Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdom Come ❯ Chapter 28: Some Assembly Required ( Chapter 28 )

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

WARNING: See Chapter 1

Kingdom Come
~ Chapter 28"Whoa. What's up with the human threads, Piccolo?" Dende inquired as the taller namek found him and Mr. Popo.

Piccolo tugged slightly on the hem of his oatmeal-colored sweater. "Did you know you pay too much attention to the people down on earth? Really. Listen to your speech."

"Yeah, yeah. So," grinned the young Kami. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"I'm taking Goten to Capsule Corp today," he replied. "Hopefully, we'll be... getting our own place with Bulma's help."

"So you're... leaving?" Mr. Popo asked.

"Possibly," nodded the tall warrior. "I just thought I would... inform you ahead of time."

"Huh. Well. Good luck with that," Dende smiled. He and Mr. Popo watched as Piccolo walked back towards his room. As soon as Piccolo was out of earshot, Dende breathed a heavy sigh. "Did you hear that? Am I dreaming?"

"No, Dende. Piccolo -did- say they might be moving out."

"Man, I hope so. I haven't been able to sleep a wink since they moved in!"

"It's the sex," admitted the gardener. "They're very... loud."

"And they take forever."

"And it's not just at night."

"No kidding."

"... Is it wrong to hope they move?"

"No, it isn't, Mr. Popo. No, it isn't."

***

To the untrained, and uninformed, it would seem that Capsule Corp was having a strange holiday, as its usually busy design lab was curiously uninhabited. Well, mostly uninhabited. There were two individuals in the lab, but they were not workers, nor were they trained designers. They were, however, friends of Bulma's.

Or rather, they were two people Bulma wanted to help out because she rather thought they deserved it. Plus, Piccolo asked her -- actually -asked- her -- for her assistance, and that was such a rare event that she rather doubted it had ever occurred before. She was very flattered by the act and instantly agreed to help them.

The blue-haired genius wasn't too far off, sitting in her office doing paperwork, while cursing at the task under her breath. She left Piccolo and Goten to their own devices, after she showed them the basics of how to operate the design computers. She was quick to notice how fast they learned what everything was and how everything worked, and she knew that they wouldn't need her guidance.

She grinned as she thought of all the others she knew to whom she wouldn't give that much credit. Vegeta came to mind.

A low buzz made the azure-eyed woman jump in her chair. She looked at a security monitor, flipping the channels until the one outside the main door showed that there was a messenger waiting for her. She sighed as she set her pen down. It was probably something important. She hit the intercom button and asked the courier, "Yes?"

"Hey. I need someone to sign for this package," he answered.

Bulma nodded her head, though no one was there to see it. "Just one moment. I'll be right there."

She walked out of her office and down the short hallway. The end of the hallway opened up to a huge hanger-like lab, where the two were working. "Hey guys! I'm gonna be right back. I've got to go answer the door."

"All right," Goten replied, not bothering to look up from his blueprints. Upon first meeting the woman, she had smiled brightly at him and shook his hand. She had been enthusiastic but, unlike some of the others he had met, had quickly turned to Piccolo and waved them both towards the lab. She had rambled on about how nice it was that they were planning on moving in together and did they have a selected area of land and other topics that had flown by him far too fast for him to catch. But when it came to the machines, her hurried talk quickly died down, and she was very informative.

But what truly caught the royal off-guard was that, after he grasped the concept behind the programs, she had smiled at him. He had caught his breath at the absolute -pride- and -joy- in her eyes, and he knew she was about to hug him. She didn't, but he rather thought it was a close call. He didn't know what to make of the reaction, but she had grinned at Piccolo and then meandered off to leave them to design their home in peace.

"What do you think of this one?" Piccolo asked, indicating another, smaller, single story house.

"Hmm, I like that one's bathroom layout," Goten commented, noticing where Piccolo was indicating. He flushed as he read the measurements. "Hn. Large tub."

"And a large shower, too," Piccolo agreed, doing a much better job of keeping the laughter out of his voice.

"You and water," Goten laughed. After he was done, though, he sighed and rubbed his face. They had been looking through the designs for some time and had yet to find a single house upon which they could both agree. The prince looked at the computer screen, which was cheerfully blinking its screensaver at him. He grimaced as he fiddled with the mouse, getting the glaring design off. He looked at his options again, and noticed, for the first time, the 'build' button. He raised an eyebrow as he investigated it.

Piccolo turned to his lover when he heard a slight sound of pleasure. "What is it?"

"I think I found the solution to our problem," Goten said with a slight smile. "Instead of going through all these designs and finding the one that we could fit into, why not design one specifically for -us-? We could build our own home just by going through the other designs and finding the things we like the most."

