Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found II: Lavender Blues ❯ Some advice ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. Toriyama does. I do own the Idsarjins, the character of Tomique aka Tomakt, the mate I have made up for Raditz, Bliss Simms the girlfriend I've created for Future Trunks. My thanks to all those such as Heiress, Bulma, pitkat, tenchu, and vampiresswho are continuing to review.This is rewritten from the last update, because I wanted to tweak Vegeta's character a little because he WAS uptight as you said, Heiress.And I added some sparring between Vegeta and Trunks to break up the dialogue. I hope you like the revised one as much or even more, Heiress. As always I appreciate your reviews!

Royal Line Blues: Like a Father to His Son

Vegeta landed in the garden outside Capsule corps, glancing back and forth. He had seen the blonde girl known as Bliss Simms waving goodbye to Trunks. She strode back towards Capsule with a grin on her face. Copper eyes gleamed with pride and satisfaction. Vegeta shook his head, folding his arms across his chest as he strode towards her.

"What are you looking at?" Vegeta growled.

"Prince Vegeta? I was not aware you were here…" Bliss said quickly.

"Get out of my way, girl. Don't you have something better to do with your time then gawk?" Vegeta snapped.

"Your Majesty I'm sorry," she said, inclining her head as he almost brushed past her.

"As you were, woman," he grunted, barely glancing at her.

"Sire… do you have any problems with what Mistress Bulma is having me do?" Bliss blinked at him, her throat constricting with the temporary glance of those penetrating coal black eyes boring into her. They seemed to stare past everything, stripping down to the core of her being.

"Go back to your work. That's all I have to say to you right now," Vegeta said.

"Are you sure, sire?" Bliss exhaled, unsure of what she should do with her fidgeting hands. She dropped to one knee, hand crossed over her chest, while struggling not to extend the other.

"Say nothing," Vegeta grunted at her. "I know what's going on. I'm no idiot. But know that there was much planning that I was not aware of till now. And I won't let one screw up stand in the way of my destiny."

"Whatever you say, sire," Bliss exhaled, unsure of what this meant.

"Continue as you're instructed and you'll know if I'm displeased. Otherwise keep your eyes open and your mouth shut like your mother does," Vegeta grunted, striding past her once she stepped aside.

"Of course your Majesty, I don't' want to disappoint you," said Bliss, swallowing hard.

"If you do, you'll know. Otherwise STOP fishing for empty compliments. Do as you're told, and everything will be to my satisfaction. But don't expect me to dole out platitudes every time you go begging like some puppy. It isn't becoming of a Capsule Employee," Vegeta said quietly, his eyes boring into hers again.

Bliss averted her gaze, nodding. Vegeta reached down and grabbed her by the forearm, pulling her roughly yet gently to her feet. "Now get up. That sort of behavior isn't required. Inclining your head is sufficient respect enough, but don't think too much of it."

"Right, thank you sire," she nodded. Slowly Bliss entered Capsule once more, visibly shaken. However a sense of relief passed over her, evident by the relaxation of her furrowed brow to a smooth one hidden under honey colored highlights.

"Children," Vegeta humped, watching the youth quickly disappear through the glass doors. After a while, the corner of his lip twisted into a smug smirk. She wasn't too hard on the eyes, and she meant well. Perhaps she would serve the purpose she seemed to be headed towards.

As Vegeta strode towards the Gravity chamber's curved surface, he flinched. A large ki flickered in his awareness, separated from the ki of Raditz, who he instructed to remain in his presence. Grumbling he stopped, waiting for the powerful owner to make his presence known. Vegeta made a mental note to speak to Raditz later about this infraction.

"Father?" a raspy voice asked.

"What brat?" mumbled Vegeta. He turned to face the youth only an inch taller than he. Blue eyes the identical shape to his blinked with uncertainty. They searched for something in his own midnight depths. Perhaps recognition or something else?

"I er, know you um probably don't talk about 'weakling' things like what happens between a man and um… a woman but, I um…" Trunks started, scratching the back of his neck. He averted his gaze.

"Humph spit it out, boy," Vegeta glanced. His arms were already crossed over his chest in that regal pose, indicating his guarded nature.

