Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ For You ❯ For You ( One-Shot )

    Like lightning had flashed in front of his lids, Goku snapped awake to a flickering radiance.  It was only after several moments of panicked breathing that he realized the light had been from his dream.  He couldn't believe that after having the dream so many times, the flashing still shocked him into consciousness.  But it never failed, and he had never been able to trace its source.

    The dream always went like this:

    He would pause in the middle of his fight with the possessed Vegeta, insisting that they investigate the new power that was Buu.  Vegeta would grudgingly comply, and then his mind went blank for a while.  It was all as it was in his memory, although the details of the dream were horribly vivid after that.  Instead of waking up to find two of the world's strongest warriors missing, one was still there.  The prince's ki was near Buu's, and with wide eyes he would realize what Vegeta had done.  And he would stand up on his weakened legs, and ponder for a moment -- did Vegeta knock him out to capture the glory of defeating the monster himself?  Or...or was he worried about Goku losing, dying again, and ceasing to exist?  The idea of Vegeta being concerned about this brought a trace of a smile to his face, but the darkness of the situation blossomed into its full, twisted form, and he was forced to assess what he should do.

    Obviously, he would have to go check on Vegeta.  Not doing so for the sake of the prince's pride was out of the question -- Buu was strong, and Vegeta would not be a match for him for too long.

    From there, Goku took to the sky, his speed less than half of what it could have been due to his weakened state.  The landscape below him would twist around, into other familiar landscapes -- the area where he and Piccolo had fought Raditsu, the cliffs of his and Vegeta's first fight, the rock-strewn plains of Namek, the Cell Games ring, until he saw the same landscape below him no matter how quickly he flew.  His body was made of lead; he pushed himself and never seemed to get any closer to Vegeta.

    Until finally, the area around him exploded into something more real than all the landscapes before it.  But all he could see was smoke, smoke and then a bright, flickering orb.  It flickered; it exploded; its flashes blinded him.

    And then he woke up, panicking and unable to sense Vegeta.  As reality returned to him, he would find the prince's ki in one of the expected locations, but...

    This time, the dream had been different from all the others.  Not in its contents -- no, it was the same crazy thing as it always had been, at least twice a week, ever since Buu's defeat.  There were two things that made it different.  One was that this time, he had fallen asleep outside, in the middle of his and Vegeta's usual sparring grounds.

    The other was that this time, he found Vegeta right beside him.

    "Oh...Vegeta," he smiled, sighing in relief.

    The prince did not reply, instead crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.  While Goku was lying on the ground -- apparently, he had fallen asleep after their sparring match -- Vegeta had taken a seat upon a boulder.

    "Why are you here?" he queried, trying his hardest not to make it into a suggestion that Vegeta should leave.  That was really the last thing he wanted; since the prince was right there, Goku was itching to tell him about the dream and ask his opinion on it.

    "Kakarrot," he snorted as if in disbelief.  "You know you sleep like a rock.  A lion could have half your leg down its throat before you came to."

    Goku laughed helplessly, although a part of him was touched that Vegeta would stay just to watch out for him.  "You're probably right.  This once, a dinosaur---"

    "I do not need to hear about your wildlife adventures, moron," Vegeta spat.  "What I do need to hear about is what just happened."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well usually, as I said, you sleep like a rock.  But there you practically went into convulsions.  What's more, when I growled your name in disgust, you snapped awake like I'd thrown you into a cliff."

    "That wasn't because..." Goku began, but paused to gather his thoughts as he sat up.  "That is, I woke up because of my dream.  I didn't hear you say my name.  Must've been a coincidence."  He rubbed the back of his neck, though this time because it actually hurt.

    "Hm," Vegeta's face held a neutral look.  Either he was interested in the dream, but was trying to hide it, or he couldn't care less.  Goku was sure he was about to snap something cynical and fly off, but he had restrain a gasp when the prince spoke again.  "What sort of a dream?"

    "What?" Goku remained in a state of utter surprise for a few moments, leaving his thoughts to flow from his mouth: "Why do you ask?  Are you okay, Vegeta?  Does it mean something bad?"

    Vegeta rolled his eyes.  "Your ki was shaking violently as you dreamed.  I was merely curious as to why," he responded coolly.

    "Well, it was something I was going to ask you about anyway," Goku smiled.  Even if Vegeta was only asking him for the reasons he was giving, the younger Saiyajin still felt the need to attach other messages to the reasons.  Maybe he cares about me, and that's why he wants to know.  Maybe he wants to know more about me.  Oh!  Maybe he's gonna try to analyze my subconscious based on my dreams!  Or something like that!  His happiness and anticipation must have flickered across his face, because Vegeta gave him a scrutinizing glare.

    "Then why don't you get on with it and tell me, idiot?"

    "Right.  Umm...it starts with us fighting.  You know, when Babidi had possessed you."