As they quickly began to piece together the pieces they liked best, a frustrated yell grabbed their attention.

"Dammit!" Bulma marched over to her desk and dropped a large brown box onto her desk, a large thud echoing throughout the room. Grabbing the phone, she angrily punched in a few buttons. "Vegeta. There's a package here for you. How many times have I told you that you -have- to change all of your mailing information when you buy things online? ... No, I don't know who it's from. What I -do- know is that I signed for it blindly, a mistake I will -not- make again. ... Fine, fine, I'll look. Um... Martin & Siegel. ... Well, come pick it up. ... Oh, please. I'm not bringing it over there, and I certainly won't pay another courier to take it. ... Why don't you get off your lazy ass and pick it up yourself? ... No, no. I understand what you're trying to do, which is shocking as hell, considering what a selfish bastard you are. ... Whatever..."

Piccolo, who'd gotten tired of her tirade fairly quickly, heaved a deep sigh. "Mind if I intervene?" he whispered to Goten. "I can't take the screaming, and it'd give me an excuse to see how Yamcha is doing."

"Go ahead," nodded the demi-saiyajin. "I'll finish the house since we have all the pieces picked out. I'll be okay. Take your time."

"All right." He bent down and gave Goten a kiss before he moved over to the blue-haired human, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'll take it," he proposed.

"Shut up a minute, Vegeta!" She turned to Piccolo, smiling brightly. "Oh, you don't need to do that. You and Goten are busy with the house. I'll just call... Trunks or something."

"Give me the package," he stated, no longer simply 'offering'.

"Okay," she relented quickly, picking up the box and setting in Piccolo's arms. "Well, guess what, Vegeta. It's your lucky day. ... No, I'm not going to drop dead, you asshole. Piccolo kindly offered to bring you your stupid box. ... He and Goten are making a house. ... Because they asked nicely, unlike some lousy, pointy-headed jerks I can think of. ... Oh, yeah? Same to you!"

Goten watched the whole scene with some fascination. Bulma certainly was a spitfire. And a little bizarre. He'd definitely have to keep his guard up around her. She grinned brightly at him and Piccolo, trying to cover her harsh phone conversation with the saiyajin prince. "Well, you know that Vegeta. Can't live with him. Can't kill him."

The namek merely smirked before exiting the lab, leaving Goten in the lab with Bulma. Not much later, Bulma heard Goten say he was finished, so she went in to investigate. "Hey. That's not one of our houses. Where did you get that?"

"The 'build' function," the royal demi-saiyajin pointed out on the screen. "Piccolo and I didn't like any of the houses we saw, so we picked out the parts we liked, and I put them together here."

"That is astonishing," she marveled. "You are -so- much better than any of my designers."

"Thank you."

"Want a job?"

"Excuse me?"

"I asked if you wanted a job," Bulma restated. "You have a real talent. I mean, this is a -gift-. You wouldn't have to do it all the time, and you could even work from home if you wanted. It'd be something to do, you know. And I'd pay you a -lot-."

Goten mulled it over for a moment. He hadn't been bored yet since he'd arrived, but it would be nice to have a small duty again. And to get paid for it... Well, that wouldn't hurt. And he -had- always enjoyed architecture and design; his level in the palace of his world had been testament to that. It'd be something of his own, really. Something separate from Piccolo, yet not taking him away from the namek. Nodding, he finally answered. "I accept."

"Wonderful!" beamed the human. "My other designers? -SO- fired. Besides, their work never has been that good. Anyway! Back to your house. I could definitely have this put together by tomorrow with the instructions you've inputted. Wait. Have you furnished the house yet? Because you should do that too."

"Not yet," Goten admitted.

"Well! You get right on that. I showed you where the furnishings are, right?"

"Yes."

"Great!" She observed the young male for a moment, taking in the human clothes that she knew for a fact had been created by Piccolo by the perfect fit. 'Hmm. They could both use a little extra taste of normalcy. Shopping! I'll have someone take Goten shopping. But who? 18 likes to shop, but for women's stuff. Trunks... Nah. He has shitty taste. No idea where he got that from. Ooh! I've got it!' Quickly rushing from the room back to her office, she shut the door behind her and punched in a phone number.

"Yeah," came the answer on the other end of the line.

"17? Bulma. Listen, I've got a little project I need help with."

"Are you going to take my arm apart again?" the raven-haired android asked. "Because my left wrist just hasn't been the same since your last little 'project'."

"No, no. I want you to take Goten shopping," she corrected.

"I don't do shopping. Call 18. Or your son. He likes to shop."