"Well I um… since you weren't around in my time to tell me about these kind of things, I did ask Radditzu, but he suggested I should ask you," said Trunks.

"What is it, boy?” Vegeta asked him.

"How did you know you wanted to be with Mom? I mean have sex?" Trunks asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

"I was beginning to think you were going to say the `L' word," Vegeta sighed with some relief. For a moment he dreaded that Trunks was going to say 'in love' this would have ended the conversation then and there.

"Well?" Trunks asked, arms folding across his chest in a mimic of his father's pose.

"Depends on your past experience,” Vegeta answered. “Are we talking about a lay, or something more long term? Satiation or what might constitute a sexual relationship like a concubine?”

"Well not just wanting to get off, and um, well get laid, but I mean really WANT to be with a girl, for more than just one night. I mean…" he trailed off.

"Bonding then, or exploring?” Vegeta asked.

"Is it permanent?" he asked.

"You wish to know about mating in the Saiyan manner?" asked Vegeta.

"Yes Father. Gohan taught me all sorts of things about life, since you weren't around. But he didn't know anything about Saiyans when it came to… mating," he said quietly. "Mother only knew so much. And Radditzu told me this whole-complicated thing about 'bonding', this, and that. He sounded like some stupid encyclopedia. Finally he said 'Ask your Father'."

"Wise choice," Vegeta said. "Well, what do you wish to know, boy?"

"Is there such thing as a… soul mate?"

"Come, let's fly. Some things are better discussed when otherwise occupied,” Vegeta grunted, waving to Trunks. They blasted off, making twin blue streaks in the afternoon sky.

“Kakkarot's demi-saiyan brat might have taught you how to fight, but did he teach you how to keep up with the Saiyan Prince?" Vegeta taunted in a friendly manner.

"Nope but we had this talk before about girls," Trunks laughed, his relief pushing away his awkward blush. Vegeta and he blasted off towards the wilderness where they could talk unimpeded.

Father and son touched down opposite one another in a large clearing about ten miles from West city. Trunks felt fresh air whipping through his violet hair. Vegeta's own crest moved only slightly from the quickening gusts. His future son waited for his father to next speak, but wasn't surprised when Vegeta dropped into a defensive stance.

“Spar with me,” Vegeta said quickly. His arms stretched out before him, with the flats of his hands perpendicular to one another. Both feet were spread one before the other at the width of his shoulders.

Immediately Trunks lifted one hand with fingers slightly curled, before his face, while his other was dropped with his right elbow by his hip. Blue eyes met black ones, both father and son circling to size one another up. Trunks noted Vegeta's crouched stance, anticipating an opponent who topped him by two inches in height. Slowly Trunks circled his arms in a lazy movement to keep Vegeta's eyes diverted.

“HYAH!” Vegeta barked, advancing with the flat of his hand sweeping forwards. Trunks easily blocked the first blow, then brought up his other arm to punch. The gauntlet had been thrown down, resulting in an escalating sweep of kicks and circular swipes.

"So what was your first time like?" asked Trunks.

"Huh?"

"Your first time you got laid?" asked Trunks.

"You tell me first," said Vegeta.

"Uhhh," groaned Trunks. "Well, it was a blind date Gohan fixed me up on. The girl was named Marron. She was really nice. I mean she was named after her mom, who died…"

Trunks flipped over Vegeta's head, only to get an elbow in his back. He recovered quickly, flipping over to tag Vegeta in the thigh. Another punch arched out from Vegeta's left hand, followed by the flat of his right to Trunk's face.

"Humph," Vegeta snickered. "I was older than you were when I was first with a female."

"Who was your first?"

"Humph it wouldn't mean much to you," said Vegeta with a snicker.

"One of Freiza's women?" he asked.

"Jennlynn. Her name was Jennlynn," said Vegeta. "She was a pleasure slave."

"Oh," said Trunks. His son spun and sent a kick nearly vertically to just miss Vegeta's chin. It amazed him how his father's neck arched to one side to avoid it.

“Don't anticipate, follow through, boy,” Vegeta breathed. “Keep eye contact at ALL times, just like you're doing.”

“Let's kick it up a notch,” Trunks said.

