Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Education Arc ❯ Final Exam ( Chapter 3 )

Final Exam

by GutterBall

gutterballgt@hotmail.com

R

 

Warnings: VxG, GxV, yaoi lemon-fest, memory of non-con, angst, bittersweet ending, blushing, the Fusion dance, and havoc with the timeline, thanks to dealing with movie-canon vs. series-canon. Takes place during the Janemba movie, where mention is made of Majin Buu, but Vegeta and Goku are both dead and Goku's fighting in a tournament instead of on the Lookout or on Supreme Kai's planet at the same time Trunks and Goten are still Buu saga-aged children. Guh. You figure it out.

 

Disclaimers: I own neither DBZ nor the characters therein. No profit is intended. Some of the dialogue is taken directly from the English dub of the Fusion movie, but I have twisted it for my own fell purposes. Mwahah. C'mon. You know you've always wanted to.

 

Summary: This is the third and final chapter of The Education Arc, started on a dare from Orchideater so long ago. Hopefully, this makes up for how awful I was to my poor Kakarot in Learning Experience. Goku and Vegeta finally have a moment alone after working together for perhaps the last time. This is Goku's one chance to finally confess his feelings to the one person who still doesn't know. Will he take it? Only the landscape of Hell knows for sure, and it may never be the same.

 

 

FINAL EXAM

 

 

This was it. His last stand. He was trapped and helpless in Hell, yet again, and this time, Goku had no friends here to help him. Raditz was probably standing in the middle of a field somewhere, staring in stupid wonder at an overgrown crater. And Blue...well, who knew where the general might be? It was all too long ago to remember where it had actually ended.

 

They'd both been released from Hell with everyone else, leaving him to fend for himself. And it was all the fault of the monster preparing for the final strike a mere spitting distance away.

 

Watching Janemba through the hypnotic red prysm of what was left of the Blood Pond, Son Goku could only wait for the end.

 

And then, a flash of energy so intensely blue it was almost white sped by and detonated in Janemba's face, and his bloody prison popped like a water balloon, spilling him to the floor of Hell. He narrowly avoided faceplanting, though his arms and knees throbbed as they absorbed the shock of the rough landing. Alive. He was still alive.

 

Well, sort of.

 

What the--?

 

And then he sensed it. The energy he knew as well as his own. The energy that always made his palms sweat and his knees weak. Booted feet tapped to the ground behind him, and...the voice....

 

"How many times do I have to tell you that if anyone's going to end your existence, it's going to be me?"

 

"Vegeta?" His heart thundered in his chest. "But...how?"

 

"I've been trying to answer that question myself, Kakarot. I don't know how I got my body back. It was as if death was a dream, and I just woke up."

 

But that wasn't what he meant. He knew why Vegeta had a body. After the Majin Buu mess, he'd gathered the dragonballs and wished for Yemma to preserve his old rival's body the next time he died, figuring that after his sentence in Hell, Vegeta would much rather be himself in Otherworld than a mere spirit in Heaven or, gods forbid, completely reincarnated as someone else. But...why was the prince here instead of Earth?

 

No time for questions, though. Not with all the evil of every hell-bound spirit spoiling for a fight. Probably a good thing, since Vegeta wouldn't want to hear anything Goku had to say, anyway.

 

"It doesn't matter. I'm here, and I'm ready to fight. That's that." Everything was always so black and white with Vegeta. "Now stay back while I handle this."

 

"But he's strong. I don't think he can be beat." He winced. It sounded so weak, and that was the last thing he wanted to be with the man he wanted so badly standing right there.

 

But Vegeta only grunted. "Don't worry. I have one thing in my favor. I have nothing to lose."

 

His heart lurched and he jerked to his feet, though he somehow managed to keep his hands to himself. Damn that promise! "What do you mean? Don't say that!"

 

"You've been good, Kakarot. I haven't." Said both impatiently and simply, as if spoken to a stubborn child. "The afterlife quite frankly sucks for me. Fighting him will be a piece of cake." Some of the fire bled out of Vegeta's voice, and Goku felt his stomach twist in dismay. "Anything's better than my existence here."

 

Before he could even begin to phrase a response, Janemba roared into the attack and, of course, Vegeta flew into the creature's face. Fidgeting, he watched his sometimes-ally fight as he regained his strength. His old rival got in some good hits and several excellent blocks, but, soon enough, he had to admit that Vegeta was even more out-classed than he was.

 

Moving fast and thinking faster as Janemba simply hurled Vegeta like a ragdoll, he threw himself in front of the prince's plummet, surprised when he was allowed to put his arm around his old rival's shoulders. Perhaps Otherworld's upheaval had nixed Yemma's enforcement of promises for the moment.

 

Either way, a promise was still a promise to him, so he let go as soon as they touched down, though his whole side tingled where Vegeta had pressed against him. For a moment there, he'd actually held--

 

"Why don't you just leave me be, Kakarot. I don't need your stinking help!"

 

He couldn't keep a fond grin from quirking his mouth. It was just so...Vegeta. "Yeah, I know, I know." Straightening, he forced himself back to the business at hand. "But this time, I'm going to need your help. You saw what he did to me back there."