"But he doesn't have your impeccable taste. I thought someone of your style and refinement would be best to help." Bulma was no slouch in the flattery department as she liked to be complimented as much as possible herself.

"True. But why should I be dressing up his boyfriend for him?"

"Not that Goten," Bulma said.

"Ohh. The little prince that Piccolo brought back with him, huh?" 17 smiled into the phone.

"That's ri-ight," the blue-haired woman grinned. "I want you to come by and take him clothes shopping. Full use of the Capsule Corp credit cards. You can even pick up something for yourself."

The android wasted no time in responding. "All right. It's a deal."

"I knew you'd see things my way," laughed Bulma. "Be here ASAP, okay?"

"On my way," 17 replied before hanging up the phone.

Bulma giggled to herself as she placed the receiver back in its cradle. Clasping her hands together, she had to keep herself from dancing as she went back out into the lab where Goten was still furnishing his and Piccolo's soon-to-be home. 'Now,' she thought. 'How to break it to him that he's about to get a crash course in earth culture... Hmm. Oh! I'll tell him it's for Piccolo. Something tells me that's the button to push. Kami, I'm -such- a genius!'

***

"Where are you living here?"

"With Piccolo."

"At the Look-out?" 17 looked up from his quick browsing of jackets. He had managed to convince the young prince to come with him to a retro shop after visiting a few other clothing stores that were ill suited for anyone of taste. He eyed the demi-saiyajin not far from him. He knew that Goten was from a parallel dimension. But other than that... the information was definitely lacking.

"Yes, but not for long," Goten agreed, moving to look at something else. He didn't care for anything in the shop and quite honestly had yet to see anything anywhere that he'd -want- to wear. He much preferred wearing what Piccolo created for him.

"Oh?" 17 asked, though his voice barely changed tones. "Getting your own place?"

"-We- are getting a house from Bulma," Goten informed him, making sure to emphasize the 'we' part.

"You don't say." The dark-haired android grinned. He found a way to get under the prince's skin already, and he hadn't even been trying all that hard. "How... interesting."

"What do you mean?" the demi-saiyajin asked, turning to look at his companion sharply. He was used to everyone asking about his and Piccolo's relationship, but this was the first person that the prince thought would be able to offer information on Piccolo's life before they met.

"Come on, let's leave this place. There's nothing good here. We'll go to the fashion district. It's not that far," 17 said, side stepping the issue for a moment. They walked down the street together, only so close as to create the illusion of a private conversation, but no closer. "Living a domesticated life with Piccolo. He must really like you if he's willing to be domesticated for you."

"It was his idea," Goten commented, looking at the blue-eyed android out of the corner of his vision.

"Really?" 17 exclaimed, making sure to add inflections. Granted, part of his game was purely for pleasure's sake. But there was also the need for information, and when people were riled, they tended to say things that they might not normally say. Do things that they didn't normally do."Now, that -is- interesting. It makes me wonder..."

"What?" Goten snapped after 17 didn't finish his sentence. He wasn't all that sure he wanted to know what the android was thinking, but he did want to cull any unfounded ideas that the dark-haired male might have.

"Why Piccolo? You were a prince in your dimension, weren't you? I mean, you could've had anybody you wanted," 17 said, turning to look at the younger male as they walked. This topic was what truly interested him. Not the chase, as he knew all about chasing people, and getting in their beds, for that matter. But why settle? "So... Why him, of all people?"

"I don't think I understand," Goten responded, crossing his arms. He tilted his head to the side as his tail almost unwound from its position around his waist.

17 tried not to smirk as he formulated something he thought might provoke the younger male. "Well, let's face it. Piccolo's not the most entertaining guy I've ever met. Not the best looking. Doesn't particularly outshine anyone else. I mean, he's so... bland. I just really have to wonder why you chose him."

Goten looked the android over a moment, weighing his options. He could refuse to answer the question. It would be very easy. But, there was a part of him that wanted to answer it, because he rather thought that 17 was genuinely curious about that rather than what sleeping with the green warrior was like. "It's... complicated."

"Try me."

"... All right," the prince sighed. "Piccolo is very... attractive to me. He was different from everyone I knew. He was strong, yet compassionate. A warrior who preferred meditation over the bloodletting of the arena. He... he did not care for power. Or prestige. He knows what duty is, which was practically unheard of at home. He is honorable... And..."

"And...?" 17 encouraged, but when he saw that Goten wasn't going to elaborate, he simply smirked. "And you can't really think when you think about him. Can you..."

"I can," Goten retorted, his cheeks tinting a bit. "I can put my emotions aside."

"Uh-huh. Just like Piccolo can, I'm sure," 17 smiled.