“As you wish, boy,” Vegeta grinned, catching the gleam of excitement in Trunk's eyes.

"Was she good?" Vegeta asked. Hearts pounded in ever increasing pace to match one another's quickening actions. Trunks levitated partly to draw himself back almost one hundred yards.

“Yeah," Trunks grunted. "But she and I didn't get to be together long cause I had to train. I was 14."

Vegeta surged towards him, his head suddenly slamming into Trunks' solar plexus. Grunting, Trunks reeled backwards. His hand shot back, gripping the hilt of his sword to draw it out. Vegeta's white glove blocked the arching blade.

“Gotcha!” Trunks laughed, then shut up in mute appreciation when each blow was blocked with the flat of a gloved hand.

"Saiyans don't mate for life till they are seasoned as warriors, boy," said Vegeta. "And contrary to this planet, Saiyan females are expected to be sexually experienced."

"Huh?"

"Every Saiyan female is deflowered by a noble," said Vegeta with a matter of fact look. "It's customary for the King or a higher ranking noble to initiate a female into womanhood. She sees it as an honor."

Vegeta's rapid fire punches soon put Trunks on the defensive with his gleaming blade. His son gasped, "Oh, like the right of the first night?"

"A Saiyan male finds his first pleasure with a pleasure slave. Usually she's Idsarjin, or she's a concubine specially trained to teach him the sexual arts of being Saiyan," he said. "Never a Saiyan female. No, his first time with a Saiyan female is usually during Cavorting."

Further and further he backed up till he dropped, then swept out his foot to knock Vegeta off balance. The Saiyan Prince flipped over, landing easily before levitating out of Trunks' next attack. He panted, "Like your dating. That does a time in their life when males posture and females accept. She finds the mate best suited. But since there were fewer females then males, the phase was regulated. “

Trunks shot up into the air, matching his father's velocity. He swung his sword in a horizontal arch, barely catching Vegeta zipping to and fro. He panted, “Didn't she get a CHOICE?”

Vegeta zipped out, then swung a punch only to have Trunks dodge out of the way as Vegeta gasped, “She would pursue five males of her choice. If she could narrow it down to the ones with which she'd wish to bed, then she would spend a night of passion with each one.”

"Did females choose mates?" Trunks asked, shooting up ten feet.

Vegeta phased out, then appeared on first Trunk's left, then his right. All the while he continued his explanation, while pelting Trunks with punches from multiple directions, seeing his son quickly blocking them. "The parents chose the candidates. But their oldest brothers or mother's brother guarded higher-ranking females. The brother decided which warriors were suitable for his sister's mate. He would know his sister the best. That's how it worked among elite. Third classes usually had less discriminating tastes.”

Trunks panted, "Wow, it isn't that much different from Earth. WHEW.”

Just in the nick of time Vegeta shot his hand out, grabbing Trunks next wild vertical slash. His sword gleamed in Vegeta's eyes almost blinding him. Grabbing his son's wrist with one hand, he plucked his sword out with a chopping blow to his son's forearm. With a thunk the sword dropped blade first to imbed in the top of a stump.

“Oh man, that was dirty,” Trunks grumbled.

"Saiyan customs are not as outlandish as you might think. To be sexually experienced was like being seasoned in battle,” Vegeta snickered in triumph.

The Saiyan no Ouji felt Trunks' hand grip his arm, then twist with a whip cracking motion upwards. Flipping Vegeta over his head, Trunks panted, “Uh huh, but only before marriage right? All females were expected to have mates, or to be Royal Concubines? Is that it?”

Vegeta hurtled with the force of the toss. Righting himself short of crashing into a nearby tree, he panted, “The concubine who first bore a male son was Queen."

For a moment Trunks circled warily, pursued by Vegeta. Inches from him, Trunks gasped, "So your mother was Queen?"

"Yes," said Vegeta.

Trunks swallowed hard, keeping Vegeta's stare fixed into his. Uncomfortably with his next question, he asked it while drifting backwards the next time Vegeta arched around. Each swipe of Vegeta's punches he kept just before, asking, "Did you ever… make a Saiyan female… um… you know?"

