Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Peaches & Cream ❯ Prologue

Peaches and Cream-Chapter One

Vegeta collapsed to the ground with less than his usual grace, dropping out of his super-saiyan form. He was furious with himself; first Kakarott and now the third-class baka's son had beaten him. Even dead, that grinning fool mocks me, he cursed silently. Never mind that Vegeta himself had been training Gohan for the past four years. He'd never thought the boy would be able to give him a thrashing like the one he'd just endured! It seemed somehow disrespectful of Gohan to win after all he'd done for the little brat.

"Are you okay, Vegeta?"

Scowling, the saiyan pulled himself to his feet, trying not to wince. No good letting the brat know how much pain he was in, it would only give him a swelled head. Gohan landed nimbly beside him, exhausted but not nearly as bad off as the prince.

"Do you want me to get you a sensu bean?" the young teen tried again.

Vegeta scowled further to hide his embarrassment. "I'm just fine, no thanks to you."

Gohan grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You didn't do too bad, for a third-class, half-human brat," Vegeta admitted grudgingly, pride in his voice. Gohan's grin broadened; coming from Vegeta, that was high praise!

"Let's get out of here and get something to eat, okay?" Gohan asked, empty stomach grumbling.

The prince snorted. "Saiyans are saiyans but you and your father are something else when it comes to food."

Turning his back to his teacher, Gohan gathered his things while considering this latest comment. He knew, of course, that Vegeta had been in love with Son Goku; the prince had confessed to this himself in a rare moment of candidness. But he wanted the arrogant saiyan's heart to turn towards him. After his defeat of Cell, Vegeta had come to treat him less and less like a child. He'd taken Gohan under his wing, so to speak, training the boy. Then, when Chichi had issued him an ultimatum ("Full-time schoolwork or get out, I won't have another stupid fighter in this house! Just look what happened to your father!"), Gohan had moved in with Vegeta. He couldn't feel too bad about it; his mother had his baby brother to take care of now. The saiyans had taken up residence in a large house away from the city, isolated from their respective families though they saw Bulma and Trunks often enough. Vegeta claimed he'd simply had enough of "that woman's prattling," and that if he had to "baby-sit someone, it might as well be someone I can spar with."

Life with the prince was more that just sparring, however. And it was significantly more interesting than anything Gohan had experienced before. Without his mother around, he could let loose with the more volatile saiyan side of himself, was even encouraged to do so. He also kept up with his lessons-when he felt inclined, of course-and even learned a few things from Vegeta. He eventually felt compelled to teach Gohan about their people, and a way of life previously unknown to him. It was while Vegeta spoke to him of their lost homeworld that the bonds of a tentative friendship began to form. A year passed, and though the proud saiyan lost none of his arrogance, Gohan could feel him changing inside.

Then, one morning after a sparring session, Gohan had come to a shocking realization. Though Vegeta had been almost like a father to him after losing his own, his feelings for the prince had matured beyond such a simple relationship. For one, staring at the older man's chiseled body, soaked with sweat after their workout, produced a reaction that his biology book couldn't adequately explain. Neither did it reveal the cause of the fluttering in his stomach at the sight of his mentor, or the warmth he felt at the other man's touch. It didn't make sense.

At least, not until Vegeta mentioned the feelings he'd had for Gohan's father. Surprise was replaced with jealousy, which was replaced with hope, as Gohan finally understood what was happening to him. He felt now as he suspected his father must have; he loved the proud saiyan. He cherished every word of praise the man uttered, enjoyed every minute they spent together, and on the rare occasions when they talked-really talked-he felt understood. Vegeta was handsome, regal, strong, and intelligent. How could he not love him?

Now if only Vegeta felt the same way! He had opened up to him a little. Just a little. But compared with the way the prince had been around Bulma, it was a significant accomplishment. He had tolerated her, but Gohan was willing to bet he'd never talked with her about anything more serious than dinner.

Thinking about dinner reminded Gohan how hungry he was, and he hastened to stuff everything into his knapsack. He couldn't help but feel a little proud of himself for defeating his mentor, though he knew Vegeta would only train all the harder to make sure it didn't happen again.