    Vegeta twitched.  'Possessed' made it sound like he'd had no control over himself.  He growled, proud of the strength that he had achieved at that point, yet, in retrospect, disappointed that he had put himself through the agony of being nearly controlled, all in vain.  He hadn't defeated Kakarrot, and despite all the power in his possession, he hadn't even fazed the monster.  "Go on," he finally spoke.

    "You knock me out, and for a while I can't remember anything.  Then, when I wake up -- um, in the dream, that is -- I can't sense Gohan, but I can sense you.  So I try to fly toward you, but I can't get anywhere.  It feels like I'm made of brick, or something.  And the land below me keeps changing to places I've been before.  It keeps changing to...changing to places where people have died."

    Vegeta raised an eyebrow in mild interest.

    "And then, just when I'm about to get to you, there's this huge, flickering light, and I wake up all panicked and thinking you're dead."

    He nodded gravely, knowing what was coming next.

    "So...so Vegeta?  What does it mean?  And...how did you die?"

    The prince found some humor in the fact that Kakarrot -- caring, perfect Kakarrot -- had never once displayed an interest in learning about Vegeta's death.  "I was foolish," he responded simply.  When Goku did not seem to be satisfied with this answer -- not that Vegeta had expected him to be -- he continued.  "I...thought that if I were to use all of my power, and destroy the thing so thoroughly that only bits of it remained, it would be unable to regenerate."

    "And...?"

    Of course I can't leave it to him to fill in the blanks.  He's Mister Literal.  "I used all of my life energy in my attempt to destroy him.  I gathered my ki within the core of my body, and then released it all at once."

    "You blew yourself up?" Goku gasped.

    Vegeta gave a frustrated sigh.  "Essentially, yes."

    "But..." Goku blinked.  "But what...what about Bulma and Trunks?"

    "You, Kakarrot, are not in any position to say 'but what about your family.'"

    Disarmed, Goku grinned guiltily.  "Yeah..."

    Vegeta nodded, glad the explanation was over with.

    "What was it like?" Goku wondered aloud.

    "What do you mean?  You've died before."

    "No...but...that's not what I meant, Vegeta."

    "Then what, pray tell did you mean?"

    "I just...what was it like, to decide to give up your life?"

    "Again, you've decided such before as well, fool."

    "But..." he moved closer to Vegeta.

    "I knew that if I didn't beat Buu, but stayed alive, I'd have to live with the humiliation forever!" he retorted sharply.  "I knew you'd go back, and I'd never get a chance to fight you, even to see you, ever again!  But if I died, there was a small chance..." Vegeta trailed off.

    Goku blinked.  "You..."

    "And...and I suppose...Kakarrot...that after all those times you laid down your life for others...I finally realized...why."

    "...What?"

    "At the time, I was the only hope.  I had to do what I could, and I was willing to use every ounce of power within me, to...to...I finally wanted to lay down that final sentiment, Kakarrot...to do something for someone other than myself."  He hung his head, ashamed to admit to it.  His fists clenched, as if ready to lash out at Goku, should he make some unintelligent remark.

    "Vegeta, that's...amazing," he stood, pacing toward the prince and finally taking a seat on the same small boulder.  "I...I knew you had some good in you."

    "Good or evil is not the issue, Kakarrot.  I did not sacrifice myself to be good.  I did it because I had to...because I wanted to.  And I wasn't completely selfless.  As I said, I still wanted that chance to be able to see..."

    "...Me?" Goku finished.  Vegeta nodded quietly.  "I'm honored, Vegeta," he whispered.

    "Stop patronizing me!" the prince shouted.  "I...I was proud to make such a sacrifice for...for those I care for."

    "You should be," Goku nodded, beaming warmly.

    "No!  Not for the sentimental reasons you might be thinking, Kakarrot.  I was proud...as the last Saiyajin, atoning for the lives I ruined with a final, honorable surrender of my own life...even if only for the sake of three people."

    Goku smiled and nodded for a moment, until a new, confused look dominated his features.  "...Three?  But, Bulma and Trunks..."

    Once more, Vegeta lowered his head.  The one thing he had most wanted to avoid...but there was no skirting around the question.  In the most dignified manner he could muster, Vegeta glared up toward the heavens.  "Yes, Bulma and Trunks.  And...and you, Kakarrot.  I did it for you."  Before he could return his dread-filled gaze to the other man, he felt warm arms encircling him, soft hair brushing against his face, and something wet smudging against his cheek.

    "Vegeta..."

    "Stop your blubbering and get away from me!" he demanded, and Goku complied with half the orders, releasing Vegeta.  Tears continued to sparkle in his eyes, and the prince found himself caught in the shining orbs.  "What made you so emotional all of a sudden?  Doubtless any of your other acquaintances would have done the same."

    "It's just...you, Vegeta.  You."

    "What?"

    "They're different.  I mean...you're different.  I don't see you as just one of them."

    Vegeta stared curiously into the other man's eyes.

    "I don't know how to explain it.  You're just...deeper than all of them.  You're...more real to me.  You stand out more.  I've learned more from you than I ever have from anyone else."