"No," Vegeta grunted, frustrated that Trunks had suddenly gone passive. "I was the Prince. Freiza sent me on many missions. It wasn't my job to fuck Saiyan females. Even though there were a few available."

"If so, why didn't you ever make one of them your mate?" Trunks queried.

“What was that?” Vegeta grunted.

Ducking back, he shot feet first under Vegeta, then grabbed one gold toed boot. Catching Vegeta's ankle Trunks swung him around twice, saying, "Wasn't... Tomakt available?"

"UHH. It was because she was promised to someone else," grunted Vegeta, hurtling off towards the broad trunk of another tree.

Split between their conversation and fighting, Trunks realized Vegeta was testing his attention to its limits. Forming coherent thoughts while trying to string sentences together resulted in Trunks splitting his mind into instinctual movements preprogrammed from the many sessions he'd run with Gohan in the wastelands outside west city.

“If you wish to know, boy,” Vegeta called out, rocketing towards him. “Mating her would be too familiar. Because she was someone I knew rather well since childhood. And she wasn't the 'one'."

"The one?" asked Future Trunks, narrowing blue eyes at his father in this reality. He gasped, feeling Vegeta's shoulder ram into his stomach.

Insanely enough Vegeta continued his thought while almost ramming his son into a nearby rock outcropping, "Familiarity isn't the determining factor of compatibility. She was genetically compatible, but she refused me, and I respected her reasons.”

“Huh? Why?” Trunks grunted. AT the last moment he shoved away, plummeting towards the ground below. He landed heavily on two sneakered feet, panting heavily. Vegeta collided with the rock, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Father!” Trunks called out. “Are you all right?”

His next burst of speed propelled him to the rock face where he should have been one with, seconds before. Trunks saw his father hugging his chest, coughing but otherwise unharmed. Armor rising and falling with each breath, Vegeta panted, “I'm fine. But can you keep kicking it up a notch as you say?”

“I can take anything you dish out, Father, but first, let's take five. Tell me more about why she, didn't uh, you know,” Trunks laughed with relief. His hand brushed Vegeta's trembling shoulder. He waited at his father's side for him to catch his breath.

"She would have simply been my concubine, as any others. She desired and promised herself to the one she is now mated to, and the other available female Saiyan was far too young. Besides the one I had chosen to bear my young wasn't Saiyan," Vegeta wheezed. He glanced up at Trunks who gave him a bewildered glance.

"Huh?" asked Trunks.

"Surprises you doesn't it?" Vegeta said quietly. "There was only one female that I truly wanted to bear my young.”

"Jennlynn right?” Trunks said softly. “Hey, you want some water or something? Or should we keep going?”

“We shall pause, and resume,” Vegeta nodded.

Trunks reached into his jacket, pulling out a box he had slipped there before. Vegeta jumped back when he saw Trunks throw down a capsule, exploding a fridge out of the smoke.

“Something to drink?” Trunks asked. Vegeta mumbled at the irony in the boy's offer because only a year before the Prince had turned up his nose at Future Trunks' peace offering of a cold beverage the first time they met.

“Hmm, yes that would be acceptable,” Vegeta nodded. Both men squatted, opening up the fridge to Hercule sport drinks and bottles of spring water.

“There's papaya, and mango flavor,” Trunks said, passing him two large bottles. Vegeta accepted both. Cracking the cap on each one, he tipped back his head to drain the first, followed quickly by the second in two long swigs. Sweat beaded on his broad forehead, furrowed with the pain of a sudden memory coming to the surface.

Both sat down Indian style on the grass near the cube fridge. Trunks helped himself to bottled water, chugging away at least three before wiping away at his mouth with the back of his hand. Vegeta in the meantime had emptied two more bottles of sport drink. “So, where were we?” Trunks asked patiently.

"It was Jennlynn I had chosen. But she couldn't hold the pregnancy. I then thought it wasn't my destiny to continued the Saiyan race,” Vegeta finished. He hung his head, eyes squeezed shut with regret. Trunks felt his own throat tighten. If not for a twist of fate he himself wouldn't exist.

"I see," Trunks said. “Man, I'm sorry.”

