Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Four Star Dragonball ❯ Love of Fighting, Love of Cookies ( Chapter 3 )

Pairing: Vegeta x Goku
Rating: NC-17, um eventually I hope. If I don't chicken out.
Warning: Suicide, Sex, and Violence! There's a nice ring to that.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. Wish I did. Then I'd use the dragonballs to kick some ass. I hope I'm not stealing anything from anyone. I know that's a scare lately. I don't read much so my ideas may already be written. Sorry.

Four Star Dragonball
Chapter Three: Love of Fighting, Love of Cookies

"Well, where to next?" Vegeta said as they reached the street outside the buffet.

Goku had still not grown accustomed to the prince's strange behavior-taking him out to dinner, paying for it, letting him pick the place of all things. Was he acting differently because of his current mental state? Or maybe he had just forgotten how the royal Saiyan normally was when he wasn't fighting or training. After all, it had been a long time since he last saw him, and that was only when they were sparring at the usual spot, or at the funeral…

His head dropped and stared at the ground as the memory came back to him.

He had left his friends and family right after his wife's body was lowered into the grave. He just started walking away from that scene. He wandered all over the country for two weeks by foot, never stopping, too weak to raise his ki to fly, and ended up passing out from severe dehydration. The man who found him happened to know a psychiatrist and took the then delusional Saiyan to see him. What a coincidence.

God, he missed her. Her relaxed face when she was sleeping next to him, her satisfying meals, her devoted companionship. He even missed the fire in her eyes when she screamed at him. But he didn't love her like he should, and neither did she. Together, they acted out the roles of husband and wife, but the passion wasn't there. But Goku was grateful to have her company, for he was all alone without her.

Everyone else had their own families to tend to; even Vegeta had settled down with Bulma. His sons now had social lives of their own and were too busy to see him. Meanwhile, Chichi grew sicklier and he could only stand by and watch her fade from his life. He now knew how she felt when his heart was attacked by that virus. He was sorry. For being the most powerful person in the universe, he could not save his wife. When she finally died, he was at a complete loss. He had no one.

He clutched the cushion tighter.

Vegeta placed his hand on his shoulder and called his name softly, but the two combined scared the hell out of him. He jumped and leapt away from his touch, hearing his heart beat rapidly within his chest.

"Maybe it's time for you to go to bed. You're turning into a nervous wreck, even forgetting who I am," the prince frowned.

Goku said nothing and started walking to his house at Mt. Paozu.

"Hey, where the hell do you think you're going? Capsule Corp is that way," Vegeta growled and pointed the opposite direction which the other Saiyan was walking.

"Huh?" was all that the third-class managed.

"It's not like you have a place to stay for tonight. That damned shack is three days of fast walking from here. So just use the woman like a tool and stay at her place," Vegeta said, trying desperately to keep irritation out of his voice.

"Oh yeah, I can just Instant Transmission myself there…" he mentioned as he placed two fingers on his forehead.

Vegeta grabbed a hold of him once more, much more tightly than the previous time. "You… I said we're going to Capsule Corp."

It seemed the prince would fight to get his way. Goku sighed, defeated. He had no will power to argue right now. "Okay, I guess that would be fine…" Goku said, scratching his head.

Vegeta blinked, and then frowned at himself. He was actually worried that the younger would refuse and he would have to resort to begging. He straightened out and led the other Saiyan to where he had been staying for the past twenty years. The still large amount of zeni in his pocket could be saved for another day.

The walk there, like the previous ones, was silent. Vegeta, leading the way, looked back at the other Saiyan behind him. Goku's gaze was fixed at the ground and shuffled his feet along the pavement. His arms swung little by his sides, and his tail was secured around his waist. There was once a time, the prince recalled, when those arms flailed about with a big cheery smile pasted on the idiot's face. How it infuriated him so! To think a Saiyan warrior was dancing around like a clown! Now…

Now he would give anything to see Kakarotto smile again, for that is how Kakarotto should be. This dark cloud that loomed over the younger Saiyan had to go. It did not suit him. Vegeta resolved to do anything in his power to make that happen.