 

The prince grunted and forced himself to his feet, his dark blue gear shredded over his tight abs and firm-muscled thighs. It was a mouthwatering sight, but Goku had to look away. Now was definitely not the time.

 

"Can he even be beaten?"

 

"Yes." He took a deep breath. This wouldn't be easy, and not only because he knew how stubbornly against the idea the little jerk would be. "If we work together, then there's still a chance."

 

"What? Come on, he picked us apart!"

 

"Yeah. Separately."

 

He didn't want to have to say it. Vegeta would hate it. But worse, if they fused, Vegeta would know...everything. What he wanted. What...had happened....

 

"Separately?"

 

And, to his dismay, he could only watch as it clicked. The prince's eyes narrowed.

 

"Surely, you're not suggesting--"

 

"It's the only way." And it was. Dammit. "We have to do Fusion, Vegeta."

 

Of course, the prince kicked up a fuss, though the protest was surprisingly quiet. "You know better. Fusion. I'll never join bodies with you, clown!"

 

Oh, that hurt. It didn't even mean what Goku's heart insisted it did, and it hurt. Hell, it wasn't even a surprise.

 

Thankfully, before the argument got too out of hand--or his reactions became so obvious even Vegeta couldn't ignore them--Janemba ran out of patience and sent a volley of energy shards into the mountain. The stinging bits tore into them both, sent them both tumbling into the nettles, and then it was quiet again.

 

And there was Vegeta, facedown in the dirt. He stood over his old rival, the man he...well, loved...and felt all the old emotions wash over him in a confusing, inarguable rush. Irritation at the unending stubbornness. Pride for that indomitable spirit. Pity because he knew Vegeta still felt weaker, no matter what he said to the contrary. Regret that the prince would never see him as an equal. Hope that they could someday be friends, if not lovers.

 

And need. Need for closeness from someone who lived his life at a distance. Need for affection from someone to whom caring was a weakness. Need for a body as strong and inhuman as his own to lay against. To feel a connection to the one other person like him who wasn't his brother.

 

"The most painful thing is that...you've gotten stronger...while I've remained...the same...."

 

Sighing as he realized the prince was struggling with actual tears, he knelt at Vegeta's side. What could he say? It would always come between them. Vegeta simply couldn't get past his own insistence that a third-class nobody had shot upward through the levels of power faster and seemingly with less effort. That a brain-damaged idiot could so thoroughly outdistance the Prince of All Saiyans. That Son Goku, not Kakarot, had always found a way to win--with one notable exception that he wished with all his heart would always stay a secret--where Vegeta's best efforts were always only second best.

 

Frieza. Cell. Buu. All defeated by others. Never by Vegeta.

 

But never without his help. Make him see that. Help him see it.

 

Frowning, he chose his words carefully, wishing he dared to at least put a hand to the heaving back. "What you're saying is true, Vegeta, but you have to understand. I've been training in Otherworld this whole time. It's only natural that I've progressed. I'm even more amazed that you're just as strong as before, even though you haven't had a body to train in."

 

But Vegeta would have none of it, of course. "Bah! Don't belittle me with your pity, Kakarot!

 

Never pity, Vegeta. Not for you.

 

"Look, let's just forget about Fusion, all right?" He lowered his head and finally tiptoed closer to the truth. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. There's...no sense in fighting the whole time."

 

He glanced up and met the inscrutible but always suspicious gaze of the man he...loved. The gods alone knew what stupidity he would have blurted out if Janemba hadn't intervened again by flexing all that energy.

 

"We'd better go. He's on the move. This place will be gone in thirty seconds, so...we might as well get a move on." Pausing for a bare second, he offered his hand. Partly because of his promise, and partly just to see if Vegeta would take it. "Grab ahold of me, Vegeta. We really don't have any time to spare."

 

But the prince simply stood and turned away, back stiff and fists clenched. Wincing, Goku tried not to feel rejected. And failed miserably.

 

"I refuse to run."

 

Anger stirred. As hard as it was for him to focus on the situation at hand because of his feelings, this wasn't just about them. This was about everyone, and Vegeta always had to make everything so damn difficult.

 

He hardened his voice. "We'll be slaughtered."

 

And then, just before true anger reared its head, Vegeta slumped. "I can't run, Kakarot. If I did, then life, too, would be a hell." A long pause. Finally, his old rival glanced back at him over his shoulder. "If I run, life will be a hell. If I die, it will be a hell. So I only...have one choice." Shoulders drooping, the prince sighed, sounding defeated. "I'll do it. I'll do the stupid Fusion technique."

 

"Vegeta...."

 

Part of him rejoiced. It was almost as if Vegeta finally admitted to needing help, finally admitted that, together, they could do things no one else ever could. But another part cringed. Vegeta would know. Would know everything.

 

No time to worry about it now, though. Janemba had found them at last, and there was nothing to do but put his fingers to his forehead and wait for Vegeta to grab on before the attack detonated. Thankfully, the unpredictable little jerk didn't hesitate, and with a mere thought, Goku took them as far from that sickeningly evil energy as he could while staying in Hell.

 

Now, for the real Hell.

 

--

 

"Kakarot, your Fusion technique nearly got us killed! Are you out of your mind??"

 

Okay, so it hadn't gone exactly as planned. How was that his fault? And yet, Goku found himself apologizing, as always.