"It matters not," Vegeta said, lifting his gaze to meet that of Trunks. "Besides, Bulma was capable. Because now I've seen the end result of another Saiyan human coupling."

"You believe I'm your son?" asked Trunks, blue eyes searching for the truth he hoped Vegeta would grasp. For a tense moment Vegeta's dark gaze penetrated right to the boy's heart and soul, seeking what both desired to know.

“You have Saiyan blood boy, the way you fight. I'll give you that,” Vegeta slowly nodded.

"There was something I wanted to tell you. I had a tail, but it was cut off when I was really small," Trunks mumbled. “This is gonna sound stupid, but bear with me…”

“What is it?” Vegeta asked. Trunks shrugged off his Capsule Corps Jacket to drop around his hips. He turned his back to Vegeta, crossing his arms before him to hike up his tank top. Vegeta could see his bare back revealed. Multiple scars crisscrossed the young flesh, causing Vegeta to widen his eyes in shock and surprise.

“I'm not mooning you, Father,” Trunks chuckled. “But when I was born, I had a tail. And the scar's still here.”

“You had a tail,” Vegeta trailed off, squinting to where Trunks pointed. His gloved hand helped drag the pants down slightly so he could see a small depression covered partly in brown fuzz.

“You see it?” Trunks panted, wiping sweat from his face.

“I'll be damned,” Vegeta shook his head, removing his hand. He backed away, watching his son drop his shirt again. Trunks turned around again, shaking lavender hair out of his sweaty face.

“Do you believe me now?” Trunks asked, eyes eager for acceptance.

Vegeta cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. At the same time, Trunks one hand had wandered to the back of his neck. Both of them froze, glancing at one another in mutual realization. Vegeta slowly rasped, “Ahem, well, with that hideous purple hair… there's little doubt that you're Bulma's brat.”

A grin spread across Trunks' face, “I know you said all male Saiyans had dark hair. But Radditzu said there's mixing of race.”

“And you're stubborn enough to be her offspring, no doubting,” Vegeta mumbled, peering down at his boot, unable to look Trunks in the face. More to himself then anyone else he continued to ramble, "Never was there any male without the dominant genes. Perhaps Females, but by and large all Saiyans are darkly pigmented. Those that lived to adulthood. Perhaps there might be variation in the eye color or skin. But the hair is always brown or black. It just doesn't make sense… it can't be and yet…”

"Father, I know it seems crazy. And if you think about it, brown and black hair only sounds kind boring," Trunks joked. “Are you okay?”

Vegeta lifted his gaze once more. He moved close, grabbing the boy's chin and turning his head from one side to the other. His gloved hand remained for a long moment, while Trunks saw the confusion clouding his father's midnight gaze over. Breath rasped in a long sigh from Vegeta's mouth, and he released Trunks face finally. Lips formed words that took Vegeta great effort to form, “I must accept it fully. You are truly my son. There's no other explanation. ”

“Father, I'm glad you finally see…” Trunks said with a slow smile.

“What would you expect of me, boy? Seeing what you have?” Vegeta mumbled. He slid his hand down to squeeze the boy's shoulder tightly. Resting his hand on top of Trunks, he turned away.

“I'm not disappointed. I'm glad to have the chance to be fighting by your side. And I want to help you… reach your goal. That is if you want me to,” Trunks added when Vegeta snapped his head around to glare at him.

“Are you quite sure I haven't already achieved it, Trunks?” Vegeta said, lifting a brow. His frown was replaced with a slow smirk.

“For a moment maybe?” Trunks grinned knowingly. “When you were sure it was lights out? When everything else seemed impossible you broke through?”

“Yes,” Vegeta nodded. “The pure rage and anger I felt at Bok Choi. The desire for revenge. It wasn't a pure heart of goodness, but a pure heart of hatred. Does that shock you?”

“No Father, it doesn't,” Trunks nodded. “You're not Goku. You're you. I wouldn't have thought it was any other way.”

“You are naïve and young boy, but it reassures me to see that you have good sense. Another trait you've inherited obviously from me,” Vegeta smirked proudly.

“Father, it's just weird talking to you like this,” Trunks said with a chuckle.