"Piccolo is quite capable of overcoming emotional restrictions," Goten said with vehemence. "Like I said, he knows duty and honor."

"Yes. I know he does," 17 agreed. There was a devious light in his eyes as he added, almost offhandedly, "Still. You aren't who I imagined domesticating him."

"What do you mean?"

"And we're here. My sister would kill me if she knew I was down here without her. She's quite the shopper," 17 murmured, ignoring the question as he looked down the main street of the fashion district. "Hmmm, where to go..."

"17!" Goten demanded, keeping the command in his voice while also keeping the volume down. "What do you mean?"

17 turned to look at his young companion again and quickly thought about a few things. He really didn't want to rock the boat in which Piccolo and the prince were sleeping, though he knew it would be a lot of fun to do. It just wouldn't serve any purpose, and the cleanup afterwards would probably be paid for with his hide. At least from Piccolo's side. Grinning, the android tried to deflect the prince's concern. "I meant nothing by it. Just trying to find out how good you are at putting your emotions aside."

"You're mocking me?!"

"I prefer to think of it as teasing. No harm is meant, but it's still a lot of fun," the android smiled. "So, what did you two do for Valentine's Day? Though... Piccolo doesn't seem like the type to do Valentine's Day, so maybe you did nothing."

Goten looked at 17 a moment, his mind flashing back to that holiday. He had never heard of it before and had thought it a prank, but when they had passed by the city on their way to Piccolo's waterfall, the prince learned otherwise. It was indeed a true holiday. And what a holiday it was! Goten flushed as he remembered the day, or what he could when he wasn't passed out or asleep. It had been a good day, filled with delicious food and an even more delicious lover. Goten, still blushing, couldn't help the slight smirk as his eyes regained their focus. "We enjoyed ourselves."

"Well, well," 17 said, a light, amused chuckle underlying his words. Having known the namek for so long, he never really thought much of him. He respected him, of course, but Piccolo was completely the kind of person about whom everyone spoke well -- except Chichi, who spoke well about nearly no one -- but to whom nobody bothered to speak. It entertained him to no end when he found out Piccolo had brought back a 'boyfriend'. 17 was further amused upon discovering the boyfriend was Prince Goten. 'I only wish I could've been there to see Gohan's reaction. He must've been pissing his pants. Heh.' Still, it was... neat to see two completely out of place people like Piccolo and Goten together. "Good for you. Both of you."

They went through a few of the shops located on the main strip, walking in to browse, but they never could find anything worth buying. It wasn't that they were too picky; it was just that nothing they found was suitable. The Capsule Corp credit card was almost burning a hole in 17's pocket, but he wasn't finding anything worth using it. That was until they came to the end of the strip and came upon the locked doors of a place called 'Malfaire'.

"Have you ever been here before?" Goten asked, wishing the day were over. He felt severely out of place in almost every store in which they had been and had already had at least one person make a comment on his tail.

"No. The doors are locked. Oh, damn. It's one of those places where you have to ring the doorbell to get admitted inside," 17 cursed. He rang the bell anyway. "I hate these places. Salespeople are usually snotty and not very helpful."

"So, why are we going in?"

"Because," 17 answered, as if that was enough justification. When he saw Goten's skeptical look, he laughed and added, "I'm curious. And it might be fun."

There was a light buzzing that signaled the door was temporarily unlocked. 17 grabbed the handle and opened the entrance. Goten followed him. They walked up a few stairs to another door, but this one was open already. Inside, the place was lit better than any of the others while not being too bright. There were all kinds of clothes, some on racks, some folded, and some against the wall. There were changing rooms against one wall, with a three-sided mirror close at hand. There was a curtained off area behind the register, and golden light slipped through the slight opening in the fabric. All in all, it had an entirely different feel than the other stores, being neither too austere nor too kitschy.

Nor was it teeming with salespeople. There were only two salesgirls on the floor that they could see.

One was behind the register, ringing up another customer. She was tall and thin with boyishly short blue hair and large blue eyes. 17 appraised her quickly, noticing the short, black skirt instantly. How he loved long legs in a skirt. 'Niiice.'

The other one was walking towards them. 17 didn't miss a beat, swiftly looking her over. Unlike the other salesgirl, this one was petite yet curvaceous with perfectly tanned skin and flipped-out, shoulder-length blonde hair. He was rather taken in by her almond-shaped green eyes, which were simultaneously appraising them. In a voice that immediately caught 17's notice, though not for anything such as retail, she asked, "Good afternoon, gentlemen. Welcome to Malfaire."

"Well. Now I know why there's a lock on the door," 17 said with an appreciative smile.

Opal smirked and replied with a single word, "Lesbian."