 

"Hey, sorry! I didn't know. Something must have gone wrong."

 

They flew as fast as their weakened bodies would allow, streaking for anywhere away from that unstoppable red monstrosity. Unfortunately, there weren't too many other places to go. Janemba was slowly wrecking all of the Afterlife.

 

"Goku!" Wait, that was King Kai's voice. Had he been watching this whole time? "The two of you weren't perfectly symmetrical. Vegeta's hand wasn't in the proper position."

 

He nearly facepalmed. If he'd learned nothing else in his long acquaintance with Vegeta, it was to never, ever blame His Highness Vegeta no Ouji for anything and expect him to take it mildly.

 

Trying to cover before the prince could take offense, he glossed over the mistake. "Oh, so it wasn't the technique. It was the execution." But he couldn't hide the chuckle in his voice as he added his own two cents. "Watch those fingers."

 

Vegeta merely twitched before exploding fully. "You mean we turned into that blimp because I bent one lousy finger!?"

 

Oops.

 

"Hey, don't worry. Let's give it one more shot while we still can."

 

To his shock, the prince agreed without a single grumble, and they took their admittedly ridiculous positions in record time. Unfortunately, all he could think about was that, probably because of that bent finger, Vegeta hadn't gotten anything out of his mind during that last, mutated Fusion. He wouldn't be so lucky this time.

 

Perhaps that cause the moment's hesitation that allowed Janemba to catch up to them so fast. Perhaps not. At any rate, they'd only just gotten to the third pose when Big Red bore down on them with a triumphant laugh and a blast that sent them scurrying for nonexistant cover.

 

Too late!

 

He crouched for battle, hoping wildly that somehow they could find a way to win without Fusion. Vegeta stanced at his side, and it was all he could do not to send one last, lingering look the prince's way. They probably wouldn't survive this battle, which meant they wouldn't survive at all because they were already dead.

 

Another blast bloomed in the creature's hand, and he flung out his arm to shove the prince behind him. "Vegeta, look out!"

 

And out of nowhere, a kick sailed into the back of Janemba's head, sending the monstrosity flying and buying them a single spare moment.

 

Who the--?

 

But instead of Raditz, as he'd half-expected and half-hoped, he looked up to see Pikkon glaring down at him.

 

"Never mind the formalities! Time's wasting! I'll hold him off. Go for it!"

 

He'd all but forgotten his tournament opponent in all the bustle and mental turmoil. Gushing his thanks in his relief, he turned to get a little distance on the fight. But as he glanced back to make sure the prince was following, he saw the strangest thing.

 

Vegeta..was glaring. At Pikkon. Eyes narrowed, mouth scowling, his old rival positively speared the oblivious West Galaxy fighter with that glare, then finally took to the air.

 

Goku jerked back around, hoping the prince hadn't seen him gawking. He wasn't sure what to make of that look. What had Pikkon done to earn it? Could Vegeta be...jealous?

 

He snorted. Not likely. And besides, he'd find out soon enough.

 

They touched down, took their stances, and danced one last time. This time, it worked.

 

--

 

The battle ended, as did the Fusion. Now, Vegeta stood silent, staring out over the expanse of one of the many pools that dotted Hell's surface. Goku didn't have the gumption to break that silence, so he simply stared at the prince's back, drinking in the sight to get him through however many more decades would pass until he saw it again.

 

Finally, Vegeta sighed. "Why has my body not disappeared, Kakarot?"

 

He swallowed hard. "Yemma owes me."

 

"For that android mess?"

 

His eyes closed, and he felt the flaring agony of Thirteen's assault shoot through him again. This time, though, it seemed to cut through his heart instead of exploding up his spine.

 

"Never mind." The prince shifted the slightest bit, his head turning just enough to peer over his shoulder with one eye. "Why didn't you tell me?"

 

Sick inside, he forced a laugh. "How could I? You already think I'm worthless. Why should I prove you right?"

 

A grunt. "Not that, idiot. About your...feelings."

 

He froze, mortified. Sure, he'd known Vegeta would find out during the Fusion, but he'd never expected the antisocial and downright cold little jerk to actually bring it up. Blushing, he wished he could unfreeze enough to put a hand to the back of his head. This was awful.

 

"I...didn't think you'd want to know. I know you don't want me, Vegeta."

 

That one, dark eye narrowed, but his rival made no move to either turn away or turn fully around. "Have you never noticed, Kakarot, how often I come to your rescue? Despite how often I end up beaten because of it?"

 

He gaped. He couldn't help it. So many things about those two questions just seemed...wrong. Vegeta, admitting to being beaten. Vegeta, admitting to coming to the lowly third-class's rescue.

 

"I...I don't...."

 

A growl. "Kakarot, you truly are the biggest fool in the universe."

 

Wincing, he finally reached up and scratched at his spikes. The gesture did nothing to salve the old hurt, but it was at least familiar. And somewhat comforting.

 

"But...perhaps...I am no better."

 

...Huh?

 

Finally turning fully around, Vegeta rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did you get nothing from me during that infernal Fusion, Kakarot?"

 

Totally blank, he could only stare.