"Well it is rather bizarre," Vegeta said, chuckling himself. The sensation was unfamiliar, the sound free of the harsh cackle of an exalting warrior driven to prove his supremacy. Rather Vegeta's laugh was warm and full of mutual contentment in the shared moment of understanding only a parent and child could share.

Such a moment of peace was both terrifying and exhilarating to sense. Vegeta only had felt it once before, when he was in Bulma's arms. Acceptance of who he was without question. Here this boy from the future embraced what Vegeta was, not taunting him but seeking understanding. Somehow Vegeta knew in his thawing heart that whatever he did, Trunks would still welcome him with the same enthusiasm. Here he was a murderer of millions, and this youth wanted to ask him for advice on such matters as mundane as mating.

"It's so weird talking to you like this,” Trunks smiled.

“Heh, so anything ELSE you wish to know?" Vegeta laughed.

“Well, I'm still trying to think of something,” Trunks admitted sheepishly. The next minute hung heavy with awkward words that both wanted to say but knew would open things up to a far more vulnerable level then either wished to do. For fear of rejection.

"Just know this, Trunks. I've accepted you're my son, but you must remember I'm not a weak sentimental fool like Kakkarot. I may be your Father, but don't expect me to be a bowl of touchy feely mush. I don't like talking about feelings," said Vegeta.

"I don't want it any other way. That's not you, Father," said Trunks.

"At least you are realistic," Vegeta nodded. “So, what else do you want to… `talk' about? While we're miles from any nosy onlookers?”

"I just kind of think it's strange," said Trunks.

"What?" asked Vegeta, glaring at him.

"You make such a big deal about weaklings and stuff, but you don't bug her that much," said Trunks.

"Who?" Vegeta asked, wiping away sweat with a gloved hand.

"Raditz' mate. You kept saying she was soft hearted, and yet you treat her with respect. Why is that? You're always insulting Mom. Why?"

"It's not your business boy. Drop it," said Vegeta, his mood souring

"Why? What's the deal with it? You're always insulting Mom. Calling her names. It's really lame," Trunks said with irritation. "I don't like it."

"Don't be so quick to judge boy. It's the Saiyan way to trade insults. You call it busting chops, which is a human means of interaction don't you?" said Vegeta.

“Well yes but…” Trunks said reluctantly, scratching his head.

“Look at it this way. Kakkarot and his harpy mate argue all the time. It's just what mated Saiyans do. And fellow Saiyans always verbally harangue one another. I do it to everyone,” Vegeta explained.

"But you don't call her names," said Trunks.

"Who are you talking about, idiot?" Vegeta huffed. “You know that I call EVERYONE names. Surely you've seen by now.”

"Not Professor Tomakt," said Trunks. "The only thing you go on and on about is how she's 'soft hearted' and yet you still consider her Saiyan. Why?"

"She's a brilliant scientist. Why are you asking such stupid questions?” Vegeta shrugged. He grunted, pushing himself to his feet.

Trunks collected the empty bottles, leaning over to do so. He mumbled, "Mom's a brilliant scientist, and you're always saying she's stupid."

"I call everyone stupid, Trunks. Now what is your point?"

Trunks straightened up, with a suspicious gleam in his eyes. He packed the bottles in the fridge, then capsulated it. Pointing in Vegeta's direction he said, “You slept with her, didn't you?"

"WHAT?" Vegeta spluttered.

"Tomakt. You 'initiated' her before she was with Raditz, didn't you?" asked Trunks quietly.

Vegeta glared at him. "What leads you to that ridiculous conclusion?"

"Only that it makes sense. I mean you don't say much around her. It's like you two go out of your way to avoid speaking to each other," said Trunks.

"You're being an idiotic fool, boy," Vegeta glared at him.

"That's why you were so… eager to make sure that we weren't alone together, because you knew her when you were a kid, I guess I assumed you guys were close," Trunks said quietly.

Rolling his eyes Vegeta slapped a hand to his forehead. He said tightly, "Once a female is mated, she is OFF limits! Saiyans mate for life. And why are you so nosy?"

“C'mon dad, I was just curious! You two had a thing for each other! Is it so hard to admit?" Trunks said with a teasing glint in his face. “You can tell me, I won't blab.”

