Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ That'll Do, Son. ❯ And then he was single... ( Chapter 12 )

A/n: ….^^;;;;; Eh, so it took a while.. I lost interest for a bit since you guys stopped reviewing, but it came back.. I guess it was hungry? Cold? Either way, sorry it took so long, minna. I'm back. ^^

Oh, and I love Bardock. I really, honestly do. I swear I will fix everything eventually. ^^;;; *hides from angry Bardock fans*

Chapter 12: And Then He Was Single

Bardock's hair whipped around his eyes and ears as he cut through the thick atmosphere of Hell. His blood was still boiling furiously, bringing a slight pink tinge to his normally bronze flesh, and for once in a very, very long time, he thought of Kinoko. He had loved her, too, once upon a time. Was this how she had felt when she found out about he and Toma? Was she this angry at him, at what he did? He shook his head and refused to feel guilty about it. They had had some good times and some great sex, but they just didn't connect like he and Toma did.

Toma... Bardock's top lip curled and he added a bit more speed to his flying. He half hoped that Turles had left, leaving Toma alone for him to find, but then... If he had gone, Bardock wouldn't be able to beat him senseless as he had originally planned. The burly saiyan spat onto the ground below him and he growled at his own confusion, hating himself for not knowing what to do. What if Toma *didn't* love him anymore? Could he face the rejection?

His tail tightened around his waist as he sped up even more, trying not to get his hopes up and failing miserably.

~

Back at the house, Goku was sprawled out across the roof, straining his eyes for a sun that wasn't going to rise. He was in the middle of wondering how Hell could have any light at all if it didn't have a sun when he was called to from below. He sat up and blinked, looking over the edge for the source of his name. Radditz was stood on the ground with his hands cupped around his mouth. "Oi! Little brother!"

"Hey, Radditz! Good morning!"

"Want some breakfast?" He made a motion towards the front door. "We found some salted Sachai meat in the basement that looks like it could still be edible!"

Goku's stomach pulled a flip-flop, and, not sure that he should risk the knowledge of what a "Sachai" was, replied, "I'll be down in a minute."

Radditz chuckled and waved Goku down to him, presumably to get him to go a little faster. "Suit yourself, little bro, but I'd get down here pretty quickly... There might not be any left when you do!"

Goku rubbed his palms together and turned his face towards the coppery sky once again. He hoped that Bardock was okay; he had had a hunch that the man wouldn't exactly open up like a flower for him, but he couldn't help but worry. After all, the last thing he needed was another Vegeta.

Pausing in his actions of hopping down from the roof, he froze at the thought of the older saiyan's name. Goku hadn't thought of Vegeta since he first arrived, and a pang of guilt racked his insides. When he further realized that he had not only fucked one but two other people with thoughts of a third behind Vegeta's back, he wanted to vomit.

What had he become? His rear end bumped back against the roof shingles as he stared numbly at the ground below him.

Son Goku did not go down for breakfast that day.

~

Turles sneered and straightened, growling deep in his chest and trying harder than he ever had to keep his patience. Breathing deeply through his nose, he ground his teeth at Toma. "Fine. Sit here and be a sniveling weakling! I'll be back when you've had time to reconsider your pussy-ass emotions." With that, he turned his back on the former sub-commander and stomped out of the house, passing a fuming Bardock on the way.

At the sight of the man, Turles snarled and puffed his tail out, but halted when he noticed that Bardock had walked straight past him. He sighed, momentarily considering re-stating his challenge, but thought better of it. At the moment, he'd lose anyway.

Inside the house, Bardock didn't allow himself to wonder why he hadn't beaten Turles as he had planned. He already knew why, and so he continued on into the bedroom to find Toma still in a ball on the floor. The once-commander scooped up whom he thought was still his mate and carried him over to the bed, reclining and cradling the man he loved in his arms (though a bit awkwardly, for Toma was more than a bit bigger than he was). Toma stirred a bit and turned to look at Bardock, who leaned in and gave Toma a soft kiss and a small, concerned smile. "Tears don't suit you, chibi."

Toma barked out a small laugh and wiped his eyes roughly before falling back onto Bardock's chest with a shuddering sigh. "No, I guess they don't, do they?" Silence fell over them for a few moments while Bardock ran his hand through Toma's hair. Then, softly, "You came back."

"Yeah."

"For me?"

"...Hai."

Toma made an odd choking sound and sat back up on Bardock's lap so that he could look him in the eye. He paused and looked for confused for a moment before shrugging. "I didn't expect you to come back. You didn't have to."

Bardock frowned. "Huh?"

"After what I did to you, you're entitled to make my life hell. All you'd have to do to do that would be to never come back."

Bardock's brows drew inwards sharply and he sat up further, supporting Toma by grabbing him by the shoulders. The urge to shake some sense into the man rose, but Bardock ignored it. "Chibi..."

Toma shook his head and placed a finger on Bardock's lips. "Look, Bardock... I-I'm sorry for betraying you like that, but... He was so much like you! He even looked and smelled and talked like you and I couldn't help myself... You were gone so long, `daku... I didn't think you were ever gonna come back..." He had tears in his eyes again and Bardock decided that if he ever got Toma back (and he would), he'd have to toughen him up again. "I'm so sorry..."

Bardock growled, causing Toma to look up at him. "Toma, listen to me." He waited until he was sure that he had Toma's full attention. "Chibi, I don't care about what you did with Tur-with him. It's okay. I forgive you."

Toma did not smile as Bardock had expected. A sense of fear began to creep up his tailbone, but he smiled hopefully and cocked his head at Toma, stroking away the wetness on his cheeks and blinking slowly. Toma closed his eyes and whispered something so quiet that Bardock didn't catch it, despite his saiyan hearing. At his query, however, Toma spoke up. "I said I don't want to leave him, `daku."