 

"Fine." Sighing heavily, the prince lowered his gaze to the ground and scuffed one toe in the dust. "Since you refuse to see what's right in front of your idiot face, I have no choice but to tell you flat out." Dark eyes raised to his own, and Vegeta squared his shoulders. "I have wanted you from the moment I saw you as a Super Saiyan on Namek."

 

For a long, silent moment, it didn't register. The words made no logical sense. It was as if Vegeta was speaking Saiyan instead of English.

 

And then--

 

"But...you can't."

 

One eyebrow rose. "I can't?"

 

A blush so hot it made him sick at his stomach rose up his neck and suffused his face. "I...I mean...you don't. You...." Helpless, he held out his hands, palm up. "You can't."

 

"Why can't I?"

 

His mouth worked silently for a long moment before he finally forced out a few sensible words. "Vegeta, I'm the third class idiot, remember? You let Babidi possess you in return for the power to kill me. You've always hated me. Are we remembering the same past between us, here?"

 

The prince held up one finger. "When you attained Super Saiyan, your third class status was officially revoked." Two fingers. "You're an idiot like I'm a bad guy. You only resort to stupidity when you don't want to deal with something. In battle, you are damn near a genius, and you know it." Three fingers. "I needed Babidi to possess me so I would forget how I felt about you. I still wanted to beat you, but I couldn't really fight you." Four fingers. And a blush. "I never truly hated you, Kakarot. I wanted to, yes, but I could never manage it. From the first, I wanted you at my side. I even offered you the place before our first battle." Vegeta cleared his throat and lowered his eyes again, all those fingers clenching into a fist that he lowered to his side. "You turned me down, idiot. I was...angry."

 

Again, he was reduced to gaping stupidly.

 

Shifting, the prince cleared his throat. "But I didn't know I wanted you until Namek. Until the transformation opened my eyes to...to what you are, Kakarot." A sigh. "And I've spent almost every waking moment since trying to measure up."

 

Blinking, he tried to make his brain work. He hadn't gotten any of this from the Fusion. He knew Vegeta had damn near swallowed his memories whole, but he'd apparently been too busy with the fight to return the gesture. Could it really be possible...?

 

But no. He was getting carried away. Closing his eyes, he slumped.

 

"Even if you wanted me then, Vegeta, I know you can't want me now."

 

Silence. It was like the final nail in the coffin. The death of hope. The end of all possibility of--

 

"There's no shame in losing to a stronger opponent, Kakarot. Especially when you're stripped of your true abilities."

 

He flinched. It wasn't like Vegeta to make excuses.

 

"Are you ashamed of me for being under Frieza's yoke for so long? For doing that freak's bidding like a rabid dog on a fraying leash?"

 

His eyes flew open and he stared at the bristling prince in horror. "Of course not! You had no choice, Vegeta. You were a child when he stole you away, and his way of life was all you knew until you came to Earth."

 

A snort. "I let him rule me because I wanted to beat him and be the strongest being in the universe, Kakarot. Not because I didn't know better." The prince chuckled. Chuckled! "Always thinking the best of everyone, even now."

 

"But--"

 

"But you're not ashamed of me. Why should I be ashamed of you? That android freak kicked the living shit out of me when we were alive. Why should it not do the same to you? It isn't your fault it decided to take a different, more humiliating form of revenge while you were helpless to defend yourself." A shrug. "It happens all the time."

 

He wasn't sure if he should be comforted or feel more wretched than before.

 

Vegeta's expression softened. "Kakarot, it doesn't mean you're weak. And it doesn't mean I want you any less."

 

It was as if a light suddenly went on in the dark. Oh, he didn't believe a word of it. Didn't believe that the android's sickening revenge wasn't shameful or that he couldn't have found some way to save himself from it. But...the very fact that Vegeta was trying so hard to convince him....

 

"Vegeta...." He shook his head, wondering if he'd lost his mind or was simply dreaming. "Why didn't you say something?"

 

Another shrug. "Something always came between us. Wives. Battles. Death. There was never time."

 

He couldn't refute that logic, and its stark simplicity removed all argument. Everything was always so black and white with Vegeta. Maybe that two-tone vision was catching.

 

"So...that's why you glared at Pikkon?"

 

Oops.

 

Black eyes narrowed. "Who is that namek-wannabe to you, Kakarot?"

 

He grinned, feeling almost light-headed with relief and...yes, and amusement. Vegeta really was jealous!

 

"What, didn't you get it from the Fusion?"

 

"Kakarot!"

 

He laughed, and Vegeta leapt and tackled him to the dirt, growling deep in his chest. They tumbled around a bit, neither really trying to hurt the other, until the prince finally straddled his waist, hands clamped on his shoulders to hold him steady on his back. They stared for a long moment until Goku shifted uncomfortably, remembering what had happened the last time he ended up on his back in a fight.

 

"You say Yemma owes you, Kakarot." A strange look came over the prince's face. "How long do you think this favor will last?"

 

Twitching, his hands clenching and unclenching, he forced a weak chuckle. "I dunno. I didn't actually ask him for it, so...."

 

Vegeta's head tilted to one side, a soft smirk quirking his lips. "Have we ever played life safe before?"

 

His heart thumped hard and out of rhythm for a moment, and he squirmed a little before falling still as he realized exactly what he was squirming against. "Um...no?"