17 sighed as he shook his head in disappointment, "What a -crime-."

Goten looked between the two, not for the first time wondering what some of the words they used meant. He looked back at the lady before him, scrutinizing her. She appeared normal enough... No paws, claws, fangs, or tail.

"My name is Opal. How may I assist you today?"

Pushing his rejection aside painlessly, 17 gestured to Goten. "He needs to look good. Fix him."

"We help. We don't fix," she said, raising a single eyebrow even as she began to take Goten's measurement with a quick look. She looked back at 17 and gave him an even closer look.

"Ever seen that movie 'Pretty Woman'?" the android smirked. He pulled out the Capsule Corp credit card and played with it in his hand. To his eyes, it was really flashy and oddly colored, but he knew that it probably reflected Bulma's personality and taste. "Well, we're here to spend an absolutely -obscene- amount of money."

"And we'll help you do that. This way, sirs." Opal led them over to one of the front corners of the store, stopping beside a rack of pants. "Now. Will this be for a special occasion, or is this a general makeover?"

"General makeover," 17 repeated. His eyes looked over the rack of clothes before looking at the prince again. "Full overhaul. We're looking for, I think... Fitted, yes, but not constrictive in any way. Color. Definitely color. But only things that work with his coloring, pale as he is."

"Is there a particular style you're going for?" she asked. She turned to Goten, focusing mostly on him, as he was the customer. "Preppy, sophisticated, classic, scandalous, goth?"

"Huh?" Goten sounded. He knew the question, but all the words following it were pretty much a foreign language to him. He turned with slightly wide eyes to 17, whom he hoped would interpret for him. Unfortunately, the android already had his sights settled somewhere else.

17 eyed the blue-haired salesgirl near the register again. He knew he was supposed to be helping Goten. But Goten was a big boy. Just like he was. And if Goten got to shop for evening wear, why couldn't he 'shop' for evening entertainment? Especially since he rather thought that this place could supply both their needs. "Excuse me, but what is -her- name?"

"Oh, that's Julia. She's new," Opal replied, looking away from Goten to look at her associate and then at 17.

"Well! I think you can take care of our boy here, hmm? I'll... be over there," 17 informed them, already moving towards the young woman as her customer left. He smiled at her, dipping his head forward slightly in greeting.

That left the prince and the salesgirl relatively alone. Opal smiled warmly at Goten. "So. No specific genre in mind. Tell me something. Do you see anything in here you -do- like? Perhaps we could start with that."

Goten glanced around, somewhat at a loss of where to begin. There was a lot from which to choose, and he had no idea what would be acceptable in this society or culture. Spotting a mannequin he thought looked appropriate, he pointed at it. "I like what that one is wearing."

The petite salesgirl studied it for a brief moment and turned back to Goten with that same smile. "Classic it is."

Soon, Goten found his arms filled with different kinds of shirts, a few jackets, and pants. Opal directed him to one of the changing rooms and helped him situate the shirts and jackets on the hooks. With a slight frown, Goten shook a pair of the pants out and looked at them.

With a slight frown, Goten shook a pair of the pants out and looked at them. "We may have a problem here."

"Oh? What's that?" Opal asked, having almost closed the door to allow him to change in privacy.

Goten looked at her and unwound his tail from around his waist. He was relieved to see that she didn't even flinch when she saw it, having already been made to feel like it was a deformity in some of the other stores in which he had been. Which, considering that one of the people who had jumped back in revulsion had been a dog-man, was rather disturbing.

"Your tail? Not a problem. Just try on all of your pants for now, and if you like them, I'll take them in back and tailor an opening to accommodate you," Opal assured him. "That is... if you don't mind waiting for that, sir."

"No. I don't think I'd mind at all," Goten replied with a slight smile. He closed the door and proceeded to start trying on all the items she had suggested. And though it took him a while, when he was done, he was actually rather happy for his selections. For the most part, everything he took in with him, he bought. There were just a few items he thought weren't to his tastes.

He handed the pants over to Opal, and the lady was as good as her word. She disappeared behind the curtain and quickly began to mend them to his specifications. Julia started ringing up the sale, folding each article of clothing as she did so while 17 stood close at hand.

The android looked between the blue-haired girl and his black-haired companion for a few moments before he asked, "Hey, Goten... Where's Piccolo at right now?"

"He's at Yamcha's and Vegeta's," Goten replied, wondering what the android had in mind now.