"Where are we going to eat today, `Geta?" the young man asked as he tossed the knapsack over his shoulder. He hoped the prince, who was a surprisingly good cook, would make something as a reward for his doing well.

Vegeta looked up, startled by his protégé's unconscious use of the nickname. "Um. Wherever you want, brat," he replied indulgently. "We can go home and I'll make that salmon you like so much."

"All right!" Gohan exclaimed. "Thanks, `Geta!"

That name again. Kakarott's nickname for him. The handsome young warrior's use of it was simultaneously pleasing and disturbing, considering the thoughts he'd been having about Gohan lately. At first he'd written it off as a side effect of the boy's coming into puberty; his saiyan genes causing him to release a scent designed to attract a potential mate. But then Vegeta'd had to admit to himself that the brat was really becoming appealing. He was fourteen, almost as tall as the prince now, long-legged and slender while retaining the muscular physique of his childhood. He'd let his hair grow out again, spiky locks pulled back from his face. And those wide, innocent dark eyes of his...altogether a pretty package, especially considering the closeness they now shared. Besides, the boy was more saiyan now than his father had been. And more intelligent, though he had inherited Kakarott's naivety. There was an innocence, a freshness, to Gohan that Vegeta couldn't fathom, but he couldn't deny that it attracted him.

Gohan eagerly took to the sky, heading back to their home, and the prince followed behind him, lost in thought. Ever since Namek, he thought to himself. You were just a kid then-Kakarott's rotten little human whelp. Who knew you'd turn out so well? Vegeta chuckled softly, watching the boy before him. The amazing thing was that the boy had managed to penetrate his shell so easily. He had disregarded his fear for the prince early on, and quickly grew to trust him completely. For someone who knew his dark history...had even experienced it firsthand...well. The kid was something special. Vegeta's pride warred with his emotions as always, straining to keep him from admitting that he wanted the boy. That he cared about him. That-

"Boy, I could use a shower," Gohan muttered, touching down on their lawn. Vegeta landed beside him, stumbling a bit to his dismay. The young demi-saiyan reached out caught his arm. "Are-are you sure you're okay?" he asked, not wanting to incur his elder's wrath by embarrassing him but genuinely worried. The prince would never let on to being hurt unless it was serious.

Vegeta's obsidian eyes met his own and Gohan blushed slightly as he realized he hadn't let go of his mentor's arm. The older man seemed to consider him for a moment, as if searching for something. Then he was leaning towards him, bending down ever-so-slightly, gaze locked with his. Gohan's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, but he made no move to stop it as Vegeta pressed their lips together.

Mesmerized by the other's black orbs, Gohan couldn't look away. A moist tongue flicked out across his lips and he parted them. Vegeta tugged him close, slipping his tongue into Gohan's mouth. The boy whimpered softly as that skillful appendage stroked his own. The prince's gaze burned into him as he kissed him more deeply, one hand coming up to brush Gohan's rounded cheek. After far too short a time, Vegeta pulled back, placing his hands gently on the young man's shoulders.

"Gohan, I...." He trailed off uncertainly. He'd done it; he'd kissed the brat. There was no going back now. Why couldn't he just say it?

His young companion had no such problems. "I love you, Vegeta."

The elder saiyan was taken slightly aback at the force of this statement. All this time he'd been trying to decide if revealing his feelings was worth the risk. Now he felt foolish for ever hesitating. Still he swallowed hard before replying. "I...love you too." It was the first time that phrase had ever left his mouth, and it felt strange. But the teenager flushed with pleasure at his words, and Vegeta immediately was glad he'd said them.

Gohan tried in vain to restrain his happiness. It was true he'd never thought Vegeta would say that to him, much less mean it (though he could tell he did), but there was something he had to know.

"'Geta...this...doesn't have anything to do with my dad, does it?"

His mentor looked mildly annoyed. "Dammit, brat, I wasted all this time worrying about how to tell you that and now you want to know if it's really you I want?!" He sighed. "Fine. We'll do this the hard way." Gohan had just enough time to wonder what `the hard way' entailed before Vegeta's arms encircled him, running down his back. The saiyan prince kissed him once more, slowly and sensually, but fiercely as well. This time he didn't stop at that, and Gohan soon was glad he and Vegeta had no neighbors, as they most certainly would not have approved.