His eyebrow shot up at the comprehension of the thought.

Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Since when did he care about what happened to Kakarotto, if Kakarotto was happy or not? Vegeta was obsessed with beating him, not making him smile… right? No, he would never best him. Kakarotto was always the greater, even in his grief. The prince had eventually come to accept that, though grudgingly.

So what was the deal then? He used to be president of the `Die Kakarotto' fan club, now all of a sudden he's trying to give him reasons to stay away from suicide? The woman had asked him to, but this was going overboard. He was making Kakarotto's problems his problems, taking matters personally. He cared, that was a given. But this was something more-he couldn't quite place it…

L-Love?

Oh God, he hoped not. Falling in love with the bastard would be the last straw of sanity for him. But all signs were pointing towards that very conclusion. A blush started creeping its way across his cheeks.

`N-No,' he tried denial. Boy, did he try! He didn't hold any of those prejudices these humans did about … but still! This was Kakarotto, his arch enemy! His rival ever since their first meeting! He's sworn to kill him if given the grand opportunity! So why not now? It would be easy-especially in his weakened state. Just a quick ball of ki to his chest. But no, his hands balled into fists. He could not bring himself to permanently killing the idiot. Besides, who would he fight with?

Yes, that's it. He just loved fighting. He didn't love Kakarotto. That would just be absurd. Fighting was his true passion. But then, fighting equaled Kakarotto since no one else was able to withstand his pummeling. No one else could survive his strongest attack and keep smiling at him for more. That fucking smile.

Vegeta stopped walking and turned towards the idiot. Goku looked up in surprise-the prince looked very, very angry, bordering on furious. His body tensed up in reaction, his fingers tightening on the pillow.

"Are you okay, Vegeta?" he called out rather nervously. He had slacked off in training a while back, so a wrathful prince might be something to worry about.

The smaller Saiyan stepped towards Goku, making him take a step backwards. "Hey, let's talk about this! I don't know what I did but I'm sorry!"

Vegeta reached for Goku's free hand, and clasping it, he brought it up slowly to chest level. His mask of fury lost its edge and softened with the feel of the other Saiyan's fingers around his.

Goku was at a complete loss for words. "Wha…What are you doing, Vegeta?!" he stammered.

The prince held the taller Saiyan's gaze a few solid seconds before snorting and continuing on his way to Capsule Corp, leaving a disturbed Goku behind.

Now was not the time for that-the frightened look on the idiot's face told him that. Vegeta could wait; he had incredible patience when there was good reason.

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Upon returning to Capsule Corp, Goku immediately headed for a shower, afraid to utter a single word to the prince. Knowing the layout of the place from so many frequent visits, he found a private bathroom quickly and began cleaning the filth from his body. A year and a half without a real shower but just a dip in a lake made for a very dirty Saiyan.

Rinsing the shampoo, and insects and clumps of dirt, from his hair, Goku thought about the prince. He definitely did not remember him being anything other than cruel to him ever. And certainly no touching. That holding his hand thing was just weird. Incredibly weird. Goku faintly worried if he would have nightmares about it.

Now scrubbing his skin back to its natural glow, his mind still dwelled on the older man. For some reason he had just gotten so mad on the way back here, like blow-up-a-city mad. But when he touched his hand, the prince gave him a look that he had never seen before. His eyes were soft as his fingers gently closed over his own. Creepy. He needed to stop thinking about it or he would indeed have nightmares.

Goku turned off the water and dried himself off with the towel he left just outside the shower door near the purple cushion. He had toted that thing everywhere today. Just then, the bathroom door opened and Goku quickly covered himself. Vegeta stepped inside and shut the door behind him, holding a pair of gray cotton pants and a white t-shirt. The older Saiyan felt his cheeks heat up as he set the clothes down on the sink.