"Really... Hmm..." 17 replied, handing the credit card over to Julia and then producing his cell phone. He flipped it open and quickly dialed a string of numbers. He winked at Goten and then smiled at Julia as he meandered off to the side. "It's 17. Is Piccolo there? ... Let me talk to him. ... Piccolo. Come get your boyfriend. ... Bulma sent us shopping for him with the Capsule Corp credit cards. ... No, that wasn't very bright of her, was it? ... We're in the fashion district. ... What do you mean you don't know where that is? Oh, wait. My mistake. Forgot who I was talking to. ... Cross streets? Um, Third Street and Broadway Avenue. ... Yeah, it's, like... ten blocks from where you are right now. ... And Piccolo, you should hurry. I've got a skirt to chase."

Goten overheard that conversation, of course. He quirked an eyebrow at the cybernetic male as he moved back to join them. 17 retorted with a grin. In the prince's mind, he began to notice how drastically different this 17 was from the one he had known. 'Hn. He's a lot like Gohan was. Only, he's smarter than my brother. I would never say it aloud, though, especially where he could hear it as I -know- he'd take it as a compliment, and that's one thing he doesn't need.' Goten shook his head.

Piccolo arrived quickly, looking confused for a moment as he tried to figure out how to open the door. Opal, having just finished placing Goten's tailored pants and jeans into a large bag, gazed over at the glass door. Smiling, she inquired, "Is that your boyfriend?"

Goten blushed a little but still beamed as he replied, "That's him."

"Quite the looker," came the comment. Opal pressed the button to unlock the door, and Piccolo swiftly picked up on the open state, entering immediately. With that same, genuine smile, she greeted him, "Love the sweater."

"Thank you, I guess," Piccolo replied.

Turning back to Goten and handing him and Piccolo the bags, Opal said, "Now, I've added a couple of catalogs as well as my business card, in case you need anything else. Thank you, and please stop by again."

They grabbed the bags, and Goten made it a point to take the credit card away from his blue-eyed companion, which only made the android grin. Goten was really getting annoyed by that grin. Sighing, he nodded to Piccolo. He was more than ready to leave.

As they left the building, Piccolo smiled at the shorter male. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Hn. It was kind of fun. I enjoyed the salesgirl's help more than I enjoyed 17's company, though," the demi-saiyajin said. "She was nice."

"Salespeople are paid to be nice," the taller male returned.

He shrugged. "None of the other salespeople were nice. Besides, she knew what she was talking about. When I understood her, that is."

"What do you mean?" Piccolo asked.

"Just certain words and phrases."

"Such as?"

"Piccolo," Goten began, finally able to ask someone the meaning of one of the words that had been plaguing him since he heard it. "What's a lesbian?"

***

Yamcha turned to his stomach, his eyes avoiding the nightstand that stood right beside his bed and in direct line between him and the still closed window. Resting in a narrow-necked vase, a single rose looked towards him, its dark red petals still mostly closed like lips begging for a kiss. He didn't want to look at it. He didn't want it to be there. But for all that he didn't want, he didn't want to remove it, either. It had been his gift from Vegeta on St. Valentine's Day.

Vegeta.

Yamcha didn't know what to make of the saiyajin prince. Vegeta had always seemed so hard and cruel, though intelligent. Crafty. Driven. But the scarred human didn't understand what was driving him now. Questions that went without words, much less answers, tumbled through Yamcha's head. He rolled to his side, trying to think, but no position in which he put himself seemed to make him comfortable.

'If I had another person in here... Geta...' Yamcha closed his eyes, willing the hurt to go away. He was dealing with his loss. He was. But that didn't stop the pain any. With a barely stifled curse of frustration, Yamcha slipped out of bed and grabbed at a pair of well-worn, well-loved sleep pants. He knew he wasn't going to be going to sleep any time soon.

Yamcha had been a thief, so he knew how to be silent. But he just didn't care to be quiet as he walked towards his balcony. He knew that Vegeta was probably home, asleep in his bed. It was late. Or rather, it was early morning. Yamcha opened the double doors to the balcony and walked out, missing the glittering eyes watching him.

Vegeta had been sleeping on the couch since the first night he had brought Yamcha back to the condo. After he had ordered the human to take a bath, which he had -forced- himself not to watch, he had called up Krillin's wife on her cell phone and told her that he had the missing male. She had thanked him and told him to keep him there until they could pick him up. He had informed her that Yamcha would be staying there, with him, until further notice. And that she was fully in charge of the bar. He knew he was being a bit over protective of the human, but he couldn't help himself. At least he wasn't giving in to his more base desires all the time. He was more than a common animal, after all. He had been sleeping on the couch, though, just in case Yamcha had gotten it into his head to try and escape. And it seemed that the desert bandit was about to do just that.