“Drop it boy, and mind your own business," Vegeta grunted, brow wrinkling in a warning frown.

"I won't tell anyone else if you two slept together. Honestly,” Trunks promised.

"Oh fine, you win! I never slept with her because she was like a sister to me!” Vegeta blurted out.

"Whoops, sorry I asked,” Trunks blushed, backing away from a frustrated and embarrassed Saiyan no Ouji. Turning his back to his son, Vegeta folded his arms, grumbling in Saiyaneese.

"She and I knew each other from an early age. Would you want to mate with someone that knew you so well that…" he trailed off, still not facing Trunks.

"Nope. It was bad enough growing up around Marron. She was like a kid sister."

"But you and her slept together," Vegeta said, tilting his head to glance at Trunks slightly over one shoulder.

"Because we were scared," Trunks said. "She was Krillen and Marron's daughter."

"So Cueball married that empty headed bimbo," Vegeta chuffed, an amused smirk twisting the corner of his frown up.

"Her mother died shortly after Krillen did. Mom took her in, and we grew up knowing each other," Trunks said with a shrug. "Were you and Tomakt like that?"

"Like WHAT?" Vegeta asked, turning to face him fully, with a raised brow.

"She said that her mom was your tutor, so I assumed that maybe you two had known one another and maybe she had a Jones on you," Trunks blushed.

"Although she was the first female I knew that I was allowed to be around for any length of time," said Vegeta. "I know her TOO well. Familiarity breeds contempt."

"You could have mated with her instead," Trunks muttered.

Vegeta threw back his head and laughed, "She wished to be with that idiot Radditzu. No accounting for taste. But she was too familiar. Not the sort I wanted to bear my offspring. She wanted a commoner. And I had no desire for her other than to protect her. Not fuck her."

"So you guys were just friends?" Trunks laughed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck for the umpteenth time. He stared again down at his boots, ashamed of his mistake.

"It wouldn't be wise for you to let anyone know that she was my... first... friend. Because this secret is an awkward one that binds us together,” Vegeta grunted.

"No worries Father. I'm glad you told me, and I'm sorry I assumed you guys were... you know," apologized Trunks.

“Humph, since you're young and foolhardy, I can overlook this,” Vegeta nodded. “Now, shall we return and continue our sparring in the GR?”

“Okay,” said Trunks, exhaling in relief. First Vegeta, then Trunks activated their ki. Air crackled with identical frequencies of blue auras flaring their hair about. The next moment they rocketed off in their twin streaks of fire, arching over the forest on their way home.

In the air Trunks sliced through resistance, neck and neck with his father. He sheepishly admitted, "I didn't know she had a mate. When I first saw her. I guess since she was the first female Saiyan I'd seen I kinda thought through the little head instead of the big one. There's just something so different about female Saiyans."

Sapphire ki warping over his body, Vegeta nodded in understanding. He said, "A word of advice. Chase that little siren that's caught your eye. And don't dwell on past mistakes. You're only half human after all.”

"You've seen us?" Trunks asked, not believing his ears. His lip twitched in amusement.

"What, are you asking for my APPROVAL? My permission to fuck her?" Vegeta laughed at him.

"Well, uh yeah," Trunks admitted. He glanced down at the ground shifting beneath them in its bands of alternating dark and light. Their course took them over farm fields and patches of green forest, interrupted by the whizzing of air cars and planes at a lower altitude. Up ahead rose the spires and curves of West City. In the heart gleamed the yellow dome of the Capsule mansion, only a mile off.

"She's acceptable. Do what you will with her," Vegeta said with a grunt of approval.

"Even though I'm half Saiyan?" Trunks asked, raising a lavender brow.

"You're old enough to make that decision on your own,” Vegeta answered.

"Thank you Father," said Trunks, still in disbelief that Vegeta and he even had such a conversation.

"Now to the Gravity Room," said Vegeta firmly. “There is much we need to teach one another, and much we must show the third class.”

“Right,” Trunks nodded, following his father's course downwards. Before long they both landed by the spherical shape of Capsule 4. It was not far from the main complex, having been designed to replace the one that Vegeta had unceremoniously destroyed almost a year before.