 

Those dark, dark eyes lowered until they burned a bare inch away. Vegeta's nose just touched his own. Warm breath fanned his cheeks, his lips.

 

"I'm going to kiss you, Kakarot." A slow blink. "I may never have another chance, and I refuse to go back to nothingness without tasting you at least once."

 

He couldn't think of a single thing to say. He felt both cold and hot at the same time, his body tense with waiting, his stomach roiling.

 

And, with a sigh, Vegeta closed the gap between them.

 

--

 

It was a quiet kiss. Oddly gentle. Vegeta's lips were firm, but not hard, and they moved lightly on his own. Just a touch, really. Barely a kiss at all.

 

Goku remained still, half-afraid to ruin the moment by joining in. But when his long-time rival opened his mouth and kissed with a little more oomph, he couldn't help but return that pressure. His mouth opened of its own volition, and he...he tasted....

 

Vegeta's fingers slid into his spikes, and he groaned as those strong fingers fisted tight. It didn't hurt at all. It felt wonderful. He reached up to return the gesture.

 

And couldn't. His hands flopped uselessly in the air, and he jerked in surprise, whacking the back of his head on the ground as he pulled away.

 

Vegeta chuckled wickedly. "Well, well, Kakarot. It seems that all is right with the world again. Your promise is back in effect."

 

His mouth gaped, and he stared up at the smirking prince in confusion that rapidly turned into stark fear. If he couldn't touch, he couldn't defend himself. He was...he was helpless. Again. He couldn't--

 

"Sssshhhh." Those firm lips pressed lightly to his own, but only for a second. "Kakarot, would I hurt you now? And would I want a lover who couldn't touch me back?"

 

Breathing short and fast, he tried to listen to Vegeta's words, to make sense of them. His old rival wouldn't hurt him. Hadn't done so when given the chance a dozen, no, a hundred times. Not in any lasting way.

 

Just breathe. Deep and slow.

 

Steeling himself, he reached up again, but again, his hands simply hovered. He couldn't coordinate his muscles to force them to actually stroke Vegeta's skin. And again, Vegeta chuckled--this time, right into his open mouth. Interesting sensation. He'd have to try it sometime when he wasn't freaked out.

 

"That doesn't mean I want you touching me just yet, Kakarot. I kind of like this promise of yours. I want to try it out before revoking it."

 

The grip on his hair eased, and light, careful fingers traced the curve of his jaw, the cords of his neck, the ridge of his collarbone. His skin prickled under that caress, and he shivered. He wasn't sure it was a good shiver or not, but he lowered his hands back to the ground, clenching his fists and hoping that Yemma had learned a lesson from the last time. Hoping that, if it came to another crisis point, his word wouldn't hold him back again.

 

Of course, nothing could stop him from kissing back when Vegeta thrust his tongue down his throat. Apparently that wasn't against the prince's will. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with being basically helpless under another body, but...he'd wanted to do this for so long. He couldn't help but suck on the tongue Vegeta gave him.

 

With a soft groan, Vegeta pulled away only to trace his mouth over the same path he'd traced his fingers. Jaw. Neck. Collarbone. Lower, and the very tip of that upsweep of spikes tickled his nose. He hefted a hand to brush at his nose, but apparently even the prince's hair was off-limits because his muscles again refused to coordinate. His arm hovered indecisively.

 

And Vegeta snickered.

 

"Dammit, Vegeta!"

 

"Language, Kakarot. You don't want to become a full-time resident, do you?"

 

Grunting, he thunked his head back into the dirt and squirmed, half-heartedly pulling away from the lips ghosting over the curve of his chest and embarrassingly aware of how little of his clothing still covered his upper torso. Rock-hard thighs clamped around his waist, holding him tight, and dark eyes peered up at him, narrowing as he met them with a scowl.

 

"Do you really want me to stop, Kakarot?"

 

Shifting restlessly, he shoved up to his elbows and stared down as Vegeta leaned his elbows on his chest. Their eyes met and clung, inches apart, and he literally felt the heat rising between them. Had it always been like this? Had he been oblivious to this heat? Had he convinced himself it didn't exist because he didn't want to risk being wrong and driving Vegeta away?

 

His breath caught in his chest. "I...want to join in."

 

The prince stared for a long moment, then sighed. "I don't want you thinking of the android when you're with me, Kakarot. I want to touch you without you remembering what it did to you."

 

He swallowed hard. "It won't just go away, Vegeta. I've...I've tried."

 

"You promised never to touch me against my will because you didn't want to try to make me want you. Correct?"

 

Wary, he nodded.

 

Vegeta smirked. "I made no such promise." The smirk softened. "There's a difference between trying to force what a man doesn't want and a little torment of a willing partner."

 

Tensing and relaxing restlessly, he bit at his lower lip and considered. It was a true enough statement. And he knew Vegeta wasn't trying to make him do anything he didn't want.

 

"Let me show you the difference, Kakarot." The prince shifted his hips, pressing the bulge in his tattered gear against Goku's groin. "Let me show you that you're never helpless when I'm around."

 

"Have you never noticed, Kakarot, how often I come to your rescue?"

 

A sigh shivered out of him, and he gave in. It was surprisingly easy to do. He simply laid back and smiled crookedly. Sure, he was nervous. Maybe even a little scared. But not of Vegeta. Not anymore.