"I threw your moldy orange rags away, so you can use these for now," Vegeta said firmly. Then he reopened the door to leave.

"Uh, thanks!" Goku threw him a smile. "Do you mind if I make a hole in the pants for my tail?"

The prince had forgotten that the third-class's tail had reappeared. He turned back to look at it swaying in the air behind the man. Earlier it had been tucked safely around the other's waist until now. "It's necessary, I suppose."

"And, um," Goku continued, "where am I going to sleep?"

"Choose any of the guest rooms in this hallway. It makes no difference to me."

The younger man shifted his weight as the royal Saiyan began to leave again. "Hey, Vegeta!" he called out again.

A growl of annoyance.

"Thanks, Vegeta," he said and truly smiled for the second time that day.

"Whatever," the prince muttered in reply, feeling a rush of sentimental feelings. He hastily shut the door behind him before the other Saiyan could catch the reddening of his face.

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"So? How is he?" Bulma asked Vegeta as he headed for his room.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" he grumbled. He didn't want to put up with her incessant meddling tonight. It had been a long day and he was more than ready for bed.

"I think I will," she said with a click of her tongue. She left her ex-lover and went into the kitchen. She grabbed a few things and walked to the room Goku was staying in. She knocked a few times before she got a reply.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Bulma! I can't really open the door-my hands are full. Can you?"

"Oh, okay. One second," he said and twisted the knob. The door revealed a large glass of milk and a box of cookies.

"I figured you'd be staying the night. Hungry?" she asked. As if she had to-her friend's stomach was notorious for being insatiable.

"Mmm," Goku nearly drooled at the sight and quickly plucked them from the human woman's hands. He began eating and drinking as soon as he flopped onto his bed, getting crumbs everywhere.

Bulma laughed at the sight, then noticed a pillow that she didn't recall buying lying next to him. Goku was not known to have possessions, other than his compliant staff, but he no longer carried that around. She picked it up, trying to remember where she bought it.

Finishing the entire box of cookies and downing the large glass of milk in record time, Goku then readied himself for another round of questioning.

"Is this yours, Goku?" she gestured to the pillow.

"Yeah. Grandpa used to sit on it, remember?" he said as he put the empty box and glass on the floor next to him.

"Oh! That's where I've seen it. Ah, that was a long time ago," she said fondly. "Why is it here now?"

"I brought it here," the Saiyan said, stretching out his legs and leaning back against the headboard.

"No, I mean why did you bring it with you?" Bulma took a cue and sat at the foot of the bed.

"Hm, I don't know. Just remembering that day when I met you and stuff, I guess."

"That was a good day," Bulma said, smiling. "Right?"

Goku said nothing and tried making a happy face, too. He failed miserably.

Bulma noticed it and her smile evaporated. She blamed herself for her friend's unhappiness. She got up and threw her arms around the man. "Oh, Goku, I'm so sorry…"

Caught off guard, the Saiyan froze all movement.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I didn't know… that you were… And now you have medicine and… I'm sorry! I know it doesn't make up for me not helping you then but I'll do anything for you now! Please get better… You're my friend and I'll always be there for you."

Goku closed his eyes and patted her back. Maybe he had underestimated Bulma's feelings for him. "It's okay," he soothed.

"No, it's not," she replied, "but it will be. I'll make sure of it! You know you have me and Vegeta to help you all the way. We both care about you very much and we're not going to let you be sad anymore, okay?"

The man smiled. He could find hope; he could find happiness with his two friends (Vegeta considered a friend?). He would get over his depression. All he needed was their support and some time. "Thanks, Bulma," he said and enveloped her in a fierce embrace.

When they finally broke free, Bulma stood and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight," she smiled and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Brushing cookie crumbs from the sheets and settling in them, sleep came quickly and peacefully for Son Goku.