All traces of hope melted off of Bardock's face and his fingers froze against Toma's cheek. "...What?"

"I...I love him."

Bardock dropped his hand and blinked a few times, trying to let this new information sink in. What about him? "But... Chibi..."

Toma glared at Bardock. "I knew you wouldn't understand."

Bardock snarled and shoved Toma's shoulder off to the side, successfully knocking the man off of his lap and onto the bed. He jumped up and faced Toma, who righted himself to sit with his legs hanging over the edge. He glared at Bardock warily, but the look was ignored. "What the fuck is there to `understand', Toma? I thought you loved me! Me, Toma, not my brother! We were MATES!"

Toma flinched at that but stood and crossed his arms. "You left me, Bardock. You know damned well you could have seen me during your military training but you didn't. You didn't, Bardock! You don't know how lonely I was without you!"

Bardock laughed, but there was absolutely no trace of humor behind it. "Lonely? You think I don't know what being lonely feels like? Toma, I haven't gotten laid since we were alive before Meatsei! I couldn't bear the thought of going to bed beside anybody but you!"

"Yeah? Well maybe I'm not as strong as you, Bardock! Maybe I was taken advantage of or something, I don't know, but I'm not... I'm not..."

Bardock had the distinct feeling that he wanted to say, "I'm not unhappy with him", and it hurt him more deeply than he would have ever expected. It was tangible proof of Toma's betrayal, and Bardock could no longer feed his denial. Toma loved Turles now; not him. His brother. "Toma... I thought..."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong, Bardock. Get out."

Bardock rose wide eyes to his former comrade. "What?"

"Get out of my house, Bardock."

~

Radditz glanced out the window and licked the salt from his top lip. Breakfast was long done and his little brother was still a no-show. He looked down at the small amount of food he fought to save for him and considered taking it up to him. Was he still up there? He flapped his tail and padded out of the door, carrying the small metal disc with the cooling, salty meat on it. Reaching the side of the house that his brother was previously on top of, he looked up, shielded his eyes against the light that came from nowhere, and called, "Hey, Kakarotto! Are you still up there, little bro?"

Goku picked a rock off of one of the shingles next to him and threw it down to announce his presence. His stomach rumbled quietly and he glared at it, but longed for food nonetheless. He hoped Radditz had brought him some, since he hadn't gone down for breakfast, but he wasn't about to ask for some. He wasn't in a talking mood at all, and if worse came to worse, he supposed he could always hunt for something.

The elder saiyan grinned despite the growl that accompanied. "Are you just gonna sit up there and starve or somethin'?" When Goku didn't answer, Radditz cocked his head to one side. "You ok?" He received no answer yet again, and so he drifted up to sit beside his brother. The elder brother looked down at the younger, who seemed to be sleeping, and growled. "Kakarotto, I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's not funny." He set the plate down on the roof, catching the meat when it attempted to slide off, and glared at Goku's closed eyelids. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Still, he received no reply. Irritated, Radditz grunted and smirked wolfishly. "Fine, then, I'll just make you talk. Or at least smile."

With that, he latched onto Goku's sides and began the merciless tickle torture we all know and hate.

The super saiyan twitched and squirmed and finally broke into a full laugh, curling into a little ball and swatting at Radditz, who smirked triumphantly and grabbed his little brother around the shoulders, holding him captive. Goku fell quiet again but still smiled, and Radditz nuzzled the side of his neck. "Now tell me. What's wrong?"

Goku picked a piece of dried Sachai off of the plate and nibbled it thoughtfully for a moment before replying, "You seem an awful lot more considerate than you were on Earth, Radditz..."

"That's not what I asked, Kakarotto."

Goku sighed and leaned back into his brother, enjoying the warmth he was resting his body upon. "I was just thinking..."

Radditz ran the tip of his nose up the back of Goku's ear and purred. "About what?"

Goku squirmed a bit and tried to concentrate on what he wanted to say. "About... About... I can't think when you do that."

Radditz chuckled and licked his earlobe before pulling back. "Sorry. Now, what were you thinking about?"

"About Vegeta." He took another bite of the mysterious meat and swallowed. "About how I've been sleeping with you, and Turles that one time, behind his back."

"Behind his back? Little brother, I thought you said you two weren't together!"

"We're not, but... I can't help but feel like I'm betraying him, y'know?"

Radditz squeezed his thighs and arms around his brother in a makeshift hug before laying his chin on Goku's shoulder. "If I know Vegeta as well as I think I do, he won't mind. Hell, if anything, he'll understand." Here, he rubbed his cheek against Goku's neck to make sure he felt him smirk. "Not many can resist me and my ..ah.. dangerously strong sexual appeal."

Goku laughed merrily and closed his eyes, leaning back further into his sibling. "Dangerously strong, eh? Obviously you haven't lost your ego, either."

"Oh, I've lost most of it, but when it comes to the truth...well..." He smirked as Goku chuckled again. "So have I cheered you up yet?"

Goku turned in Radditz's grasp and tried to glare, but couldn't help but smile a little. "You're a bastard, you know that?"

"Just because I'm irresistible?"

"Precisely."

"Pretty big word for you there, bro. I think I may be rubbing off on you."

Goku punched Radditz on the shower and ate the rest of the Sachai meat grumpily, glaring at his brother the whole time. Radditz rested his chin on his fingers, wagged his tail, and watched his brother eat, earning himself a suspicious glance from Goku. "What *are* you in such a great mood about, anyway?"

Radditz chuckled and leaned in to touch noses with his brother. "Because, my darling little brother, I do believe I've found a foolproof way out of here."