 

With a smirk, the prince returned to his oral exploration with a little more verve. Lips and tongue drew a moist line over his chest to his nipple, and he tensed as the hot mouth sealed over the area and sucked. Oh, it felt...he'd never expected...never thought--

 

Sharp teeth sank in, and he jerked and squawked in surprised pain.

 

"Hey!"

 

Vegeta chuckled, the sound dark and smug. "Just keeping you on your toes."

 

He was tempted to shove the little jerk away, but even if he could have, he wouldn't. And even in his irritation, he knew exactly why.

 

"Didn't even break the skin, Kakarot." Again, Vegeta rolled his hips. "And don't tell me you didn't enjoy it."

 

Blushing, he squinted one eye and kept his mouth shut. The prince wasn't the only one with a hard, throbbing bulge in his gear. Something about the sharp but slight pain had sent his length from interested to hard as a rock in an instant.

 

But how had Vegeta known...?

 

A warm, wet-velvet tongue soothed the lingering sting, and he groaned and relaxed. It didn't matter. It felt amazing, and his only regret was that he couldn't tangle his fingers in those familiar spikes and hold Vegeta's head right where it was.

 

A single tear freed the rest of his chest to the prince's meanderings. He blushed and shifted under the dedicated assault, tensing when that taunting mouth sealed over the other nipple. Waiting for the sharp press of teeth. Wanting it.

 

A gentle suck. A swirl of the wet-velvet tongue. The sudden cold as that mouth released him.

 

And...nothing. Soothing strokes up and down his sides. Warm breath fanning his skin. The heat of Vegeta's body hovering over and pressing against his own. He twitched. Twitched again. Lifted his head to stare down at the prince straddling him.

 

Finally: "Vegeta? What are you doing?"

 

Dark eyes lifted to meet his own. "Anticipating."

 

And instant and rampant blush seemed to consume his entire body, and he broke out in a light sweat. Vegeta knew about that, too? About...Blue?

 

Luckily, the prince only chuckled. "Did you expect me to come to you a virgin, Kakarot?"

 

His mouth worked soundlessly.

 

"Then why would I expect the same of you?"

 

Vegeta leaned up, staying just out of kissing distance as he slipped one hand under sash, under waistband, under underwear, and took ahold of what so desperately needed a good stroke. His breath abandoned him as the prince obliged, strong fingers providing just the right pressure to leave him feeling boneless and weak and awash in perfect heat.

 

"Besides...." Those firm, silken lips brushed his own as they spoke. "You were thinking of me the whole time."

 

Lightheaded, he could only groan. Stroke. Stroke. Strooooke. He wanted to return the favor, to grip and caress the length throbbing against his groin, but he wasn't too disappointed when he couldn't. After all, it was...exhilarating...to be the center of such devoted attention. To have the man he'd dreamed of for so long expending all of his will on him and him alone.

 

Thankfully, not being able to touch didn't mean he couldn't respond. He arched against Vegeta's mouth, writhed to the prince's touch. He groaned and sighed, yelped when those sharp teeth occasionally nipped, growled when taunting lips paused just above where that insistent hand still stroked and pulled, stroked and pulled.

 

And he did his best to help when Vegeta finally decided it was time to get rid of the remains of his baggy pants. He only wished he could tear his old rival's accursed spandex all to hell, but, of course, his hands shied away from that active touch, and he thumped his fists into the ground hard enough to crack the very earth below when smooth fabric scrubbed against his bared skin, his throbbing arousal.

 

"Patience, Kakarot." A dark chuckle. "We've waited too long to rush."

 

He leaned up for a kiss, thrusting his tongue in as soon as Vegeta opened to him. It was all he could actively do, so he did it as best he could. His mouth fed at his rival's, teeth and tongue clashing in the most violent kiss he'd ever dared to give. It was long and hot and hard, and by the time he pulled away from it to lay back and catch his breath, the prince was panting and grinding against him.

 

"I want to see you, Kakarot."

 

Arching up against a particularly hard, desperate thrust, he groaned, unable to voice the question.

 

"Transform, Kakarot. I want to see you."

 

Super Saiyan. The idea had crossed his mind while he'd pounded into Blue, but he'd never really considered it. Could he even manage to coordinate that kind of effort with Vegeta, the epitome of everything he'd ever wanted in a lover, squirming on his lap?

 

"Please, Kakarot...."

 

It took no effort at all. He merely flexed, and the transformation overcame him with absurd ease. Staring up as Vegeta openly gaped down at him, he felt the power of both the Super Saiyan and the prince's obvious desire for it roar through him. Vegeta wanted him, needed him, as surely as Goku had ever wanted or needed the little jerk who had so long eluded him.

 

That power rushed out of him in a burst of aura, and Vegeta shuddered under its onslaught, eyes rolling back in his head and teeth clamping down on his lower lip. It was a sensual, decadent sight, and it shot straight to his groin, sending another wash of energy out of him.

 

"Gods...Kakarot...how could you ever think that you're weak?"

 

He couldn't wait another minute. Not with something like that hanging between them. He bucked his hips, groaning as his aching erection rubbed against all that smooth spandex.

 

"Please, Vegeta...I need you. Now. Please."