    He crossed his arms, absorbed in thought.  "I suppose I could say the same of you, Kakarrot."

    "Thanks, Vegeta."

    Vegeta snorted, shrugging.  "Your dream...how do you feel throughout the entire thing?"

    "Well...after you knock me out and I'm conscious again, I'm confused, but then I think of the idea that maybe...maybe you wanted to knock me out and fight Buu because I..."

    "Because you'd already died, yes," he added harshly.  "And I knew I would never get to have a rematch with you if you weren't successful in the fight, and ended up fading into oblivion."

    "...You really...?"

    "I considered that idea, and it contributed to my decision, yes.  Your termination from existence would, after all, be a waste of Saiyajin flesh."

    Goku blinked, unsure of what the comment meant.  He could not help but blush when he noted the red tint on Vegeta's cheeks and ears, although part of him still did not understand why.

    "I mean -- I mean, never mind," Vegeta failed at defending the words he had spit out.  "Anyway, go on."

    "Oh!  Uhm, then I realize...I realize how bad the situation is, that you're the only one left fighting, and I want to rush off to back you up.  When the landscapes start changing, I start feeling like there's a ball of metal in my stomach...because I know that I'm going over places where people have died, and it's like a warning.  I try to speed up, but if anything, I get slower and slower, and desperately struggle to get closer to you---well, you know, I mean, to where you are," he found himself flushing again.  "When I get close, and the light starts flickering, it's like panic, and confusion, and desperation, and not being able to do anything...and I wake up scared, thinking you're dead, and searching for your ki."  As if playing through the dream as he explained it, Goku wore a distressed expression, eyes shining this time with tears of anguish.

    Overcome by the emotion on the other Saiyajin's face, by the feeling in his voice, Vegeta reached toward Goku and brushed a hand through his hair, glancing away and trying to ignore the awkwardness of the gesture as he pulled his hand back.  "I...when you wake up from that dream, don't worry about me, Kakarrot.  I'm not going to leave you -- I mean, I'm not going to leave," he brought a hand to his face in a failed attempt to mask his embarrassment.

    "Vegeta," Goku returned the gesture, extending his arm to run his fingers through the prince's hair.  He paused for a moment, and instead of returning his hand to his side, placed it on Vegeta's shoulder.

    The prince glanced at the hand, but did not struggle to remove it.  His heart pounded ferociously, as if he were about to make another weighty decision, and he could not decide if it was because his memories of his death were resurfacing, or if it was because his memories of his death were colliding with the reality of its meaning.  His breath grew shaky, and he closed his eyes.  "That is, I won't leave as long as you don't, either," he added in what was supposed to be a cutting tone, his eyes still pressed shut.  "While you were dead, I...never mind.  Just don't do it again."

    "All right, Vegeta."  Even with closed eyes, Vegeta could feel the warmth radiating from the other Saiyajin's smile.  "If you don't leave me, I won't leave you."

    "That sounds fair enough."  He still could not bring himself to look up at the Goku, for fear that the pounding of his heart might be visible in his features -- for fear that the pounding of his heart might force him to make a decision without thinking.

    "And I'm sorry I left you for so long," Goku continued softly, bringing his other hand to Vegeta's face and caressing the prince's cheek with the backs of his fingers.  "And I'm sorry that I can't even imagine how you felt."  The hand rested on Vegeta's other shoulder.

    "The structure of my life was destroyed, and there was no way to repair it," he muttered.  "For you, it would be like...like the Earth being blown up, with no hope for its resurrection."

    "I'm so sorry," Goku whispered, his hands sliding partway down Vegeta's arms.  Vegeta trembled at the sensation, not wanting to remove the other Saiyajin's hands from himself, but still on-edge for reasons unexplained.

    "For a while...all I could do was lie in bed and hate you.  All I could think about was you."

    With his hands on Vegeta's arms, Goku pulled the prince closer.  "I missed you too, Vegeta."

    "I didn't say..." Vegeta began, but fell victim to the rapid quivering in his chest, the tightening in his throat, and found himself unable to speak.

    Goku embraced the prince, rubbing his back comfortingly.  "But I'm here now, and you have all the time in the world to yell at me, and fight with me, and threaten me, and whatever else it is you need to do to feel better, Vegeta."

    "Nn," Vegeta growled weakly, as if unwilling to accept the other Saiyajin's compassion.

    "We've got all the time in the world," Goku repeated, stroking the other man's cheek with his thumb.  He sensed skepticism when Vegeta did not respond.  "And we'll die together, too, okay Vegeta?  And, and if Enma-sama doesn't let you into Heaven, well...I'll sneak you in!"

    "More the rebel than I thought you were," the prince chuckled softly, fighting back tears.

    "I would do it for you, Vegeta."

    "Kakarrot?" Vegeta whispered after a lengthy silence.

    "Yeah?"

    "I do this..." he leaned forward and tenderly planted a kiss on Goku's lips, "for you."