokou had his undivided attention.

Mission compromise: Successful.

----

End Chapter Five.

End Author Notes: Well… I was going to write more for this chapter but I realised that I've taken far to long to write it so far so I had better just end it here and post it up ^_^. I guess I'll save the rest for the next chapter. -_-; We all know it'll take forever so please don't hurt me. I'll aim to have it written within a month though.

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