 

The prince shuddered, but made no move to continue. And, from somewhere deep inside that he barely remembered and never thought about, the words came in a language Vegeta would never refuse.

 

"Douzo, Oujisama. I want to be yours. Nanitozo!"

 

Vegeta shrugged out of his spandex so fast Goku wondered if it was ever really there. He had only a glimpse of toned, flexing muscle and satin, honey-tan skin, and then the prince lay fully over him, slipping down between his thighs and groaning so deeply it was almost a purr. Raising his arms, he tried to hold that glorious body close, only to still be unable to manage it.

 

Only minorly deterred, he arched and writhed, and the prince responded, reaching down to prepare him. He didn't shy away from this touch, even when his mind insisted on a flash of the android violating him this way. Growling, he forced that image away and lifted his hips, wanting that wash of sensation to purge the memory from his mind, to leave him thinking of nothing but pleasure and Vegeta and the glory of the present.

 

Sure enough, a hot rush of absolute bliss shocked through him, and he cried out, the shout cut off by Vegeta's devouring mouth. He grunted and writhed, the ecstasy almost painful in its intensity, and those wonderful, searching fingers prodded that perfect spot again. This was pleasure. This was sex. It was everything he'd ever wanted, ever needed, would ever need again.

 

Well, almost everything.

 

Wordless with his lover's mouth working at his own, he could only buck desperately and make pleading noises in his throat. Thankfully, Vegeta seemed to understand. The tormenting fingers withdrew, and the prince positioned himself and paused, tearing his mouth away. They both trembled, breathing hard and aching in every clenching muscle.

 

This time, though, he didn't have to beg. Sighing, Vegeta pressed inside.

 

No bad images bombarded him. No thought of anything before. There was nothing but this, but Vegeta buried so deeply inside him that he felt him in every line of his body. There was nothing but this, and this...was ecstasy.

 

The prince's thrusts were slow, deliberate. Almost measuring, as if he wanted to drag out all possible sensation until Goku came apart in his arms. Not that it took much. After three of those deep, savoring thrusts, he dug his fingers into the ground and shoved his whole body up, begging without words for more and harder and fast. A strained chuckle rumbled out of Vegeta's throat, but the pace did step up. Marginally.

 

"Vegeta...!"

 

Instead of answering, Vegeta again fed at his mouth, thrusting his tongue almost as deep as he thrust elsewhere. The dual sensation was intoxicating, addictive, and Goku could only reach for it again, sucking on that mobile tongue and trying to wrap his legs around his lover's waist. When his body again refused to cooperate, Vegeta took enough silent pity on him to reach down and hook his elbow under a raised knee and jerk it up higher. Thrusting harder with this new angle, the prince growled his appreciation while Goku grunted his.

 

Perfection.

 

Their bodies worked, straining together for a pinnacle neither of them had ever truly imagined. It was so close, and yet it remained just out of reach. Vegeta roared and flared his energy, thrusting harder and faster, and Goku could only howl and take it, begging for more with each buck of his hips, each arch off the ground.

 

Almost there...almost...there...Vegeta...gods...almost--

 

And then, somehow, Vegeta simply...stopped. Body shuddering with the effort it obviously took, the prince ceased his desperate pounding and...and pulled out. Pulled away. Sat back on his heels as Goku looked on in utter and blank confusion, his body still insisting that completion was only a breath away.

 

Gasping, all that bared and beautiful muscle twitching with need and adrenaline, the prince speared him with a burning glare. "Well?"

 

This was not the time to be an idiot. Unfortunately, all the blood required to make his brain work had migrated south to the head that didn't do much thinking. His jaw dropped open, and he stared at his lover from between his own bent knees.

 

A strained smirk twisted said lover's mouth. "If you want me, Kakarot, make me yours."

 

And his body suddenly knew what his brain didn't. It jerked up without his conscious control and lunged at the squatting prince. Finally catching on that Vegeta had forgiven his promise, he stroked and gripped and kissed every body part in reach, even licking the strangely vulnerable bend of his lover's elbow and dipping his thumb in the hollow of Vegeta's belly button. He simply couldn't believe in his freedom to do so, and, though Vegeta laughed--laughed!--and squirmed away from the odd touch, he poked his thumb in again.

 

"Kakarot, that tickles!"

 

Chuckling breathlessly himself, Goku spared his lover a sheepish glance, then caught his breath as his hand closed on an erection as throbbing and hard as his own. Vegeta's laugh disappeared on a long, rumbling groan, and the prince tossed his head back, his spikes stirring up the dirt.

 

"Vegeta...."

 

"Yes, Kakarot. Now."

 

Reverently, he pulled back to kneel between his lover's thighs and stared down at the body so beautifully splayed before him. Never, in all his fondest imaginings, had he ever thought to actually see this. Taut lines of sculpted muscle, the perfection broken here and there by cuts and bruises from their battle. The shift of powerful tone. The glowing sheen of sweat. And Vegeta. Just...Vegeta.