Moving fast, Vegeta slid out of his uncomfortable sleeping arrangement and sidled up behind Yamcha. He took a good look at the vivid brand that was beautifully exposed to him and had to cross his arms over his chest and tuck in his hands to keep from touching it again. "What are you doing?"

"Geez, you scared me, Vegeta," Yamcha said as he spun around.

"I asked what you were doing." Vegeta couldn't keep the growl out of his voice, or the scowl off of his face.

"I can't sleep. I just... wanted some fresh air," Yamcha answered, turning his back on the prince, unintentionally exposing the brand again, and leaned against the railing of his balcony. He took a deep breath and looked towards the sky. It was a clear night, and the cold air only seemed to make the sky seem crisper and more distant. With a sigh, he turned to look over his shoulder at his watcher. "Is that all right with you, your highness?"

"You're not planning on... leaving. Are you...?" Vegeta asked, uncrossing his arms. He walked over to lean on the area of railing next to the human, careful not to touch him. Not yet. The prince was well aware of the fact that if he started touching the other male, he wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to stop, and he knew that that wouldn't be beneficial. Not yet, at least.

"No," replied Yamcha. He dipped his head, looking at the ground below them, which wasn't all that far off but still a decent distance. He sighed as he looked at Vegeta's profile, while the prince looked towards the sky, as if scanning for a particular object. "Where would I go? Between you, Krillin, and 18, I've got more handlers than I've got friends."

Vegeta was quiet for a moment, trying to think on how to respond to that. He looked at Yamcha, meeting the human's gaze before the scarred warrior turned to look at the sky again. Vegeta sighed. He wasn't the 'holding hands' type of person, and that was what it seemed Yamcha wanted. Someone to hold his hand and lead him out of the darkness. Vegeta returned his gaze to the sky, searching for the last remnants of his home planet, not entirely sure he'd be able to see it with his naked eyes.

Earlier in the day, Piccolo had come by. Part of the reason was to deliver a package, but Vegeta also knew that the namek had wanted to check in on the human, to see if he was all right. Yamcha had been in the shower at first, which allowed them to talk about him. Vegeta had admitted to Piccolo that he wasn't all that sure of what he was doing; he just knew that it was something he needed to do. He had covered himself by saying that it -was- Yamcha's apartment, but he knew Piccolo wasn't a stupid man.

Luckily, Yamcha unwittingly saved the prince from further embarrassment; as the human exited the bathroom, he saw Piccolo and fell into 'host' mode. He had greeted Piccolo warmly and immediately offered him some tea. Much to Vegeta's surprise, though in retrospect he shouldn't have been, Piccolo accepted.

"How's Prince Goten?" Yamcha had asked as he put a pot of water on the stove.

"He's well," Piccolo had answered as he took a seat at the table, sitting so that his long legs were off to the side instead of trying to fold them -under- the table. "He has been exploring this world to keep himself occupied."

"Oh?" Yamcha asked, moving to get some cups. "Where's he been, and what's he done?"

"He's been to a few ethnic restaurants, as they didn't have that there. He's found he doesn't care too much for Scottish food, but almost everything else he likes," Piccolo smiled.

"He goes out by himself, or do you go with him?" Yamcha asked as he grabbed at a container with the tealeaves.

"I go with him sometimes. Sometimes, he wants to go out by himself," Piccolo replied. "He was a spy most of his life, even though he was a prince. He knows how to keep a low profile."

Vegeta had watched them talk, his chin resting on his clasped hands. He tried to learn what it was that Piccolo was doing, as he seemed to make Yamcha come out of his depression a bit. The scarred human even managed to laugh a bit at some of the stories Piccolo told. It seemed Goten wasn't the only one adjusting to this new life.

Yamcha invited Piccolo to stay for dinner, as it was quickly approaching that hour. Piccolo declined at first, but Yamcha insisted. So, the namek stayed for the meal. Vegeta had been a bit smug about the fact that Yamcha was actually a good cook, something that he himself had not known until Yamcha had taken over the kitchen duty. Afterward, Vegeta did the dishes while Yamcha sat down.

The three of them had talked, though Vegeta couldn't remember most of what they said. But he remembered it had been a friendly conversation nonetheless. Their early evening visit had been interrupted by a phone call from 17, who wanted Piccolo to 'come pick up your boyfriend' as they were at a clothing store, and 17 wanted to chase a girl more than he wanted to shop. After Piccolo left, Vegeta heard Yamcha humming a bit as they sat down to watch television. Piccolo wasn't the closest of Yamcha's friends, but the namek was still a friend. "They care. They are your friends, and they show that the only way they now how. They want to take care of you."

"That still leaves you as my handler," Yamcha stated.