 

No words could describe the feeling that swamped him at the incredible vision. Thankfully, he didn't need any. He simply leaned forward and lined up their bodies, eyes locked with his rival's, his friend's, his lover's. Even as his fingers searched for and found the place that had driven his mind right out of his body, their eyes stayed locked, connected somehow. And when he replaced his fingers with an arousal that felt entirely too large for the tight muscle it pressed into, he felt as if he were sinking into those eyes, into Vegeta's very soul. It was a little like the Fusion they had so recently performed, but far, far more intimate.

 

After all, Vegeta wanted this. He'd only tolerated the Fusion.

 

The eye contact lasted beyond the first thrust, beyond the second. It lasted as his fingers ghosted with almost holy gentleness over pebbled nipples and shifting abdominal muscle, as they wrapped around Vegeta's length and stroked, as his other hand cupped his lover's jaw and tilted that beloved, handsome face up for a quiet, slow kiss.

 

He made love to his prince as if he'd never touch this perfection again, and their eyes never once closed or skittered away.

 

Eventually, his own urgency convinced him to thrust harder, and he again felt orgasm creeping close. His energy stirred, and he allowed it to rise, to rush through his veins and speed his movements. Without the slightest effort, he ascended, and Vegeta's eyes finally broke away to roll up into his head as lightning streaked through the aura burning over and through him.

 

"Kakarot!"

 

Heart pounding, power singing in his every muscle, Goku cried out and gave in to the need inside him. Closing his eyes, he thrust with all his strength, gathering his lover up in his arms and holding him tight as they both shot over the edge of the world and into the glittering oblivion of utter ecstasy.

 

It was perfect. It was...freedom. It was everything he'd ever wanted and like nothing he'd ever dared imagine. He wanted it to never end.

 

But it did, of course. They slumped together in a tangle of arms and legs on the floor of Hell, chests heaving and bodies lax with satisfaction. Grunting, he buried his face against Vegeta's sweaty neck, breathing in that salty-sweet scent, imprinting it on his memory forever as he released his transformation and returned to normal. He wanted to remember this moment, to revisit it every time he closed his eyes. To feel Vegeta's arms around him, holding him close.

 

It would be an eternity until he felt it again.

 

--

 

Vegeta stood tall in the tattered remains of his gear, staring over the water again. Goku tied his sash with trembling fingers, trying hard to hang on to his smile. They both knew that their time was running out. Whatever debt Yemma had owed him had long since been repaid.

 

The prince sighed. "I never asked, Kakarot. Why do the other fighters here have their bodies, but I don't?"

 

Wincing, knowing that said body would surely disappear at any moment, Goku shifted his feet and wished with all his heart that he could simply take Vegeta into his arms and fly them both back to Otherworld forever. Hell, he'd settle for Snake Way, if Vegeta were with him.

 

"I...made a wish. A long time ago." He swallowed hard. "I wished for Yemma to preserve your body for when you finished your time here so you could come to Otherworld, if you wanted to. He must have taken it literally and just...kept it."

 

Instead of chiding him for his stupidly worded wish, the prince only nodded. "Thank you, Kakarot. It...was a good wish." His head bowed. "I look forward to seeing you in Otherworld."

 

It isn't forever, he reminded himself, trying to be strong. For guys like us, this is barely a blink.

 

But his heart was heavy in his chest and his eyes burned. "Vegeta--"

 

His old friend turned abruptly, a small smile playing about his lips. The expression was so...extraordinary...that Goku could only stare in wonder.

 

"Until we meet again, Kakarot."

 

It was time. He felt it, and he knew Vegeta felt it, too. He smiled, though his heart was breaking.

 

"I'll be waiting for you, Oujisama."

 

Still smiling softly, his beloved washed free of color, faded around the edges, and disintegrated into a wispy puff of senseless white. A tear slipped free of his control as the spirit hovered indecisively, and he couldn't stop his hand from reaching out toward it.

 

It jerked away, then zoomed forward, spun around him in a dervish, and finally blasted right through him, almost knocking him off his feet. He caught himself and spun to watch it go, but the fluff of white was already gone.

 

"Vegeta...."

 

"Kakarot!" His brother's big body finished the job the spirit had started, slamming into his back and bowling him over into the dirt. "What the hell happened? What are you doing here? Why was I on Earth again? And why do you look like you've been fighting without me yet again?"

 

He grunted and rolled to his back under all that bulk, incapable of not grinning as he stacked his hands under his head and looked up at his furious brother straddling his thighs and all that hair tumbling around in the dirt. "Raditz, that is a long, long story."

 

Crossing his arms, the bigger saiyan grunted. "Well, suppose you tell it to me."

 

His grin faded, a deep melancholy stealing his amusement at his brother's pique. "Maybe sometime, big brother." Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he shrugged. "When we're all sitting around King Kai's table in Otherworld, laughing over old times."

 

Raditz must have caught his mood, because he relinquished his irritation and raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that'll happen, Kakarot?"

 

"Oh, yes. I have no doubt."

 

The eyebrow inched higher. "How do you know?"

 

A painful smile twisted his face, and he shoved his brother gently off and gained his feet. Taking his time, he brushed the red dust from his tattered pants and shook it from his hair. Finally, when he could stall no longer, he met his brother's questioning gaze.

 

"Because I wished for it, Raditz. A long time ago." Against his will, his eyes shifted off to the distance where Vegeta's spirit had disappeared, and his arms ached to hold that strong form again. "And my wishes...always come true."

 

END