"Trust me, Yamcha. If I were to handle you, I would not have to ask if you were leaving. You wouldn't be able to move, much less walk away," Vegeta retorted, a small, smug smile gracing his features.

Yamcha's eyes grew large as he looked quickly at the prince and then away, his cheeks flushing. He opened his mouth to say something, and then found that he couldn't think of a single thing that would possibly make sense. Finally, he settled on a topic he knew was unsafe, but at least it might put Vegeta on the spot. "Why did you give me that rose?"

"Tradition."

"Excuse me?"

"It was that 'heart' day. The one the woman always yelled about when I forgot it," shrugged the saiyajin. "For as long as we were together, I never remembered it. But I did this year. And since flowers, candy, and cards are traditional items to give, I chose a flower. Cards are stupid, and you barely eat regular food, let alone sweets. I doubted you'd care for candy. So... the flower."

"But why?" Yamcha reiterated. "You couldn't remember to give Bulma anything, so what made this different?"

Vegeta turned to look at the scarred male again, pinning him with his eyes. "You're mine."

"Huh." The taller male studied his counterpart for a moment. It was strange to see Vegeta like this. The same, but different. It seemed like he actually -meant- it when he said Yamcha was his, as if he actually believed it. But it wasn't like a true ownership, not like he was a slave. It was just all too... confusing. Yamcha wasn't sure if he hated it as much as he should have, which made him feel all the worse for even thinking about it in the first place. "Do you watch me all the time?"

"As much as I deem necessary," came the answer.

"And... when do you think you're going to stop?"

"Not until I know you're safe without me around," Vegeta stated plainly. "And even then, I will still keep an eye on you."

Yamcha gazed blankly at Vegeta, still not believing this was the same man he'd known for so many years. "What's the matter? Can't trust me?"

"I trust you," nodded the prince, taking a step closer to Yamcha, "but not with yourself. Not yet."

Yamcha could feel the heat radiating off the smaller male's body even in the chill of late February. Some tiny part of him wanted to grab onto him, beg him to make everything just go away. But for the most part, he wanted nothing more than for the saiyajin to make -himself- go away. All at once, he reminded him of Geta. Yet, in that same frame, he was so completely different. Not that that was bad. It was just the opposite, which confused Yamcha all the more.

Vegeta could only stare up into Yamcha's chocolate brown eyes, not allowing himself the benefit of touching the other male or saying anything more. He'd already said too much. 'Can't force a miracle,' he supposed. "You should go back inside."

"Why? I like it out here."

"You're shivering," he replied, unconsciously reaching out to rub the human's upper arms. But instead of warming Yamcha up, it only made him shake more.

"Y-yeah. Maybe I should... go to bed," Yamcha conceded. He left the saiyajin prince standing on the balcony as he returned to his bedroom. Climbing into the bed, it seemed much larger than he remembered it being. 'Still empty.' He sighed deeply as his eyes bored into the darkened room. As empty as his bed seemed now, he somehow didn't feel as alone anymore. Just knowing Vegeta was out there, watching over him in that strangely overprotective way, made him feel safer. Like... it was the only way he knew how to take care of Yamcha. Shaking his head, the human still wondered why Vegeta was going through all the trouble of doing so.

Vegeta watched the other male walk away, his expression one of unspoken promise. He could practically smell Yamcha's desire for him, though the human was very adamantly denying it, even to himself. There was also the fact that there was still the emotional scar of 'Geta's' passing, yet another problem. If they ever did manage to become as intimate as Vegeta wanted, would Yamcha see him, or would the ghost of his late lover still haunt him? It was enough to make the prince want to scream and curse. He didn't, though. Instead, he went and lied back down on the sofa.

The prince moved so that his hands were behind his head, and the blanket draped loosely over him. He thought about Yamcha, and about how the human would look, sprawled out on his bed asleep. And about how he would look, sprawled out on his bed naked. And about how he would look, sprawled out on his bed waiting for him. Vegeta cursed as his sleep pants became uncomfortably tight. Again.

Yamcha didn't hear the soft cursing of the royal saiyajin. He had found a quasi-remedy to his problem. All of the pillows in his room were piled onto one side of the bed, and he was hugging them close, as if they were an actual person. It wasn't as effective as having another warm body there with him, but it did help ease some of his loneliness. It was enough for one night.

As he lied there, finally getting comfortable, Yamcha thought about what he was going to do the next day. He had been back for two months, and he thought it was time he started doing things again, time to get his mind off of his loss. 'But what can I do? I'm too old to try and start playing baseball again. And I know I don't want to try and enter any martial arts competitions. So, what does that leave me? What am I good at? Well, other than fucking things up.' Yamcha asked himself. He fell asleep, still pondering the thought.